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EVANSVILLE, Ind. – Evansville's duo of Ashley Ring and Genesis Miranda were stellar once again, but Missouri State hit .340 en route to a 3-0 win over the Purple Aces volleyball team on Friday night at the Carson Center.
 
Ring and Miranda led UE (7-13, 3-5 MVC) with 13 kills apiece.  Meaghan Holmes finished the night with 5.  Defensively, Ring posted 13 kills to lead the Aces while Grace Carter finished the night with 18 assists.
 
Olivia Brand paced the Bears (13-7, 6-2 MVC) with 16 kills while Lily Johnson had 15.  Kinsey McCarter led everyone with 46 assists while Maddy Hogan tallied 14 digs.
 
The Bears' Lily Johnson led everyone with seven kills in the opening frame as MUS took a 25-20 win.  The squads switched the lead in the early-going leading to a 6-6 score.  That is when the Bears took charge, posting the next three to go up 9-6. 
 
Evansville cut the gap back to a pair on several occasions as the Aces forced a Bear error to make it a 14-12 game.  MSU responded, extending the lead to as many as seven at 23-16 before taking the 25-20 triumph.
 
It was the Aces who got off to the quick start in the second set, posting the opening four tallies before taking a 6-1 lead.  Ashley Ring notched three kills in the opening run.  The Bears fought back to tie it up for the first time at 8-8 as Oliva Brand notched a kill.  Evansville scored the next two, going up 10-8, but the Bears once again had the answer.  Another Brand kill spearheaded a 4-0 stretch.
 
Back-and-forth action continued as the Aces reestablished a 15-13 advantage on a Meaghan Holmes kill.  Missouri State tied it back up at 15-15 and made the game-changing run with the score knotted at 20-all.  Another Johnson tally set MSU on a set-ending 5-2 stretch as they won by a 25-22 final.
 
Missouri State wrapped up the night in the third game with a 25-19 win.  Early on, it was all Bears as they jumped out to a 7-2 edge.  Genesis Miranda brought the team back single-handedly, notching three kills in four tries as UE tied it up at 9-9.  The Aces took their first lead at 12-10 on back-to-back MSU errors.
 
With the game tied at 13-13, Lauren Boone gave the Bears the lead for good.  MSU's largest edge of the frame was the final of six points, 25-19.
 
Tomorrow evening, the Aces take on Wichita State at the Carson Center.  All fans are encouraged to wear white for the 6 p.m. match versus the Shockers.