Box Score

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. ? The Shockers (19-4, 10-2) won a tight five-game battle at Missouri State (17-6, 9-3) to stay in first place in the Missouri Valley Conference standings.  The Shockers won by scores of 28-30, 31-29, 16-30, 30-28 and 20-18.

 

 Sara Lungren led the Shockers with 17 kills and also added 21 digs, while Abby Harsh had 48 assists and a career-high 20 digs and Angela Jakubov added 11 kills and 13 digs.  Kelly Broussard had a career-high 37 digs for the Shockers.

 

The teams traded points early in game one until the Bears grabbed a 10-7 lead on a Shocker hitting error.  The Shockers responded with a 6-2 run to take a 13-12 lead, but MSU reeled off three-straight to take a 15-13 lead.  The Bears increased the lead to 18-14 on a WSU hitting error before the Shockers pulled to within one at 24-23 on a block by Lindsey Eckenrode.  Another Shocker block gave WSU a 25-24 lead, but MSU finished the game on a 6-3 run to take a 30-28 win. 

 

A Bear hitting error gave the Shockers a quick 8-6 lead in game two, but MSU went on a 4-1 run to take a 10-9 lead.  The two teams went back-and-forth until the Bears took a 16-13 lead on a block by Sara Thomas and Sarah Lansing.  Back-to-back MSU hitting errors gave the Shockers a 20-19 lead and the teams traded points until a Bear block gave MSU a 26-24 lead.  A kill by Abby Harsh gave WSU a 27-26 lead and the Shockers won game two 31-29 on a Bear hitting error.

 

The Bears took an early 8-3 lead in game three and increased it to 12-6 on back-to-back blocks.  MSU continued to roll taking a 17-7 lead and then a 22-9 advantage.  The Shockers were never able to get back in the game as the Bears took a 30-16 win in game three.

 

Back-to-back Bear errors gave the Shockers an 8-6 lead in game four before a kill by Eckenrode gave WSU an 11-9 lead.  The Shocks increased the lead to 25-21 on a kill by Sara Lungren, but MSU pulled to within 29-28 on a service ace by O'Connor.  WSU won game four 30-28 on a kill by Eckenrode.

 

Game five went back-and-forth early with WSU taking an 8-5 lead at the halfway point on a kill by Eckenrode.  MSU pulled to within 10-8 on a Shocker ball handling error before two kills by Lungren gave WSU a 12-9 lead.  WSU reached match point 14-11 on a kill by Lungren, but the Bears scored three-straight points to tie it at 14.  MSU reached match point 15-14 on a kill by O'Connor, but WSU won 20-18 on a block by Lungren and Abby Harsh.

 

The Shockers next play Belmont in a non-conference match on Saturday at noon in Springfield.

 

-Wichita State-