TOPEKA, Kansas – The Northwest Missouri State University volleyball team came within two points of capturing the 2021 MIAA Spring Tournament held at Lee Arena on the Washburn University campus.
 
The University of Nebraska-Kearney Lopers hung on for a 3-2 win over the Bearcats in the championship match. The Lopers win by set scores of 25-18, 25-18, 23-25, 22-25 and 15-13.
 
Northwest completes its spring season with a mark of 14-3 overall.
 
The Bearcats scored the opening point of the match, but gave away the lead two points later and never led the remainder of the set as the Lopers gained a 25-18 triumph. UNK took a 7-3 lead, but Northwest rebounded and evened the set at 10-10. UNK scored three in a row to go up 13-10. Olivia Dir and Rachel Sturdevant combined on a block to pull Northwest to within one at 13-12. UNK then used a 9-2 run to put some distance between the two on the scoreboard. Dir and Payton Kirchhoefer combined to lead Northwest with five kills apiece in the opening set.
 
UNK took a commanding 2-0 lead with another 25-18 set victory in the second stanza. Kelsey Havel tallied a pair of early kills to tie the set at 8-8. The Lopers then extended the lead to four at 13-9. Northwest would climb to within two points at 16-14 on a kill from Bethany Elkins, but the Lopers used a 6-1 spurt to take control late in the second. Havel and Kirchhoefer each posted three kills in the second set.
 
Northwest faced an uphill battle in the third but never shied away from UNK. The Lopers tried to put away the 'Cats early with a 5-0 run to start the set. The 'Cats refused to go away quietly and rallied to even the set at 10-10 and force a Loper timeout. The Bearcats rode the offense of Bethany Elkins, Jaden Ferguson and Kirchhoefer in the comeback. A Ferguson kill gave Northwest its first lead of the third set at 11-10. As the Bearcats clawed back, the Lopers jumped out again and took a 21-19 lead with the finish line in sight. Havel answered with a pair of kills to give Northwest a 22-21 lead to make the Lopers take their final timeout of the set. Elkins came up big with a kill and then combined with Kirchhoefer on a stuff to give the Bearcats a two-point cushion at 24-22. A service error by the Lopers at set point gave Northwest the win, 25-23. Havel throttled the Loper with six kills in the third.
 
Northwest used a 7-1 run in the fourth set to take an 11-7 advantage. An Elkins service ace would give Northwest a 16-10 lead and force a timeout from the Lopers. UNK came out of the timeout to score four straight points before Bearcat head coach Amy Woerth called a timeout of her own. Northwest rattled off three kills from Kirchhoefer, Ferguson and Kirchhoefer to take a 19-14 lead. UNK made a late push to cut the Northwest lead to 21-19, but Havel had a response and put down a pair of kills. Kirchhoefer threw down a kill for set point and Northwest had evened the match at 2-2 with a 25-22 triumph.
 
UNK swung the momentum early in the fifth and decisive set with a 6-2 spurt. Northwest would not back down and recovered to tie the set at 7-7. It would also be tied at 8-8 and 9-9 before Northwest took its first lead of the fifth at 10-9. Ferguson added a kill on the next point to give Northwest an 11-9 edge as UNK used a timeout. The Lopers came out of the break to score five straight points and take a 14-11 lead. Northwest scored the next two points to pull within 14-13 and force UNK to take its final timeout of the set. UNK came out of the timeout and scored on a kill to take the five-set thriller, 15-13.
 
NOTES: Payton Kirchhoefer led Northwest with 20 kills … Kelsey Havel tallied 17 kills … Jaden Ferguson posted 11 kills … Alyssa Rezac, Bethany Elkins and Rachel Sturdevant had three blocks … Northwest's Jaden Ferguson, Hannah Koechl, Alyssa Rezac and Morgan Lewis were named to the MIAA's All-Tournament team as voted on by the league's head coaches.
 
MIAA Spring All-Tournament Team
Most Outstanding Player – Madison Squiers, Nebraska Kearney
 Washburn – Genna Berg
Washburn – Allison Maxwell
Newman – Trinity Conley
Missouri Southern – Janelle Brehm
Central Missouri – Audrey Fisher
Central Missouri – Kersti Nix
Nebraska Kearney – Anna Squiers
Nebraska Kearney – MK Wolfe
Northwest Missouri State – Jaden Ferguson
Northwest Missouri State – Hannah Koechl
Northwest Missouri State – Alyssa Rezac
Northwest Missouri State – Morgan Lewis