Box Score

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By David Boyce

MARYVILLE, Mo. - Court chemistry is essential in volleyball. For proof, pick out just about any Northwest Missouri State match from 2013 and compare it to what took place Saturday evening at Bearcat Arena.
 
The Bearcats needed to stick together the entire match to pull out a thrilling 24-26, 25-17, 25-18, 20-25, 15-13 victory over Emporia State.
 
"Ever since we walked in the first day of preseason, we really had a motivation to do better and get better each day," said senior Bailey Vance. "The team chemistry has been great from the start.
 
"We brought in a lot of new players and they were ready to go and ready to compete. Everyone fits together. We are all working hard for one goal as a team."
 
It was the first home victory over Emporia State in the four years that coach Amy Woerth has been at Northwest. It was the first win over Emporia State since 2004 and the first home win since 2002.
 
"This was something I challenged them before we started," Woerth said. "We haven't beaten them a long time at home. Let's go do something we haven't done so it is good to get that victory from a good program that has finished in front of us."
 
 The Bearcats have another important home match on Tuesday when they take on rival Missouri Western at 7 p.m. Western is coming off a 3-0 sweep of highly ranked Washburn on Saturday and improved to 8-3 and 2-1.
 
Northwest win was a complete team effort. Junior Natalie Gora led Northwest with 17 kills followed by 16 kills for Shelby Duren.
 
"Natalie is bringing her own little flair to this," Duren said. "She really came out of her shell and had a great preseason. She came in and worked hard to earn her spot on the court."
 
 Northwest got key contributions from freshman Alexis Williams, Sarah Dannettell and Bristol Lewis. Sophomore Jackie Becker was solid throughout.
 
"The freshmen have brought a lot of energy," Duren said. "We have done a good job of embracing every single player on the team."
 
And Vance provided stellar defense with a game-high 27 digs.
 
"I think it pays dividends from the standpoint of our team chemistry," Woerth said. "It is always there. We just have to remind them on the communication side. Being so young on the court, they just have to be reminded to communicate. We don't have a lot of veterans on the floor."
 
Northwest lost a tough first set 26-24 to Emporia State. It was an anguishing first-set loss which can derail a team not operating on the same page.
 
The Bearcats were completely undaunted by what transpired in the opening set. After briefly falling behind 3-2 in the second set, Northwest raced to an 8-3 advantage on the serving of Duren.
 
Offensively in the second set, Northwest used a balanced attack. Duren had six kills and Gora and freshman Bristol Lewis each had five, helping the Bearcats even the match.
 
"We realized we needed to play at a higher level," Vance said. "We needed to have better ball control. We made a decision to go out there and not lose on our home court. We wanted to defend our house."
 
Northwest continued its strong, team play in the third set. Emporia State, a proud program with a strong tradition, battled back and won the fourth set, setting up the dramatic fifth set.
 
The Bearcats fell behind 7-5 and then scored three straight. A kill by Duren gave Northwest an 8-7 lead. Senior Gabby Guhl broke an 8-8 tie with a kill. Duren gave Northwest an important two-point advantage with a kill, making 10-8.
 
Northwest increased its lead to 13-10 and then saw Emporia State score the next three points. The Bearcats stopped the mini run with a kill by Gora. The match ended with Emporia State hitting the ball into the net.
 
"The fifth set was a lot of fun," Duren said. "We made it a little too close, but after each point we came together and refocused. We didn't let what the other team did affect us. We focused on what we needed to do.
 
"This brings us momentum. We are 2-1 in conference. We know we can play with these top five teams. It means we can finish in the top five or even better.