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SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Wichita State overcame the second-straight 0-2 deficit to defeat Missouri State 3-2 in the championship match of the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament. The Shockers won by scores of 24-26, 20-25, 27-25, 25-17 and 18-16. It is the third MVC Tournament title in school history (2004, 2013).

Tournament MVP Jody Larson had 19 kills and 17 digs, while all-tournament team selection Shimen Fayad had 16 kills, five digs and four blocks. All-tournament team selection Emily Hiebert had 66 assists and 13 digs and Abbie Lehman had a career-high 21 kills. Dani Mostrom had a team-high 27 digs.

The first set went back and forth until the Bears took a 10-7 lead with a kill and a Shocker error. A kill and block from Shimen Fayad and a Bear hitting error tied the score at 10 and the teams traded points until MSU used two-straight kills to go in front 18-16. The Shockers tied it at 19 after two-straight kills from Abbie Lehman, but the Bears pulled in front 22-20 with two-straight kills. MSU increased the lead to 24-21, but two-straight kills from Mikaela Raudsepp and a block from Emily Hiebert and Katie Reilly tied the set at 24. MSU scored the final two points for the 26-24 win.

The Bears raced out to a 10-5 lead in the second set, but the Shockers pulled to within 12-9 after a service ace from Gabi Mostrom. The Bears used a 3-0 run to go in front 15-9 and the Shocks got no closer than four the rest of the way as MSU won 25-20.

The Shockers jumped in front 10-7 in the third set after a block by Fayad and Lehman. The Bears tied it at 12 with a block and the two teams traded points until the Shockers took a 23-21 lead on a block by Lehman. The Bears tied it at 23 and the teams traded points until Reilly's two-straight kills gave WSU a 27-25 win.
The fourth set went back and forth until the Shockers used a 3-0 run to take a 15-10 lead. The Bears pulled to within 17-15 after a 3-0 run, but a kill from Larson gave WSU a 20-16 lead. WSU ended the set on a 5-0 run to take a 25-17 win.

A kill by Fayad and a block by Hiebert gave WSU an 8-5 lead in the fifth set. A kill by Lehman brought the Shockers to match point at 14-9, but the Bears reeled off five-straight points to tie it at 14. The two teams traded points until kills from Reilly and Larson gave WSU the 18-16 win.

The Shockers will find out their destination in NCAA Tournament play on Sun., Nov. 29 at 8 p.m. on ESPNU.