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By David Boyce  |  MIAA Tournament Seeding

MARYVILLE, Mo. - Miranda Foster ended the first set with a kill. Jackie Becker started the second set by getting the first point for Northwest Missouri State.
 
It was fitting that the two seniors on Northwest volleyball team helped the Bearcats get off to a fast start in their final home match.
 
Unfortunately, the Bearcats couldn't sustain the great start, dropping the last three sets for a 15-25, 22-25, 25-17, 28-26, 17-15 loss Saturday evening at Bearcat Arena.
 
It was a difficult ending for Northwest, which dropped to 22-8 overall and 10-8 in the MIAA. The Bearcats had set point twice in the fourth set and led 14-11 in the fifth set. They just couldn't make that final shot to win the match.
 
Becker and Foster each finished with 10 kills, matching junior Darcy Sunderman. Junior Alexis Williams and sophomore Maddy Bruder each had 13 kills.
 
The loss doesn't take away what Foster and Becker have accomplished in their careers at Northwest.
 
"I will remember my teammates and coaches and just the way we are family here and that will never go away," Becker said. "From your freshman year to your senior year, you are a constantly a big part of the family and part of the community. I will remember the most how loved and how much we were supported. It is something you can't get anywhere else."
 
Foster echoed Becker's sentiments.
 
"It is a family here, not just our team but through each of the teams here," Foster said. "It is an awesome feeling to be a part of Bearcat Nation and know that people care what you are doing.
 
"We play because we are passionate about the game and we love to play volleyball. But it is also nice to know there are people behind us, supporting us. Little kids see you at Carson's and go, 'wow, you are on the volleyball team. Can I get your autograph?' That is something special. I never thought coming in that would be the result of me playing volleyball at Northwest."
 
Their growth as volleyball players and their senior leadership played a vital role in helping the Bearcats ascend to the AVCA Top 25 for the first time in school history.
 
"They set a new standard when it came to leadership," Northwest coach Amy Woerth said. "Every senior that leaves a program wants to leave a mark. They have really left a mark. Peer to peer leadership is a tough thing. To be able to do it together so well, I am just really proud of how they led our team and got us in a different trajectory on commitment level and where we want to go as a program."
 
With the regular season finished, the Bearcats are ready to make noise in the upcoming MIAA Tournament, which starts Tuesday. Northwest will play its first match on the road.
 
"The attitude has to be we can do anything because we can," Foster said. "We played every team in conference. It is tournament time. I think we can learn from each and every game, whether it was a win or a loss. We are driven and willing to fight for each other. We got to keep on believing."
 
Becker said, "I am looking forward to Tuesday. We have to go in with a relentless and fearless attitude."
 
The Bearcats definitely had that mentality in the first two sets against Central Missouri.
 
In the first set, Northwest scored five straight points early on and turned a 5-3 deficit into an 8-5 advantage. The Bearcats never trailed again as they built their lead to 17-9.
 
Northwest started strong in the second set, scoring the first three points. A kill by Bruder several points later gave the Bearcats a 11-3 lead. Central Missouri spent the rest of the set playing catch-up.
 
The Jennies made it interesting, closing to 18-16, but a kill by Sunderman ended the run by Central Missouri.
 
Northwest maintained a two to three-point lead the rest of the way. One of the key points came with the Bearcats ahead 22-20. A kill by Becker left Northwest two points shy of closing out the set. Foster finished off the set with her seventh kill of the match.
 
The third set didn't go as smoothly for Northwest. The Bearcats did hold a 16-14 lead when Central Missouri scored 11 of the last 12 points, including the final eight.
 
Northwest showed plenty of resiliency in the fourth set, staving off a set point at 24-23 and then getting two match points at 25-24 and 26-25 before surrendering the last three points to drop the set.