MARYVILLE, Mo. — The Northwest Missouri State University women's volleyball team ended No. 5-ranked Nebraska-Kearney's 52-set win streak but the Lopers prevailed in four sets at Bearcat Arena.
The Lopers won their 18th straight match to move to 18-1 overall and 7-0 in MIAA play. The Bearcats dropped to 6-10 overall and 3-3 in MIAA action. The Lopers won by set scores of 25-21, 22-25, 25-18 and 25-17.
Abby Bulthis came within one kill of a career-high with 19 in the four-set match. Bulthuis did set a career mark with 53 attacks surpassing her previous high of 45.
Mya Karrick posted her seventh straight double-double and team-leading 11th of the season with 28 assists and 11 digs.
Sophia Gartner landed 17 kills and her twin sister,
Gabrielle Gartner, registered 11 kills. Sophia hit .429 with 17 kills and two attack errors on 35 swings.
Northwest stayed even through the first half of the opening set, but Neb.-Kearney moved from a 9-9 tie to a 13-9 lead and held on to take the set 25-21. Earlier,
Sophia Gartner gave the Bearcats their first point with a kill from
Mya Karrick, and the home side repeatedly answered Neb.-Kearney points behind kills from
Sophia Gartner,
Gabrielle Gartner,
Abby Bulthuis,
Grace Thorne and
Ava Plassmeyer. After falling behind 13-9, Northwest got a block from
Gabrielle Gartner and Plassmeyer, later added blocks involving
Sophia Gartner, Plassmeyer and
Gabrielle Gartner, and used kills from Bulthuis,
Chloee Hayes and
Sophia Gartner to stay within reach. Neb.-Kearney stretched the margin to 23-17, but the Bearcats responded with
Gabrielle Gartner's kill, an
Ellery Luhring ace and a Neb.-Kearney setting error before the visitors closed the set.
The Bearcats recovered from a 21-19 deficit late in the second set and scored the final three points after a 22-22 tie, with Thorne, Hayes and
Sophia Gartner delivering consecutive kills to close a 25-22 win. Earlier, Northwest stayed in front through much of the set as Plassmeyer,
Gabrielle Gartner and Bulthuis supplied early kills, and back-to-back Bulthuis finishes off
Londyn Smith assists helped push the margin to 13-9. Neb.-Kearney answered to tie the set at 18-18 and later moved ahead 21-19, but Northwest responded with consecutive points on kills from
Gabrielle Gartner and a
Londyn Smith service ace to level it at 21-21. After Neb.-Kearney went back up 22-21 and then committed an attack error for 22-22, the Bearcats finished the set with the three-kill closing sequence.
Neb.-Kearney broke open a tight third set after
Sophia Gartner's kill gave Northwest a 14-13 edge, scoring the next five points to move in front 18-14. Earlier, the Bearcats started quickly with help from a Plassmeyer-
Gabrielle Gartner block, a
Sophia Gartner kill and back-to-back Bulthuis kills to build a 5-1 lead. After Neb.-Kearney rallied ahead 9-8, Hayes,
Sophia Gartner and Thorne answered with kills as Northwest stayed even through 14-14. Plassmeyer and Bulthuis added kills after Neb.-Kearney's mid-set run, and Bulthuis followed a late kill with a service ace, but Neb.-Kearney closed out the set 25-18.
Northwest stayed close early in the fourth set, but Neb.-Kearney used six straight points to turn an 8-6 score into a 14-6 lead. Earlier,
Sophia Gartner opened the set with a kill from Karrick, and kills by Plassmeyer and Bulthuis helped the Bearcats take a 3-1 edge before Neb.-Kearney answered with the next three points. Northwest put together a four-point response after trailing 17-8, with Plassmeyer and Bulthuis combining on a block, Bulthuis adding two kills and a Neb.-Kearney attack error bringing the score to 17-12. Bulthuis added two more late kills and paired with Hayes on another block, while Thorne scored to make it 24-17, but Neb.-Kearney closed the set 25-17.
Northwest will remain home for a Saturday 6 p.m. match against Fort Hays State. The Bearcats will offer free admission to the 6 p.m. volleyball match vs. Fort Hays State with the purchase of a football ticket for the 1:30 p.m. contest against Central Missouri.
