SPRINGFIELD, Mo. - The Drake University volleyball team (15-7, 4-4 MVC) suffered a 3-0 loss to Missouri State (11-9, 4-3 MVC) to open its three-match Missouri Valley Conference road trip Friday, Oct. 12 in Springfield.

The Bears prevailed by set scores of 25-21, 25-23, and 30-28.

It was a defensive battle as neither team hit above .156 and combined for 54 attacking errors on the evening.

It was a back-and-forth opening set and a tough start offensively for Drake. Drake only had eight kills to MIssouri State's 14 to go along with 10 attacking errors. However, Drake stayed in it and scored three-straight points to force a Bear timeout with the set on the line. A blocking error by the Bulldogs gave Missouri State the point and first set victory, 25-21. Drake registered five blocks in the set and Missouri State had six.

The Bulldogs came out swinging where they tied the number of kills in their previous set, eight, within the first 13 points of the second set. Missouri State led Drake 18-15, but three-straight kills from Emily Plock (Altoona, Iowa) ended a 4-0 run for Missouri State. Six Bears' blocks in the set was enough, however, as they took the second set, 25-23.

Trailing 22-20 in the third set, Cathryn Cheek (Coppell, Texas) picked up a kill to pull Drake within one down the stretch. It was point-for-point as neither team would go away, but Missouri State ended the match with their season-high 17th block of the night to sweep the Bulldogs 3-0 behind a final set score of 30-28.

Cheek led the Bulldogs again offensively with 11 kills. She just missed her fourth straight double-double with nine digs on the night. Elle Tubbs (Clinton, Iowa) registered nine kills while Plock and Natalie Fry (Allen, Texas) each had seven.

Missouri State was led by Ashley Ophoven and Laynie Dake who ended with 17 and 11 kills, respectively.

Drake will have a chance to bounce back quickly as the Bulldogs play at Southern Illinois (4-16, 0-7 MVC) Saturday, Oct. 13 at 7 p.m.