MARYVILLE, Mo. — The twin-engine attack of
Sophia Gartner and
Gabrielle Gartner boosted the Northwest Missouri State University volleyball team to a 3-1 triumph over the visiting Newman University Jets Friday at Bearcat Arena.
Northwest won by set scores of 31-33, 25-19, 25-18 and 25-22. Northwest moved to 2-0 in MIAA action and 5-6 overall. Newman dropped to 4-9 overall and 0-1 in league play.
The Gartner twins contributed 30 of Northwest's 57 kills in the four-set win. Sophia netted 16 kills and Gabrielle gained 14.
Ellery Luhring posted a team-high 24 digs.
Mya Karrick landed a double-double with 44 assists and 16 digs.
Natalie Herrington totaled eight blocks, eight kills and two service aces.
Northwest finished with 57 kills and hit .225 while holding the Jets to a .081 hitting percentage.
Northwest erased multiple deficits and forced extra points in the opening set before the Jets claimed the final two rallies. Earlier, Northwest fell behind 5-0 before
Sophia Gartner kills from
Mya Karrick helped cut the margin to 6-4. Trailing 17-10,
Natalie Herrington made it 17-11 with a kill, and
Abby Bulthuis then served five straight points that included her ace, a
Gabrielle Gartner-Herrington block and
Jada Smith's kill from
Ellery Luhring before Luhring's ace tied the set at 18-18. After the Jets moved back ahead 21-18, Northwest pulled even at 22-22 on Karrick's kill and went in front 23-22 on a
Maddie Roenfeld-
Sophia Gartner block. In extra points,
Sophia Gartner and
Gabrielle Gartner delivered kills and Roenfeld was part of two more blocks as Northwest reached 30-29 and later tied it at 31-31, but the Jets took the set 33-31.
Northwest took control of the second set with a five-point stretch that moved it from a 2-2 tie to a 7-2 lead, getting a
Sophia Gartner kill, a
Gabrielle Gartner-Herrington block and a Karrick service ace during the run. The Bearcats kept the pressure on after the Jets cut it to 8-4, answering with points from
Jada Smith, Roenfeld and a Herrington ace to push the margin to 12-4. Karrick continued to distribute the attack as
Gabrielle Gartner, Smith, Roenfeld and
Sophia Gartner added kills through the middle of the set, and Northwest later reached 21-11 on a Herrington-Smith block. The Jets closed within 23-18 late, but a service error gave Northwest set point before
Sophia Gartner finished the 25-19 set win off a Karrick assist.
Northwest recovered from a 7-3 deficit to win the third set 25-18, taking seven of eight rallies to move ahead 10-8. The response included four straight points on Bulthuis' serve, with
Gabrielle Gartner putting down two kills and Herrington adding another to turn a 7-4 deficit into an 8-7 lead, before Herrington later added a service ace. The Jets answered with three straight points to tie the set at 11-11, but Northwest went back in front on a service error and a
Jada Smith kill, then pushed the margin to 16-12 on consecutive kills by
Sophia Gartner. Karrick recorded 11 assists and added a kill that made it 20-16, and
Gabrielle Gartner delivered two late kills before Roenfeld and
Jada Smith combined on a block for a 24-18 lead and a Jets attack error completed the set.
Northwest closed the fourth set by winning the final three points after the Jets tied it at 22-22, taking the set 25-22. Earlier, Northwest built a 9-3 advantage during a Bulthuis service turn, getting kills from
Gabrielle Gartner and Herrington, Bulthuis ace and a
Gabrielle Gartner/Herrington block. The Jets worked back with scoring stretches that cut the margin to 10-8 and later 16-15, but Northwest answered with kills from Roenfeld,
Jada Smith, Herrington and
Gabrielle Gartner through the middle of the set.
Gabrielle Gartner and Roenfeld combined on a block to make it 21-19, and after the Jets pulled even twice late,
Jada Smith and
Sophia Gartner delivered kills to keep Northwest. positioned for the closing push.
Sophia Gartner led Northwest Mo. St. with 16 kills, 20 points and seven total blocks.Â
Up next, Northwest Mo. St. volleyball team will play host to Washburn on Tuesday, Sept. 22, at 6 p.m. in Maryville, Mo.
