MARYVILLE, Mo. - Junior libero
Ellery Luhring set the Northwest Missouri State University volleyball digs record for a three-set match with 34 but the No. 11 Missouri Western Griffons took the match, 3-0.
Luhring's 34 digs bested the previous mark of 31 set by her sister, Kyah, against Newman on Sept. 22, 2023. The 34 digs by Luhring are the most by an NCAA Div. II player this season.
Most Digs 3-Set Match
1. 34,
Ellery Luhring vs. Missouri Western (Oct. 20, 2026)
2. 31, Kyah Luhring vs. Newman (Sept. 22, 2023)
3. 28, Paige Spangenberg vs. Washburn (Nov. 18, 2010)
  28, Kyah Luhring vs. Central Oklahoma (Nov. 2, 2022)
5. 27, Becky Brown vs. Missouri Western (Oct. 27, 1993)
  27, Kyah Luhring vs. Fort Hays State (Nov. 4, 2023)
Missouri Western improved to 18-3 overall as it won by set scores of 25-17, 25-7 and 25-22. Northwest dipped its season record to 7-13 overall. It was a non-conference match between two MIAA foes.
The Bearcats opened the first set with kills from
Sophia Gartner and
Chloee Hayes for a 2-0 lead, but Missouri Western answered with eight consecutive points, including three service aces, to put Northwest behind 8-2.
Mya Karrick assisted kills by
Gabrielle Gartner and
Jada Smith as the Bearcats tried to settle the set, but Missouri Western kept the margin at 15-6. Northwest put together a mid-set push after trailing 16-8, getting kills from
Grace Thorne,
Gabrielle Gartner and
Sophia Gartner to move within 16-11. Hayes,
Gabrielle Gartner and a block by
Jada Smith and
Ava Plassmeyer added late points, but Missouri Western won the set 25-17 on a Tanith Roush kill.
Northwest spent the second set working from an early deficit as Missouri Western scored the first three points and later moved ahead 7-2 behind consecutive service aces. The Bearcats got their first point on a Hayes-
Sophia Gartner block and found offense through
Gabrielle Gartner, who put down kills from Karrick to make it 4-2 and 7-3.
Jada Smith added a kill from
Londyn Smith, but Missouri Western answered with a four-point service stretch to extend the margin to 13-4. Northwest added late points on Missouri Western service errors and another
Gabrielle Gartner kill from Karrick before the Griffons closed the set 25-7.
The Bearcats' strongest push in the third set came late, when they worked a 22-16 deficit down to 22-20 with
Gabrielle Gartner at the service line, using two Missouri Western errors and a Gartner kill during the four-point stretch. Earlier, Northwest started with a
Maddie Roenfeld kill and a Karrick ace, then moved back in front 8-7 on a
Sophia Gartner kill. Missouri Western answered with five straight points to go ahead 13-8, but
Sophia Gartner had two kills as the Bearcats cut the margin to 13-11. After Missouri Western later reached 24-20, Northwest stayed in the set with kills from
Jada Smith and Karrick before Missouri Western finished out the 25-22 set.
Gabrielle Gartner led the attack with 10 kills and added six digs. Karrick finished with 19 assists, nine digs, two kills and one service ace.
Lily Zimmerman added 11 digs.
Northwest will travel to Topeka, Kan., to take on the No. 15-ranked Washburn Ichabods Saturday at 2 p.m. at Lee Arena.
