Ben Adamson (MSU Sports Information) SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — Missouri State extended its winning streak to five matches Monday evening with a 25-10, 25-12, 25-15 sweep of Evansville in Missouri Valley Conference volleyball action at Hammons Student Center.
The Bears (14-7, 5-2 MVC) hit .378 as a team and have now held the opposition below 20 points in 10 consecutive sets. MSU also served seven aces in the match and limited UE (4-17, 0-8) to a .042 attack efficiency with 20 kills and 16 errors.
Lily Johnson led the MSU charge with 14 kills, 10 digs, three aces and a .444 hitting percentage, while senior Simone House added 10 kills and hit at a .562 clip.
Missouri State trailed for only four points in the match, and dominated the first set with four runs of 4-0 or greater on the way to a 23-7 lead. The Bears used a 6-0 run to lead 9-3 in the second period and accumulated 18 kills against two errors to hit .471 in the set. House had six kills, Johnson added five and MacKenzie Irwin went 3-for-3 on the attack in the second frame.
A Johnson kill put MSU ahead for good at 5-4 in the third set, and the Bears finished the match on a 12-5 run after the Purple Aces pulled within 13-10 midway through the final period.
Emily Butters paced MSU with 12 digs, Daniele Messa handed out 37 assists, and 16 Bears saw floor time on the night.
The Bears hit the road this weekend for matches at Illinois State at 7 p.m. Friday and Indiana State at 6 p.m. Saturday.
