WARRENSBURG, Missouri – The No. 17-ranked Central Missouri Jennies secured a 3-1 win over the visiting Northwest Missouri State Bearcat volleyball squad. The Jennies won by set scores of 20-25, 25-23, 25-16, 26-24.

Northwest senior Sofia Schleppenbach collected a season-high 16 kills and hit .371. Sophomore Maddy Ahrens earned her 13th double-double on the season with 43 assists and 14 digs. Senior Olivia Nowakowski totaled a team-best 17 digs.

The Bearcats won the opening set by hitting .359 with 17 kills and three errors. The Bearcats were able to side out at a 75-percent clip in the first set. The set was tied, 10-10, before Northwest used a 4-1 spurt to take a lead it would not relinquish.

In the second set, UCM jumped out to a 9-3 lead. However, Northwest rallied and knotted at 15-15. UCM seized momentum late by turning a 19-19 tie into a 24-21 lead for the Jennies. UCM would win the set, 25-23.

Northwest committed seven errors and hit .031 in the third set, while UCM had 15 kills and three errors for a .364 attack percentage. The Jennies took the third, 25-16.

The fourth set featured 13 ties and four lead changes along with a late rally from Northwest, but UCM secured the victory with a 27-25 triumph.

The Bearcats will return home to Maryville for two matches next weekend in Bearcat Arena. Northwest will match up against Missouri Southern (Fri., 6 p.m.) and against Southwest Baptist (Sat., 3 p.m.).

— Northwest Athletics —