ST. JOSEPH, Mo. — The Northwest Missouri State University volleyball team was unable to slow down the Missouri Western State University Griffons in Tuesday night MIAA action.

The Griffons swept the match by set scores of 25-21, 25-14 and 25-17.

MWSU improved to 13-5 overall and 5-2 in MIAA play. Northwest dropped its eighth straight match and fell to 6-10 overall and 0-7 in league play.

Northwest Missouri State opened the first set with a steady offensive effort, highlighted by a series of kills from Kasidy Mohwinkle and Gabrielle Gartner, both assisted by Ella Caffery. Notably, this match marked Mohwinkle's 10th double-figure kill match this year as she recorded 10 kills. The team managed to keep pace with Mo West early on, narrowing the gap to 3-2 and later to 6-5. However, the Griffons capitalized on a few service errors and a strong serving run by Holly Heldt to extend their lead.

Despite trailing, Northwest Missouri State fought back with decisive kills from Mohwinkle and Abby Bulthuis, bringing the score to 18-16. The visiting team continued to challenge with additional kills from Mohwinkle and Gartner, cutting the deficit to 24-21. Ultimately, Mo West secured the first set with a final kill by Taylor Russell, concluding the set at 25-21 in favor of the home team.

Missouri Western established early momentum in the second set, capitalizing on a series of errors from Northwest, including attack errors and a bad set, to build a 5-1 lead. Despite a kill from Kate Frakes and a block by Caffery and Frakes, Northwest struggled to shift the momentum, with Mo West extending their lead to 11-3 with several successful kills, notably from Heldt.

Northwest attempted to close the gap with kills from Natalie Herrington and Elle Heckenlively, narrowing the deficit to 17-10. However, the Griffons maintained their advantage, responding with key kills and blocking efforts. The set concluded with Missouri Western securing a 25-14 victory, maintaining a decisive lead throughout.

In the third set, Northwest Missouri State started strong with a kill from Frakes, and the score remained tight as both teams traded points. Mohwinkle contributed crucial kills, keeping the score close early on. However, Mo West pulled ahead with a series of kills from Noelle Sutcliffe and Trista Marx, creating a gap of 20-10 that Northwest struggled to close.

Despite efforts from Northwest, including kills by Gartner and Heckenlively, Mo West extended their lead with a combination of offensive plays and errors from the visiting team. The set concluded with the Griffons taking the set 25-17, maintaining their momentum throughout.

Caffery led the team with 30 assists and contributed 14 digs across three sets, marking her 10th double-double of the season and the 27th of her career. Mohwinkle recorded 10 kills and added nine digs during the match. Karsen VanScoy excelled on defense, collecting a team-high 19 digs, marking her 16th straight double-figure dig match.

Looking ahead, Northwest Missouri State will host Newman on October 17 in Maryville, Mo. The match is set to begin at 6 p.m.