ST. JOSEPH, Mo. – The top-seeded Northwest Missouri State University volleyball team swept its way past No. 8-seeded Missouri Southern in the quarterfinals of the 2022 MIAA Tournament at Civic Arena.
 
Northwest won by set scores of 25-17, 25-19 and 25-17. The win extends Northwest's win streak to 12 straight matches and moves the Bearcats to 24-5 on the season. The Lions completed their season with a record of 12-17 overall.
 
Northwest will take on the winner of the No. 4 Central Oklahoma vs. No. 5 Washburn quarterfinal winner at 7:30 in Friday's second semifinal. No. 2 Nebraska-Kearney will square off against No. 6 Pittsburg State at 5 p.m. in Friday's first semifinal.
 
Payton Kirchhoefer had a strong opening set as she posted seven of Northwest's 14 kills. Northwest hit .275 with 14 kills and three errors, while MSSU hit .045 with 10 kills and eight attack errors. Northwest recorded three blocks in the opening set. Northwest used an 8-2 run to turn a 10-9 lead into an 18-12 advantage that led to the Bearcat win.
 
Missouri Southern gained the upper-hand early in the second set by taking a 7-5 lead. Northwest struck back with a 5-0 spurt to turn an 8-7 deficit into a 12-8 advantage. Northwest kept MSSU at arm's length as the Bearcats fed the Lions a steady diet of Kirchhoefer and Jaden Ferguson attacks. Ferguson put down nine kills and Kirchhoefer snared five kills in the second set as the Bearcats took it, 25-19. The Bearcats secured 22 kills and hit .420 in the second set. Northwest had only one attack error in the set. MSSU hit .148 with 12 kills and a single attack error.
 
Northwest took control early with a 9-1 start to the third set. MSSU would get as close as four points at 11-7 in the third but the Bearcats would not relent. Northwest closed out the set and the match, 25-17. Northwest hit .192 in the third set with 14 kills and four attack errors. MSSU hit .102 with 11 kills and six errors.
 
Kirchhoefer recorded her 14th double-double of the season with 17 kills and 20 digs. Ferguson secured her 14th double-double on the year with 13 kills and 12 digs. Alyssa Rezac posted her 13th double-double with 38 assists and 23 digs. Rezac was one dig away from tying her career-high of 24 digs.
 
Kirchhoefer and Ferguson took 68 swings in the match and landed 30 kills with one attack error combined between the two outside hitters for the 'Cats. Kirchhoefer hit .515 and Ferguson hit .343.
 
The Bearcats out-blocked the Lions, 11-3.