EMPORIA, Kan. – The Northwest Missouri State University volleyball team captured its third consecutive victory with its third fifth-set win of the year in a 3-2 triumph over the Emporia State University Hornets at White Auditorium.
 
Northwest won by set scores of 25-20, 21-25, 19-25, 25-18 and 15-11 to move to 3-3 in five-set matches this season. Northwest is 6-4 in five-set matches all-time with ESU. It was ESU's first five-set match of the 2023 season.
 
It was Northwest's ninth consecutive win against Emporia State in the series between the two programs. It was also the Bearcats' 12th win in the last 13 meetings with the Hornets.
 
The Bearcats moved to 8-5 overall and 3-2 in MIAA play. ESU fell to 7-6 overall and 1-4 in league action.
 
Northwest overcame a six-point deficit in the opening set as it finished off ESU with a flurry. ESU held an early 9-4 lead and extended the margin to 15-9 before the Bearcats came storming back. Northwest did not score its first lead of the set until it took a 19-18 advantage. Northwest closed the first set on a 16-5 spurt to take it, 25-20. Abby Brunssen helped the Bearcats charge back on the strength of five kills.
 
The Bearcats dug an even deeper hole in the second set by allowing the Hornets to build a commanding 14-6 lead. However, Northwest turned the tables quickly on ESU with a 12-2 run to give the Bearcats an 18-16 lead. Northwest used six straight serves from libero Kyah Luhring to claw back into the second stanza. ESU bounced back from the Northwest response and closed the set on a 9-3 run of its own to level the match at 1-1.
 
In the pivotal third set, ESU turned an 8-8 tie into an 18-11 advantage. ESU went on to take the third, 25-19. ESU tallied 14 kills and only four attack errors for a .292 attack percentage in the third set.
 
Northwest seized the momentum in the fourth set by scoring 12 of the first 17 points. ESU pulled to within one point at 19-18 as the fourth set hung in the balance. Avery Kemp and Gabrielle Gartner then carried the 'Cats to the fourth-set win. Kemp put down a kill to give Northwest a 20-18 lead. Then Kemp and Gabrielle Gartner partnered up for back-to-back blocks to give Northwest more breathing room at 22-18. Gartner hammered a kill to take the lead to five at 23-18. Gartner and Kemp gained another block to put Northwest at set point. Lauren Casey scored the final point with a kill to give Northwest a 25-18 win which forced a fifth and decisive set.
 
ESU took an early 5-3 lead in the fifth set. Northwest scored three straight points to take a 7-6 lead and force an ESU timeout. The Hornet score a pair to re-take the lead at 8-7 as the teams switched ends of the floor at White Auditorium. Northwest trailed 9-8, but came back with a trio of points that was finished off with a Kyah Luhring service ace that left the Bearcats on top, 11-9. Lauren Casey put down three straight kills to put Northwest on the brink of a win at 14-10. The Bearcats would close it out two points later on an attack error by the Hornets to take the fifth, 15-11.

Casey belted out a season-high 15 kills and hit .225 to lead the Bearcat offensive attack. Brunssen secured her seventh double-figure kill effort of the season with 12 kills. Brunssen has 13 career double-figure kill performances as a Bearcat. Kemp hammered down 11 kills and a team-best seven blocks.
 
Kirchhoefer was credited with a career-high 27 digs as she gained her eighth 20-plus dig match of her career. Her previous career-high of 23 digs had been accomplished on two previous occasions.
 
Ella Caffery directed the Bearcat offense with 45 assists. Caffery added eight digs, four blocks and three kills.
 
Luhring gained 30 digs on the defensive side of the net. It is the second straight match she has reached 30 or more digs.
 
Northwest will head to Topeka, Kan., on Saturday to match up against the No. 15-ranked Washburn Ichabods. First serve is set for 2 p.m. on the Ichabod campus.