WICHITA FALLS, Texas — Midwestern State defeated Bethel (KS) 3-0 in the home opener at D.L. Ligon Coliseum on Tuesday night. The Mustangs snapped a four-match losing streak with 25-22, 25-20, 25-20 victory over the Threshers. The Mustangs used an 8-0 run in the second set to move from 8-5 to 16-5 and finished with 46 kills while hitting .284.

The Mustangs answered a 22-21 deficit in the opening set by scoring the final four points, with Remi Madison tying the set before TaNia Penn and Jaiden Wright delivered kills to finish a 25-22 win. Earlier, the Mustangs traded points through the opening half, getting the first point on Aubree Bunker's kill from Macy Scheer and adding kills from Penn, Madison and Wright while Madison and Maxime Pheasant each served an ace. The Threshers moved ahead 18-16 later in the set, but MSU responded with kills from Nyle Mathis and Isabella Dickens to pull even at 19-19 and again at 20-20. After BC went back in front twice more, the Maroon & Gold closed the set with Pheasant assisting three late kills and took the first set, 25-22.

In the second set, MSU turned an 8-5 edge into a 16-5 advantage with an eight-point run, getting two kills from Penn, a Madison kill, a Giselle Cazares service ace and several Threshers errors during the stretch. Scheer served the Mustangs into a 3-0 lead to start the set with an ace and assists on kills by Madison and Wright. Bunker added two early kills as the Maroon & Gold built an 8-5 cushion. Bethel worked back to 17-10 after the run, but the Mustangs answered with kills from Madison and Penn and blocks involving Mathis, Wright, Penn and Dickens to keep the set moving toward the finish. Dickens delivered kills for points 21 and 24, and MSU closed the second set at 25-20 on a Threshers attack error.

The Maroon & Gold erased a 16-13 deficit in the third set and finished with a 25-20 win. The home side opened the set with a Dickens kill from Mathis and held narrow advantages behind kills from Brynn Metoyer, Penn, Madison, Wright and Mathis before BC tied the set at 9-9 and later moved ahead 16-13. MSU's response included a Madison-Wright block, consecutive Wright kills for a 17-16 lead and another Wright kill from Scheer after the Threshers tied it at 17-17. When the set was tied again at 18-18, Wright put down a kill, Dickens followed with back-to-back kills from Scheer, and Mathis and Dickens combined on a block to move the Mustangs ahead 22-18. BC got back within 22-20, but a service error, a Cameron Offerle attack error and a Dickens-Scheer block closed the set for the Maroon & Gold.

Madison led the Mustangs with 11 kills and 12.5 points while adding six digs. Wright finished with 10 kills on 16 attacks and hit .625 with two blocks. Scheer recorded 21 assists, four digs, one ace and one block. Jenna Redding collected 12 digs, six assists and one ace.

Midwestern State travels to Edmond, Oklahoma, for the Lone Star Challenge at Payne Athletic Center on Thursday and Friday. The Mustangs play Oklahoma Christian on Thursday night at 6 p.m. and meet Texas A&M-Kingsville on Friday night at 6 p.m.