PEORIA, Ill. -- Bradley rallied from a two sets to none deficit to force a deciding fifth set, but Missouri State was able to hold off the Braves escape with a 25-13, 25-15, 22-25, 20-25, 15-9 win against BU Saturday night in Missouri Valley Conference volleyball action.  Junior Megan Schmidt (Bloomington, Ill./Central Catholic) tallied 12 kills and a career-high 10 blocks to help lead the Braves.

Picked to finish second in the preseason Missouri Valley Conference coaches poll and already sporting a 3-3 record against NCAA Tournament teams from 2009, Missouri State (9-3 overall, 1-1 MVC) lived up to its billing in the first few frames.  The Bears hit a combined .349 in the first two sets and cruised to 25-13 and 25-15 wins to open the match.

Bradley (4-8 overall, 0-2 MVC) needed a late rally in the third set to avoid the sweep, trailing 19-16, when Schmidt would take over.  She helped fuel a 7-0 Bradley run with three consecutive blocks to help put the Braves in front 23-19.  Missouri State answered with two points of it's own, before Schmidt ended the set with a block assist and kill to close out a 25-22 Bradley victory.

In the fourth set, Schmidt helped spark a 4-0 BU spurt with a block assist to break a 17-17 tie and help give BU a 21-17 lead.    The Bears pulled to within two points (21-19) before a Schmidt kill and ace by sophomore Madelyn Ervin (Lewis Center, Ohio/Olentangy) extended Bradley's lead back to four points (23-19).  Senior Caitlin Staib (Naperville, Ill./Naperville Central) found the floor with a kill and freshman Lauren Zerante (Elmhurst, Ill./York) registered one of her own to give BU a 25-20 win and force a fifth set.

The Braves ran out of steam in the fifth set, however, as Missouri State capitalized on early BU errors to jump out to an 8-1 lead.  Bradley answered with a 5-1 run and pulled to within three points four different times, but back-to-back Missouri State kills and a BU attack error sealed a 15-9 fifth-set win for the Bears.

Schmidt led the Braves with 12 kills and a career-best 10 blocks (one solo and nine block assists), while freshman Amy Angelos (Waukegan, Ill./Waukegan) added 10 kills and five block assists.  The duo helped Bradley to a season-high 15 blocks, but Missouri State posted a 92-70 edge in digs and the Bears also held a 65-49 advantage in kills.  Sophomore Allie Gardner (Chicago, Ill./Mother McAuley) helped highlight BU's defensive efforts, tying for match-high honors with 21 digs.

Calli Norman led Missouri State with 15 kills and six blocks.  Kelley Michnowicz tallied 14 kills, while attacking at a .545 clip and Christine McCartney collected 11 kills and 11 digs to lead the Bears.

Bradley returns to action Friday when the Braves face Drake at 7 p.m. in Des Moines, Iowa, in the first Valley road contest of the season for BU.