JOPLIN, Missouri – The Northwest Missouri State University volleyball team ran its win streak to seven in a row with yet another 3-0 sweep. This time, Northwest knocked off the Missouri Southern State Lions on Friday. Northwest won by set scores of 25-11, 25-23, 26-24.

Northwest (12-3 overall, 4-0 MIAA) won its seventh straight match in three sets to run its set win streak to 21 in a row. The seven-game win streak for the Bearcats is tied for the ninth-longest win streak in school history.

Maddy Bruder and Sofia Schleppenbach each posted double-figure kill totals in the match. Bruder tallied 13 kills and Schleppenbach notched 12 kills. Maddy Ahrens ran the Bearcat offense and was credited with 38 assists, eight digs, two kills and a service ace.

Northwest jumped out all over Missouri Southern in the opening set. Northwest scored the first five points and built a 17-3 lead. Northwest hit .370 with 15 kills, while Missouri Southern hit -.077 with four kills and six errors.

The second set was much tighter and featured 16 ties and eight lead changes. With the set deadlocked at 23-23, Northwest got a kills from Bruder to earn a set point. MSSU’s Kylee Kaaihue missed on an attack and Northwest took the set, 25-23.

Northwest closed out the match with a victory in the third. The set featured nine ties and three lead changes. Northwest opened up a 19-14 lead and looked to cruise to the three-set win. However, MSSU used an 8-3 run to even the set at 22-22. The Bearcats finished off the match with a pair of kills from Bruder to take it, 26-24.

Northwest will travel to Southwest Baptist on Saturday for a 3 p.m. matchup between the Bearcats.

NOTES: Northwest is 12-0 in three-set matches this season … Olivia Nowakowski has recorded 1,471 career digs to rank No. 5 on the Bearcats all-time digs list … Nowakowski needs 17 more digs to tie Tori Beckman’s total of 1,488 digs from 2012-2012 … Northwest has defeated Missouri Southern seven straight times in the series between the two schools.

— Northwest Athletics —