EUGENE, Ore. – Northwest used a 7-0 rally in the fifth set to claim a 3-2 win over No. 23 Bushnell on Friday, making a postseason berth a little more likely.
 
Abigail Broussard had 19 kills without an attack error for a .633 attack percentage to lead NU. She added seven block assists for good measure.
 
It was the second Top 25 road win for the Eagles this season.
 
"We have great respect for Bushnell and the solid program that Coach Corwin has put in place," said NU Head Coach Steven Bain. "Their serving and passing put pressure on us early, but we were able to stabilize just enough to win the first two sets. From there it was a battle, and they had great resolve to push it to a fifth set. Credit our ladies, though, for maintaining their composure, because when Bushnell closed the gap, we were able to make the plays and earn the victory. Now we will need to reset, clear our minds, and prepare for a top 10 opponent tomorrow."
 
With three matches left, NU is in the fifth of six postseason positions, and Friday opened a two-game lead on College of Idaho, while staying a game ahead of Lewis-Clark State and Evergreen State, which upset No. 7 Corban on Friday.
 
The Eagles used a 6-0 run to take a 6-1 lead in the first set, with Megan Horne knocking down three kills.
 
Bushnell rallied and tied the set on three occasions, including 15-15. NU responded with another 6-0 spree, with Broussard and Susanna Bailey collecting two kills apiece.
 
Azaria Johnson and Kalei Kepler turned away a BU attack to end the set.
 
Down 12-10 in the second set, the Eagles got yet another 6-0 run, including five Beacon attack errors. Broussard ended the second set with a kill.
 
The Eagles struggled offensively in the third and fourth sets, swinging at a .069 and .086 attack pace as Bushnell forced a fifth set.
 
The Beacons scored the first point of the tiebreaker, but NU used two kills by Broussard and two aces by Savannah Hale in a 7-0 run to take control, 7-1.
 
Bushnell rallied to within 12-10, but a pair of Kepler kills put the Eagles on the brink of victory. Broussard and Horne finished things off with a block.
 
Broussard led a trio of Eagles with double-digit kills with 19. Horne added 14, and Bailey had a dozen. Anna Saelens kept feeding the monster attack with 54 assists. Horne, Hale, and Cristina Lorenz had two aces each.
 
Lorenz kept things clean on the back row with 19 digs, with Horne adding 12 and Hale 11.
 
Now 12-12 overall and 11-8 in the Cascade Collegiate Conference, NU plays at 7 p.m., Saturday, at Corban.