MARYVILLE, Mo. - The No. 13-ranked Northwest Missouri State University Bearcat volleyball team overcame a sluggish start and prevailed in four sets against the Pittsburg State University Gorillas.

Northwest won by set scores of 24-26, 25-16, 25-16 and 25-20. Northwest moves its season mark to 9-2 (2-1 MIAA), while PIttsburg State drops to 8-4 (2-2 MIAA).

Northwest took a 7-3 lead in the opening set, but Pittsburg State evened it at 8-8. Following the tie at 8-8, neither team enjoyed a lead of more than two points. The nip-and-tuck affair was tied from 15-15 all the way to 24-24. PSU gained a late edge and snuck away with the 26-24 win in the first set. PSU hit .239, while Northwest hit .208.

The Bearcats evened up the match at 1-1 with a 25-16 triumph. Northwest did not trail in the set and opened up a 13-5 cushion. The Bearcats hit .195, and held the Gorillas to .023 in the second. Northwest sided out at 68%, while PSU sided out at 44%.

Northwest ambushed Pittsburg State to start the third with a 12-3 advantage. Northwest held a 21-9 lead before PSU scored five in a row to force a Bearcat timeout. Head coach Amy Woerth regrouped the Bearcats which allowed Northwest to close out the set, 25-16. Northwest hit .214 with 17 kills, while PSU hit .120 with nine kills in the set.

The Gorillas bounced out to a 5-0 lead in the fourth set before Woerth took a timeout to settle the home squad. Northwest overcame the deficit and leveled the set at 11-11. Northwest used an 8-1 run to take a 14-11 lead. Northwest looked to be in control at 18-12, but PSU refused to fold. The Bearcats got a key touch call to take a 19-15 lead that kept the Gorillas at bay. Northwest finished off PSU, 25-20. Northwest hit .172 in the set, while PSU hit .100.

Junior Kelsey Havel came through with a career-high 17 kills, while junior Rachel Sturdevant hit .324 with 14 kills. Junior Hannah Koechl registered a match-high 34 assists. Sophomore Alyssa Rezac pumped in 54 assists to go along with 19 digs for a double-double. Redshirt freshman Kirsten Ford tallied a team-best three service aces. 

The Bearcats will gear up for a trip to Nebraska-Kearney (Friday, 6 p.m.) and Fort Hays State (Saturday, 3 p.m..).