ST. JOSEPH, Mo. — Capped by Taylor Russell's first ringing of the bell, Missouri Western State earned a three-set victory (25-11, 25-17, 25-20) over the Newman Jets Thursday at home at the MWSU Fieldhouse.

The Griffons (8-4, 2-2 MIAA) were led by a double-double from Holly Heldt, who registered 11 kills and 13 digs on the day. Russell led the team with 13 kills to help the attack. On the defensive end, Anna Weberg chipped in for MWSU with 15 digs to go with three blocks from Nessa Johnson and Danielle Moje.

Meanwhile, Newman falls to 0-10 overall and 0-3 in the MIAA.

SET 1 | The Griffons took control on the first point and never trailed to win the first set 25-11. Missouri Western opened up its biggest lead, 14 points, to close out the set, collecting 16 kills along the way. Missouri Western also supplemented its offense with five aces in the opening set.

SET 2 | Missouri Western won set two 25-17 to promptly grab a 2-0 lead. The Griffons never trailed by more than five points and grabbed the advantage for good at 14-13 in a set that showcased four lead changes before Missouri Western took over in the second half of the stanza. The Missouri Western offense also got a boost from three aces in the stanza.

SET 3 | Missouri Western closed the match in a 3-0 sweep after winning the third set. The Griffons won the third set 25-20. Missouri Western took the lead for good at 20-19 in a set that had just one lead change before the Griffons took over in the second half of the stanza. The Missouri Western offense also got a boost from three aces in the game. Missouri Western front row had a solid defensive performance, blocking five Newman attacks in the final set.

GAME NOTES

• Emma Salker and Lily Kurz had a match-high three aces in the win.
• Missouri Western served up five aces on the way to a first-set victory. The team's 11 aces mark a season-high.
• Heldt's double-double is her third in a row and her fifth this season.
• Johnson bolstered the Griffon offense with a match-high 35 assists.
• This is MWSU's fifth straight win over Newman.