JOPLIN, Mo. - The Northwest Missouri State University volleyball team fought off two match points and rallied from a two-set deficit to post a 3-2 road win over the Missouri Southern Lions.

The Bearcats won by set scores of 21-25, 17-25, 25-20, 31-29 and 15-13. Northwest improves to 11-9 overall, while evening its MIAA record at 6-6. Northwest also moved to 5-4 in road matches this season. Missouri Southern fell to 12-9 overall and 5-7 in MIAA play. Northwest's win puts the Bearcats into sixth place in the MIAA standings. The top eight teams in the final regular season standings will earn a spot in the 2023 MIAA Tournament.

Northwest exacted some revenge after MSSU had scored a five-set victory in Bearcat on Sept. 15. 

MSSU looked to be in complete control of the match by taking the first two sets, 25-21 and 25-17.

Northwest struck back with a 25-20 win in the third set to get on the board.

The Bearcats held a commanding 24-19 lead in the fourth set and were poised to force a fifth set. However, MSSU rattled off five straight points to knot the set at 24-24. MSSU would earn two match points at 28-27 and 29-28, but Northwest saved both of them and found a way to close out the set with a 31-29 win.

In the fifth, Northwest held an 11-8 lead and was on the verge of taking the match. Again, MSSU rallied to tie the set at 11-11. The match was tied again at 12-12 and 13-13. Abby Brunssen got a kill to give Northwest a match point at 14-13. Following an MSSU timeout, Brunssen swatted another kill to clinch the five-set Bearcat triumph.

Brunssen landed a career-high 18 kills and hit .440 with seven blocks to lead the Bearcat win.

Kristen Ford was credited with a career-high 37 digs, which is tied for the most digs in a match this season by any MIAA performer. Her 37 digs tied for the eighth-best single-match total in Bearcat history.

Head coach Amy Woerth produced her 32nd five-set victory in her Bearcat tenure as she gained her 196th career coaching victory. Woerth is three wins away from equaling the program record 199 wins set by Sarah Pelster. It is the second time this season that the Bearcats have rallied from an 0-2 deficit on the road to win a match. Northwest also trailed 0-2 at William Jewell on Sept. 2 before coming back to win in five sets.

Northwest tallied 100 digs for the second time this season (102 vs. Central Missouri). Northwest and MSSU each had 63 digs in the match. 

Northwest will return to action tomorrow with a 6 p.m. match at Newman in Wichita, Kan.

Northwest Most Digs in a Match
1. 47, Olivia Nowakowski at Arkansas Fort-Smith - 9/15/17
2. 46, Paige Spangenberg vs. Fort Hays State - 10/24/08
3. 42, Hannah Koechl vs. Nebraska-Kearney - 11/22/19
4. 40, Olivia Nowakowski at Nebraska-Kearney - 11/3/18
5. 39, Paige Spangenberg vs. Tarleton State - 10/02/09
6. 38, Tori Beckman vs Pittsburg State - 10/14/12
    38, Hannah Koechl vs. Grand Valley State - 9/10/21
8. 37, Paige Spangenberg vs. Southwest Baptist - 11/1/08
    37, Becky Brown vs. Missouri Western - 9/22/93
    37, Hannah Koechl vs. Washburn - 10/15/21
    37, Kristen Ford at Missouri Southern - 10/17/23