Using a combination of solid offense and defense the Northwest Missouri State volleyball team knocked off Lindenwood 3-1 Friday night at Robert F. Hyland Arena.

Northwest saw its record move back to the .500 mark at 13-13 and improved to 7-6 in MIAA play. The Bearcats keep their postseason tournament hopes alive as the Lions fell to 13-13 overall and 3-9 in league play.

An outstanding offensive effort helped pace the Bearcats to the 20-25, 25-15, 25-16, 25-23 victory.

A trio of Bearcats recorded double figure kills as Bridget Hanafin controlled the offense with 46 assists and 12 digs for her second double-double of the year.

Abby Graves led Northwest with 16 kills as Brooke Bartosh added 15. Shelby Duren knocked down 12 kills in the win.

Northwest continued to eliminate unforced errors as the Bearcats rallied to hit .249 on the night after a slow start.

The defensive side of the net was also outstanding for Northwest as they tallied 10 blocks as a team with Lindsey Schlake and Bartosh holding off five apiece. Hanafin and Mackie Keller added four blocks each.

The Bearcats make a quick turnaround as they travel to Missouri Southern (0-25, 0-13) Saturday to face the winless Lions. First serve is set for 6 p.m.

— NWMSU Sports Information —