MARYVILLE, Mo. – The Northwest Missouri State volleyball team was defeated by the 10^th ranked University of Nebraska-Kearney Lopers Friday night inside Bearcat Arena, 3-0. Senior Lauren Casey tallied 14 kills on the night and her 1,000^th collegiate kill.
 
Nebraska-Kearney jumped out to a 9-4 lead in the first set. Northwest stormed back to take the lead at 15-13 following a kill from Olivia Dir and a Loper attack error forcing head coach Rick Squiers to burn a timeout. Northwest regained the lead after at 23-21 following a big block from Abby Brunssen and Gabrielle Gartner.
 
Northwest then held a 27-26 advantage but a service error by Kyah Luhring and an ace from Peyton Neff gave the Lopers the one-point advantage and eventually the set 29-27. Set one featured 12 ties and seven lead changes. Both teams were held to sub .100 hitting.
 
The Bearcats used a 6-0 run to take a 16-13 lead in set two forcing a Loper timeout. Nebraska-Kearney answered to take a 24-21 lead, but the Bearcats answered with a two straight points, but a kill by Jaden Ferguson gave the Lopers a 25-23 set-two win. Lauren Casey led the Bearcats with six kills in the set hitting .429, Kyah Luhring had 13 digs in the set and 27 for the game.
 
Northwest dropped set three, 25-16 hitting .167 as a team while the Lopers hit .378 in the set.
 
The game featured 26 ties and 13 lead changes.
 
Nebraska-Kearney hit .200 and tallied 82 digs while the Bearcats hit .129 and tallied 81 digs.
 
Ella Caffery was credited with 37 assists and 13 digs for her seventh career double double.
 
Northwest is back in action at home tomorrow afternoon at 3 p.m. vs. the Fort Hays State Tigers.