Bearcats fall in five-set classic against Griffons
JON DYKSTRA/DAILY FORUM
Northwest Missouri State senior volleyball player Gaby da Silva lets out a yell as the rest of the Bearcat bench celebrates behind her after the Bearcats won the third set 25-17 over Missouri Western on Tuesday at Bearcat Arena. The Griffons won the fourth and fifth sets to beat the Bearcats in five sets.
The Northwest Missouri State volleyball team found themselves on the wrong end of the celebration on Tuesday night when arch-rival Missouri Western rallied from a two sets to one deficit to top the Bearcats in five sets at Bearcat Arena.
After the third set, Northwest appeared to be in great shape to pick up a win against the Griffons.
“We were just playing well as a team and everybody was doing their own jobs so things were flowing well for us,” Northwest senior Darcy Sunderman said. “I wish we could have kept it going, but it is a tough loss.”
After a very tight first set where a late surge by the Griffons got them a 25-22 victory, the Bearcats responded in a big way.
Northwest surged out to a 17-9 advantage in the second set on a 5-0 run that included kills from Sofia Schleppenbach, Morgan Lewis and Sunderman.
The Griffons would crawl back to within 21-17, but a loud kill from Lewis off of an assist by Sarah Dannettell righted the ship for the Bearcats and a 3-0 run to end the set — capped by a Maddy Aherns ace — provided the final margin of victory for the Bearcats at 25-18.
“For sure,” Scheppenbach said when asked if the second and third sets are the best Northwest has played this year. “It shows us our potential.”
The momentum just continued to climb in the third set, which felt much like the second set did with the whole team getting involved early and often.
“It definitely helps to have multiple people in double digit kills,” Sunderman said. “It helps spread the offense and it helps setters. It helps to have a balanced offense.”
A kill by Lewis extended the Bearcat lead to 11-8 in the third set.
The Griffons battled back to tie the set at 12-12, but then the Bearcats turned to their most dangerous weapon with three straight kill chances being cashed in by junior Maddy Bruder and the lead was back to two at 15-13.
Western cut the lead to one on three occasions, but never retook the lead and a 7-0 run sparked by a block by Scheppenbach and Hallie Sidney and capped by a Scheppenbach ace extended the margin to 23-16 and the Bearcats were able to take a 25-17 out of the third set.
“We had such a good flow going,” Scheppenbach said. “We had confidence in each other, not that we lost it in the end, but it just wasn’t as much as we had in the second and third game. Those second and third games were great and it showed us how well we can play against them.”
Leading 2-1, that is when the momentum flipped against the Bearcats.
“We still had the intensity, but I think we just have to focus it a little bit more,” Scheppenbach said. “We know how good of players we have on this team so we just have to carry that in and be aggressive.”
The Griffons roared out to a 14-9 lead in the third and the Bearcats were unable to get within three points of their rivals again.
Missouri Western closed the fourth set on a 5-0 run and won 25-16 to force a decisive fifth set.
“They had the momentum after that fourth set and that is a hard thing to get back,” Scheppenbach said. “We can do it, but this was a tricky game. They are a good team.”
An ace from Aherns tied the fifth set at 3-3, but a 5-0 run sparked by a pair of kills from Griffons’ star Shellby Taylor put Northwest in a 8-3 hole.
From there, the writing seemed to be on the wall and Western rolled to a 15-5 victory to take the set and the match.
Northwest drops to 13-11 overall this season and 7-5 in the MIAA. Western is now 16-9 overall and 10-2 in the MIAA.
“We are still trying to figure out ourselves and where everyone goes,” Sunderman said. “We are making improvements and the best is yet to come.”
DIG PINK
The Northwest Missouri State volleyball team will host Central Missouri at 6 p.m. Friday for the team’s annual Dig Pink Match. The Bearcats will be wearing pink in support of Breast Cancer Awareness and fans are encouraged to wear pink.
The annual event will be accompanied by representatives from SSM Health St. Francis Hospital to provide information about breast cancer. Fans also may bid on items during a silent auction at the volleyball match. All proceeds from the Dig Pink match and the Pink Out basketball games later this season go directly to an individual battling cancer, based on nominations submitted to the Department of Athletics.
Northwest will host Lindenwood at 3 p.m. Saturday at Bearcat Arena.
JON DYKSTRA/DAILY FORUM
Northwest Missouri State’s volleyball team celebrates a point in the second set against Missouri Western on Tuesday at Bearcat Arena. The Griffons won the fourth and fifth sets to beat the Bearcats in five sets. Northwest is now 7-5 in the MIAA this season.
JON DYKSTRA/DAILY FORUM
Northwest’s Sarah Dannettell (19) and Sofia Schleppenbach (7) block a ball against Missouri Western in the third set on Tuesday at Bearcat Arena. The Griffons won 3-2.
