Northwest Missouri State Athletics

The Bearkittens as they were known then, the 1980 Northwest volleyball team won its first 23 matches en route to a 52-win season. Prior to 1980, no Bearkitten volleyball team had won more than 30 matches in a season.

The 1980 Bearkittens won four tournaments, including the MAIAW or State Tournament. They beat Missouri Western five times and topped Division I foes Oklahoma State, Missouri and Kansas.