Springfield Standard

Missouri State University’s volleyball team lost a close five-set match to Liberty University on Friday night at Hammons Student Center. The contest lasted nearly three hours and included 145 combined kills and 183 digs between the two teams. Liberty won with set scores of 25-23, 28-26, 20-25, 21-25, and 15-8.

Brooke Eslinger led Missouri State with 34 digs, marking the tenth-highest single-match total in program history. Peyton McKee and Lizanyela Lopez both matched their career highs for kills, with McKee recording 19 and Lopez tallying 11. Lexi Weinberg contributed six blocks, tying her personal best, along with registering 11 kills without errors. Hannah Gardner achieved career highs in assists (33) and digs (16). The Bears finished the match with a total of twelve blocks, marking their ninth double-digit blocking performance this season.

After dropping the first two sets by narrow margins—including a second set where Liberty overcame a late deficit—the Bears rallied to win the third and fourth sets. Missouri State hit .333 in the third set and came back from behind in the fourth to force a decisive fifth set. In that final period, Liberty regained momentum with eleven kills while Missouri State managed only three kills against four errors.

Jenna Walters added eleven kills for Missouri State, making her one of four players on the team to reach double digits in that category. For Liberty, Carly O’Brien posted notable numbers with twenty-eight kills and twenty digs.

The series between Missouri State and Liberty concludes Saturday at Hammons Student Center during Senior Day.

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