TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Missouri State turned in a season-best .290 attack percentage and collected 36 kills on 93 attempts to defeat Indiana State here Sunday in straight sets, 25-16, 25-23, 25-22.
The Bears (15-6, 11-5 MVC) were led by Amelia Flynn’s 10 kills, including her 1,000th career kill in the second set. Brooklyn Cink also contributed nine kills for the Bears with Teagan Polcovich racking up 13 digs in the winning cause.
Missouri State ends the regular season on a three-match win streak as it heads into the MVC Tournament later this week (April 1-3) at Illinois State. The Bears are expected to be the No. 2 or No. 3 seed when the brackets are announced later Sunday.
The Bears rolled through the first set, 25-16, with Cink tallying four kills and four digs in the opening frame to give the visitors a key early lead. Flynn also pitched in three kills and five digs in the first, while the team hit .321.
Indiana State regained its composure in the second and pulled ahead 7-6 early and ultimately led by four at 18-14. The Bears, however, closed out the set on an 11-5 run, tying things up at 23-23 on a kill by Reagan Casey and then taking the lead on a Sycamore attack error before Flynn’s kill completed the comeback, 25-23.
The Bears hit .342 in the pivotal second set, collecting 17 kills on 38 swings.
The final set was nip and tuck until back-to-back kills by Cink and consecutive service aces from Kennedee Anderson pushed the visitors ahead 21-17. The Sycamores (7-12, 7-11 MVC) rallied to tie the match at 21, but the Bears would not be denied. MSU rolled up four of the last five points in the match, first on a pair of Sycamore errors, then on a key block from Azyah Green and Lindsay Lahr to lead 24-21. Two points later, Lahr ended things with her fifth kill of the match.
Anderson accounted for four of MSU’s six aces to go with seven digs and her team-high 16 assists.
Missouri State also racked up 12 total blocks in the victory.
Indiana State hit .142 overall with Mallory Keller’s nine kills leading the Sycamores efforts.
#BearsUnite
