ST. JOSEPH – It was a rivalry showdown that lived up to the hype. Griffon Volleyball took Northwest to the wire Tuesday night in the Fieldhouse just days after the Bearcats handed Washburn its first loss of the season.
 
Ultimately, the Griffons (12-13, 4-8) fell in five sets after Northwest (18-5, 10-2) won the fourth and fifth sets by two each to get out of St. Joseph with a regular season sweep of the Griffons, its first since 2012.
 
NOTABLES

• It was the first five-set match win for Northwest this season. Missouri Western fell to 0-6 in five set matches this season.
• Northwest Missouri improved to 5-0 in road MIAA games
• Missouri Western held Northwest, which entered hitting .254 as a team to a .132 hitting percentage, never allowing the Bearcats to hit better than their .244 percentage in the first set.
• Also one of the best serving teams in the MIAA entering Tuesday's match, the Griffons matched Northwest's six aces and scored a 59 percent sideout percentage
• The two teams tied nine times with two lead changes in a first set that went 25-22 to MWSU
• The fifth set featured five ties and three lead changes
• MWSU rebounded from a 25-14 loss in set two to take the third 25-12 and move within a set of knocking off its rival

 
LEADERS AND STATS

• Stephanie Doak led all players with 24 kills, two off of her career-high. Doak also hit .322
• Audrey Keim led the team with 29 digs and had two aces
• Ali Tauchen led the Griffons with six total blocks to go with eight kills and 13 digs
• Liv Winker came two assists short of matching her career-high with 44
• Starting her second-straight match on the back row, Abby Gunn turned in 19 digs and had two aces
• Shellby Taylor had seven kills to move within four of 1,000 for her career

 
UP NEXT

• The Griffons travel to Warrensburg to face Central Missouri (18-6, 8-4) for the third time this season
• The Jennies scored a four-set victory at Lindenwood (12-10, 4-8), Tuesday. Missouri Western travels to Lindenwood this Saturday.