SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – The Northwest Missouri State University volleyball team moved its winning streak to three in a row with a 3-0 road victory over the Illinois-Springfield Prairie Stars.
 
Northwest won by set scores of 25-23, 25-14 and 25-14. Northwest improved to 6-2 on the season. UIS dropped to 6-2 with only its second home loss of the season.
 
The first set was a back-and-forth affair that featured 15 ties. UIS took a 16-13 lead, but Northwest utilized a timeout that would produce a 5-1 spurt and give Northwest an 18-17 advantage. Following the 15th tie of the first set at 23-23, Northwest scored the final two points of the set to take it, 25-23. The final two points came on kills from Abby Bulthuis and Elle Heckenlively. Ella Caffery ran the Bearcat offense smoothly in the opening set as she tallied 14 assists. The Bearcats hit .289 in the first set.
 
The second set began as a nip-and-tuck as the teams were tied seven times in the first 18 points. Northwest used a 4-0 run to take a 13-9 lead and force UIS to take a timeout. The UIS timeout ploy did not work as Northwest continued to score and increased the lead to 17-9 with an eight-point surge forcing another Prairie Stars timeout. The run would eventually reach 10 straight points as the 'Cats held a 19-9 lead. The Prairie Stars refused to yield and answered with a five-point run to trim the Bearcat lead in half to 19-14. However, just as quickly Northwest ran off the final six points of the set to post a 25-14 win to take a 2-0 lead in the match. Northwest won 16 of the final 21 points in the second stanza. UIS hit minus-.148 in the second set with two kills and six attack errors. Northwest hit .179 with 11 kills and six attack errors.
 
UIS bounced out to a 10-8 advantage in the third set as the home team looked to keep the match alive. Northwest went on a 6-0 run to take a 14-10 lead and seize control of the third set. UIS exercised a timeout to attempt to slow down the Northwest spurt. UIS used its final timeout after Northwest extended its lead to seven at 20-13. Northwest breezed to the match victory with a 25-14 third-set victory.

Caffery flirted with a triple-double as she churned out 30 assists, eight digs and six kills. She also added two blocks and two service aces.
 
Mohwinkle notched her second career double-double with 10 kills and 13 digs.
 
Elle Heckenlively threw down a team-high tying 10 kills. It marks her second straight double-figure kills match after gaining a career-high 13 kills vs. Cameron last weekend.
 
Ellery Luhring gained her third double-figure dig match of the year. Luhring was credited with 13 digs.
 
Karsen VanScoy produced her eighth straight double-figure dig match with 10 digs.
 
The Bearcats will be in action Monday at 1 p.m. when they take on the Maryville Saints in their final match of the Prairie Star Classic.