KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The No. 13-ranked Northwest Missouri State University volleyball team dropped a five-set decision to the Rockhurst University Hawks on Friday evening.
 
Rockhurst won by set scores of 18-25, 25-14, 25-16, 19-25, 15-12.
 
Northwest came out strong in the opening set and tallied a 25-18 win behind five kills from Gabrielle Gartner.
 
However, Rockhurst turned the tables on the 'Cats and posted wins in the second and third sets to take a 2-1 lead.
 
Northwest battled back with a 25-19 victory in the fourth to force a deciding first set.
 
Rockhurst bounced out to a pair of three-point leads at 5-2 and 6-3. Northwest responded and took an 8-7 lead. Northwest extended the lead to 11-9 and looked to be in control. However, Rockhurst refused to yield and ran off four straight points to retake the lead, 13-11. The Hawks would score six of the final seven points of the match to take it, 15-12.
 
Northwest had four players reach double figures in kills in Gartner (16), Olivia Dir (11), Abby Brunssen (11) and Lauren Casey (11). Kyah Luhring recorded a team-best 24 digs. Ella Caffery notched 39 assists and 12 digs for a double-double. Caffery added two service aces.
 
Northwest will take on Sioux Falls (10 a.m.) and William Jewell (2 p.m.) in Liberty, Mo., on Saturday.