MONMOUTH, Ore.—Facing match point in the third set, the No. 16-ranked Northwest Nazarene University volleyball team kept its undefeated season alive with a 3-2 (16-25, 22-25, 28-26, 25-16, 15-11) comeback win at Western Oregon University on Thursday.

Hitting .294 in the opener, Western Oregon (5-5, 1-2 GNAC) snared the first set in rapid fashion with a 25-16 win and came back from a late deficit in the second to take a commanding 2-0 lead.

Looking for the clean sweep, the Wolves grabbed a seven-point lead (19-12) on third-set kills by Jenna Compton and Sydney Blankinship and later generated three chances at match point following a Sierra Stultz point for a 24-20 spread.

Not deterred, Northwest Nazarene (11-0, 3-0 GNAC) stormed back with a pair of kills by Kendra Bodine and eventually knotted the third set at 24-all.

WOU received another shot at ending the match early on an Alisha Bettinson swing to make it 25-24 in favor of the Wolves, but it was the last shot the home side had for the clincher as Bodine continued her melee for the 28-26 comeback win.

The Crusaders used strong defensive play into the fourth set to force the decisive finale and received six of Bodine's match-high 25 kills in the fifth set to complete the come from behind win.

"We did a lot of good things tonight; when you look at the stat sheet that was a match in which we should have won. But, you've got to give recognition to a team like that (NNU) and there's a reason they're one of the top teams in the nation," WOU head coach Tommy Gott said. "It was an exciting match but now it's about how we respond and that starts tomorrow in practice."

Mari Thomas added 16 kills for the Crusaders while Bettinson paced the Wolves with 23 terminations. Stultz (10 kills) and Mariella Vandenkooy (10) also reached double figures in kills for WOU.

The Wolves will return to the court on Saturday by hosting Central Washington University. Opening serve is set for 7 p.m. inside the New PE. Building.