Springfield Standard

Missouri State’s volleyball team achieved its fifth consecutive victory on Saturday, defeating Louisiana Tech in straight sets at Hammons Student Center. The Bears won 25-20, 25-16, and 25-17 while posting a season-best .375 hitting percentage.

Freshman Hannah Gardner led the Bears with 14 kills, 20 assists, and eight digs, nearly reaching a triple-double. Rilynn Finley contributed 11 kills with a .556 hitting percentage. Additional offensive support came from Peyton McKee, Lexi Weinberg, and Lizanyela Lopez, each recording six kills.

Defensively, Lopez recorded seven blocks in the match, and Brooke Eslinger led with 13 digs. Eslinger also served two aces during a key run in the first set that helped secure a lead for Missouri State.

Missouri State outperformed Louisiana Tech in several categories: hitting percentage (.375 to .101), kills (44 to 32), digs (37 to 30), blocks (8 to 5), and service aces (4 to 3). With this win, the Bears extended their streak of consecutive set victories to nine and improved their home record to 8-3.

The Bears will play their next matches on the road against UTEP on Friday at 7 p.m. and Saturday at 2 p.m., Central Time. They have two remaining home matches against Liberty on November 7 and 8. Tickets purchased by October 31 are available for $5 with the code BEARSWIN.