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By David Boyce  |  Volleyball vs. Washburn  |  Friday, Oct. 14  |  7 p.m.  |  Volleyball vs. Emporia State (Free Admission)  |  Saturday, Oct. 15  |  6 p.m.
Live Stats  |  Live Video

MARYVILLE, Mo. - In discussions on the design and words for a specially-made T-Shirts for Friday night's volleyball match at Bearcat Arena, three words came to mind for the Northwest Missouri State volleyball team.
 
Win the Battle.
 
Emotions will run high when No. 17 Northwest, 18-1 overall and 6-1 in the MIAA, takes on No. 15 Washburn, 17-4 and 7-1. Not only will two highly-ranked teams be competing for first place in conference, the Bearcats will help create awareness for breast cancer in their annual Pink Out volleyball match.
 
"It is a really cool opportunity to play for them on breast cancer awareness night," said junior setter Sarah Dannettell. "We have a couple of teammates who have moms and grandmothers and family friends who have suffered through breast cancer. It is nice to fight such an intense rival in honor of their fight."
 
Win the Battle.
 
"It is twofold," Northwest coach Amy Woerth said. "It is win the battle of a great team coming in and win the battle of breast cancer. We understand that they are both different, but they are still battles.
 
"To be able to share that with survivors of breast cancer and even people who passed away because of that and honoring them, is a really neat thing to be able to do. It matches really well with being tested on your court because that is what cancer is going to do. It is going to test you. I think it will be a really special night."
 
So far this season, Northwest has literally aced each test it has faced. Last week was the equivalent of midterms. The Bearcats essentially turned in all their homework by winning one non-conference match after another.
 
As college students know, a midterm is a little more challenging than homework. The Bearcats entered last week coming off their first loss of the season. They had three road matches, starting with rival Missouri Western. Northwest concluded last week with a match at Lindenwood in St. Charles and at perennial power Central Missouri.
 
Northwest beat the Griffons 3-0, returned to practice to prepare for Lindenwood and won 3-2, outscoring the Lions 15-10 in the fifth set last Friday.
 
"It goes to show how well we rebounded," Dannettell said. "We took that loss and it was very humbling for us. We accepted it. We felt what it felt like to be on the opposite end. We decided that is something we didn't want to do anymore.
 
"UCM is kind of a different beast."
 
The chemistry level is at such a high level that the Bearcats knew they had the cohesiveness to beat the Jennies in Warrensburg for the first time since Nov. 2, 1984. For historical purposes, none of the players were born when that happened.
 
But before the Bearcats stepped on the court at the Multipurpose Building at Central Missouri Saturday evening, they had a home-cooked meal at Woerth's brother's home just outside of Warrensburg.
 
"We stayed on the farm," Dannettell said. "We painted pumpkins. We had a really good team time. I think that is something that helped with some of the cohesiveness we went into the game with."
 
Those kind of moments during the volleyball season means a lot to Woerth.
 
"Anytime I can include my family from where I am from into the equation, it continues to allow them to see me for who I am and my background and that helps them to be able to understand their coach even more," Woerth said.
 
Northwest went on to beat Central Missouri 25-20, 25-21, 25-18. To put that achievement in perspective on just how much the Bearcats have grown in one season, Northwest lost all three matches to Central Missouri a year ago, managing to capture just two sets in the process.
 
"It was really encouraging to have all these obstacles before the UCM game and knowing we were able to prevail," Dannettell said.
 
The Bearcats understand their match Friday evening will be their toughest so far this season. Woerth has challenged the players all week to raise their level of play.
 
"We got to make them compete at a high level in practice and the standards we are going to require of them is going to be very high because as we move forward in the season, you are going to play higher level teams," Woerth said. "Washburn is known for being very disciplined and having great ball control. We have to find our game plan and our niche in what they do and be ourselves but do it at a high level."
 
Northwest has been looking forward to this challenge since last spring. Washburn brings out a different level of intensity in the Bearcats.
 
"We want to take on any opponent with the same respect, but Washburn is one of the teams we want to go get," Dannettell said. "Washburn is the team we talk about in the spring when we are pushing hard and preseason when we are having tough drills."
 
Because of the great start by the Bearcats, every match they play the rest of the season will have significant meaning.
 
"My coach has been telling me since my freshman year that the season that will be your best season is the season that you don't want to end," Dannettell said. "I don't want this season to end. I love going out every single day and competing with these girls. It so encouraging we are all on the same page and respect each other.
 
"This season has been a dream. I love it. This is why I wanted to play college volleyball."