Season Stats (PDF)

Tues., Oct. 16
Northwest at Missouri Western, 7 p.m. | MIAA Network Stream | Live Stats
 
Fri., Oct. 19
Northwest at Lindenwood, 6 p.m. | MIAA Network Stream | Live Stats
 
Sat., Oct. 20
Northwest at Central Missouri, 3 p.m. | MIAA Network Stream | Live Stats
 
The Northwest Missouri State volleyball team will put its perfect MIAA road record on the line again this week with a trio of conference matches beginning Tuesday.
 
Northwest (17-5 overall, 9-2 MIAA) will travel to Missouri Western (Tues., 7 p.m.), to Lindenwood (Fri., 6 p.m.) and to Central Missouri (Sat., 3 p.m.) this week. Northwest is 4-0 in road MIAA matches this season.

The Bearcats will be looking to sweep the season series against all three opponents on this week's slate. Northwest posted 3-0 victories over Missouri Western (Sept. 18), Lindenwood (Sept. 14) and Central Missouri (Sept. 15) in Bearcat Arena earlier this season.
 
Northwest recorded the program's first win in Topeka, Kansas, since Oct. 6, 1999, with a 3-0 triumph over No. 9-ranked Washburn on Saturday. It also marked the first time the Bearcats had posted a 3-0 sweep of the Ichabods in Topeka. Northwest last scored a 3-0 sweep of Washburn on Oct. 10, 2001, in Maryville. Northwest has defeated Washburn in two straight meetings after posting a mark of 5-42 in the previous 47 meetings.
 
The Bearcats are tied for third in the MIAA with Central Oklahoma only one game back of the co-leaders Washburn and Nebraska-Kearney. Northwest and UCO have 9-2 marks in MIAA play, while Washburn and Nebraska-Kearney are tied for the top spot with 10-1 league marks.
 
Northwest's five losses this season have come against teams with a combined record of 98-20. The Bearcats have dropped matches to No. 3 Nebraska-Kearney (L, 3-2), No. 10 Rockhurst (L, 3-2), No. 17 Central Oklahoma (L, 3-2), Colorado Mesa (L, 3-2) and Sioux Falls (L, 3-1). Colorado Mesa is receiving votes in this week's AVCA top 25 poll. The Bearcats have knocked off two top-25 foes in 3-0 sweeps this season in No. 9 Central Missouri (Sept. 15) and at No. 9 Washburn (Oct. 13).
 
The Bearcats are a perfect 16-0 in three-set matches this season. Northwest is 1-1 in four-set matches and 0-4 in five setters.
 
Senior Maddy Bruder (Firth, Nebraska) posted two double-doubles and led Northwest to pair of 3-0 road wins including a victory over No. 9-ranked and previously undefeated Washburn. Bruder averaged 4.17 kills and 6.17 digs in the two sweeps. Bruder had 10 kills and a season-high 22 digs in a 3-0 win at Emporia State. Bruder came back with 15 kills and 15 digs with two block assists in Northwest's first road win over Washburn since Oct. 6, 1999.
 
Bruder has recorded five straight double-doubles and leads the Bearcats with 13 double-doubles this season. Bruder has 55 career double-doubles.
 
Bruder ranks second on the team in digs (241). Bruder has 1,224 career digs and is tied with Becky Brown (1990-1993) for No. 10 on the Northwest all-time digs list.
 
Bruder leads the MIAA in kills per set (4.26 - MIAA only; 4.20 - all matches). Bruder has accrued 1,521 career kills to rank No. 5 in Bearcat history. Diann Davis (1994-1997) holds the Northwest career record with 1,740 kills.
 
Northwest's All-Time Kills List

1. Diann Davis (1994-1997)                    1,740
2. Abby Sunderman (1997-2000)           1,715
   Jill Quast (1997-2000)                          1,715
4. MacKenzie Heston (2003-2006)         1,638
5. Maddy Bruder (2015-pres.)                1,521

 
Sophomore Maddy Ahrens (Appleton, Wisconsin) directed the Bearcats to road wins over Emporia State and No. 9-ranked Washburn. Ahrens averaged 13.00 assists and 3.83 digs as Northwest played only six sets in two victories. Ahrens dished out 40 assists and added 10 digs with three service aces and three kills in a 3-0 win against Emporia State. Ahrens came back on Saturday night and produced another double-double with 38 assists and 13 digs in a 3-0 sweep of previously undefeated Washburn. Ahrens added a kill and a service ace against the Ichabods. Ahrens has 10 double-doubles, including six in MIAA play this season.
 
Ahrens leads the MIAA in assists (11.35 - all matches; 12.55 - MIAA matches).
 
Senior Olivia Nowakowski (Kansas City, Missouri) ranks No. 3 in school history in career digs with 1,596. Nowakowski leads the team in digs (336). Nowakowski has posted three 20-plus dig efforts this season, including a 22-dig performance against Central Oklahoma.
 
Northwest's All-Time Digs List

1. Paige Spangenberg (2007-2010)        2,489
2. Jill Quast (1997-2000)                         1,924
3. Olivia Nowakowski (2015-pres.)        1,596
4. Jennifer Pittrich (1993-1996)             1,494
5. Tori Beckman (2010-2012)                 1,488

 
Senior Sofia Schleppenbach (Dallas, Texas) ranks tied for No. 2 in the MIAA in hitting percentage (.350) and is near the single-season school record. Mary Beth Bishop set the Northwest single-season hitting percentage mark with .366 in 1984.
 
Schleppenbach posted 10 kills in the 3-0 win at Washburn. Schleppenbach has posted eight double-figure kill matches this season, including six in MIAA matches.
 
Schleppenbach leads the Bearcats in blocks (66), service aces (30) and hitting percentage (.350). She ranks third on the squad in kills (188 – 2.47 kills/set). Schleppenbach's .282 career hitting percentage would rank as the 4th-best percentage in school history.
 
Sophomore Hallie Sidney (Chesterfield, Missouri) has produced four double-doubles this season, including three in her last five matches. Sidney ranks second on the team in kills (242).
 
Senior Megan Stilmock (Omaha, Nebraska) ranks fourth on the team in digs (136). Stilmock has registered four double-figure dig matches this season.