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Story Headlines
- The Northwest Missouri State University volleyball team defeated Pittsburg State, 3-2, on Friday at John Lance Arena in Pittsburg, Kan.
- The No. 20 ranked Bearcats improve to 15-0 on the year and 3-0 in MIAA play. Pittsburg State falls to 2-13 overall and 0-3 in conference action.
- Northwest's 15-0 mark ties for the second best start in program history with the 1984 team. The 1980 team started the year 23-0.
- This was the fifth five-set match of the year for the Bearcats.
- Darcy Sunderman had 18 kills with a block and an assist. She hit .325 for the match.
- Miranda Foster had 15 kills for Northwest and added 13 digs.
- Five different players for the Bearcats hit double-digits in kills.

Key Northwest Statistics
- Northwest lost the first set, 25-22, but came back to win the next two, 27-25 and 25-20. Pitt State won the fourth set, 25-14, but the Bearcats clinched the win with a 19-17 win in the fifth.
- The Bearcats hit .173 for the match while the Gorillas had a .225 team attack percentage in the five sets.
- Maddy Bruder had 11 kills, 14 digs, three assists, three service errors and a block.
- Sarah Dannettell recorded 46 assists with 10 digs, three blocks and one kill.
- Olivia Nowakowski had a match-high 19 digs with one assist.
- Megan Stilmock had 10 digs, an assist and a service ace.
- The fifth set featured 12 total ties and two lead changes.

Key Northwest Sequences
- Up against set point in the second, 24-22, Northwest rallied to force a tie with two straight points. Bruder came up with a block and then after a long sequence, the Bearcats forced an attacking error to tie the match, 24-24. After a Pitt State timeout, the Gorillas were called for a handling error to give Northwest the lead, 25-24. Pitt State came up with a kill to tie the set but Sunderman came back with a kill of her own. On the ensuing point, the Bearcats forced the Gorillias into another attacking error giving Northwest the set.

- The Bearcats got an early lead in the third set by using a seven-point rally to take control early. Tied 2-2, Northwest forced five straight Pitt State errors, including a block by Williams and Foster. Up 7-2, Stilmock came up with a service ace to make it 8-2. The Gorillas would make another attacking error on the ensuing sequence to make it 9-2 Northwest. Pitt State would pull to within one on a couple of occassions but the Bearcats not relinquish the lead for the remainder of the set.

- Facing three match points in the fifth down 14-11, Northwest rallied to eventually take the lead, 16-15. The two teams would battle back and forth, hitting ties at 16-16 and 17-17. Sunderman gave the Bearcats their fourth match point at 18-17 with a kill. The Bearcats closed out the match with a kill from Foster to take the set and the match, 19-17.

Up Next
- The Bearcats will head to Edmond, Okla., to face the No. 12 ranked Bronchos of Central Oklahoma on Saturday at 4 p.m.