ST. JOSEPH, Mo. — Griffon Volleyball fell to a dynamic Bearcats offense Tuesday at home, losing to No. 24 Northwest Missouri State in three sets at the MWSU Fieldhouse.

The Griffons (7-4, 1-2 MIAA) were led by a double-double from Holly Heldt, who registered 12 kills and 17 digs on the day. Emma Salker also added nine kills to help the attack. On the defensive end, Anna Weberg chipped in with 16 digs to go with two blocks from Heldt.

SET 1 | The Griffons fell behind early, losing a challenging first set 25-17. Missouri Western trailed by as many as eight points as Northwest (6-5, 1-2 MIAA) never gave up the lead in a set that was tied up zero times.

SET 2 | A 25-20 second-set loss put Missouri Western in a 2-0 hole in the match. The Griffons trailed by as many as six points as Northwest Missouri State grabbed the advantage for good at 3-2 in a set that was tied up four times before the Bearcats took over the lead.

SET 3 | Missouri Western couldn't prolong the match and lost in set number three. The Griffons fought back from a seven-point deficit at 23-16, but Northwest held on to win the set 25-22. The match was decided by a challenge from Northwest Head Coach Amy Woerth, who asked the officials to review whether or not a Bearcat attack deflected off the Griffons. 

GAME NOTES

• Nessa Johnson had a team-high one ace in the loss.
• Heldt registered a double-double with a match-high 12 kills and a team-high 17 digs, her fourth of the season and second in a row.
• Missouri Western attackers were helped by a team-high 25 assists from Nessa Johnson.

UP NEXT
Missouri Western next faces Newman (0-9, 0-2 MIAA) this Thursday at 6 p.m. inside the MWSUFieldhouse at the Looney Complex. 

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