ST. JOSEPH – Griffon Volleyball (11-8, 5-6) and No. 14-ranked Northwest Missouri (15-5, 8-4) duked it out for almost two and a half hours, Tuesday night, with the Bearcats coming out on top in five sets.
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The match featured 34 ties and nine lead changes and the statistics could not have been much more even. Missouri Western struck first winning a first set that featured 15 ties and three lead changes, 28-26. The rivals slugged out that first set with neither team ever leading by more than two points and neither scoring more than two points in a row until the Griffons closed it out on a 3-0 run.
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Northwest controlled a second set that saw the teams combine for 13 blocks, 25-18. The Griffons bounced back and controlled the third, 25-18, hitting .275 and holding Northwest to a .157 hitting percentage. The Bearcats were cruising early in the fourth, leading 12-4 before the Griffs whittled the lead to two at 15-13. Northwest answered with a  6-2 run and held off another MWSU push to force the fifth set, 25-20.
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The fifth set featured 10 ties and four lead changes. The Griffons went up 12-10 before Nortwest rallied to win 15-13 and avoided its fifth loss in the last seven matches.
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NOTABLES
- It was the third-straight five set match for Northwest and just the third of the season for MWSU.
- Missouri Western had four more kills (65) and seven more digs (106) than Northwest. Blocks were even at eight apiece while Northwest had four aces to the Griffs' two.
- The 65 kills were 10 more than MWSU's previous match-high this season. 61 assists was also a season-high by 10 for the team.
- Allie Kerns led the team with a career-high 17 kills and added 15 digs and three blocks for 19.5 points. Seven of her kills came in the third set.
- Sam Duncan had a career-best 15 kills and Danielle Moje posted a career high 10 kills to go with a team-high five blocks.
- Tiana Bulter was one dig shy of matching her career high with 36.
- Lauren Murphy had 54 assists and 13 digs.
- Ali Tauchen posted another double-double with 13 kills and 12 digs. Â She had six kills in the first.
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UP NEXT
- Missouri Western hosts No. 3-ranked Washburn at 6 p.m., Thursday.
- The Ichabods will enter 18-2 with a 10-2 mark in conference play after a sweep at Fort Hays State, Tuesday night.