Season Stats (PDF)

Fri., Nov. 2
Northwest at Fort Hays State, 6 p.m. | MIAA Network Stream | Live Stats
 
Sat., Nov. 3
Northwest at Nebraska-Kearney, 6 p.m. | MIAA Network Stream | Live Stats
 
The Northwest Missouri State University volleyball team (21-6 overall, 13-3 MIAA) will wrap up the regular season with a pair of road conference matchups.
 
Northwest will travel to Hays, Kan., Friday at 6 p.m. to take on the Fort Hays State Tigers (8-20 overall, 2-14 MIAA). The Bearcats will close the regular season Saturday at 6 p.m. at No. 3 Nebraska-Kearney (28-2, 14-2 MIAA).
 
The Bearcats enter the week's action one game out of first place in the MIAA standings. Nebraska-Kearney and Washburn are tied at the top of the league ledger at 14-2. Northwest and Central Oklahoma are a game back at 13-3. Central Missouri holds down the No. 5 spot in league play at 12-4.
 
The top four teams in the final regular season MIAA standings will earn home-court advantage in the quarterfinals of the league tournament. The quarterfinals will take place, Tues., Nov. 6. The semifinals and championship matches will be played Nov. 9-10 at the highest remaining seed following the quarterfinals.
 
This year's Northwest volleyball squad has secured the program's 15^th 20-win season. It marks only the second 20-win season since 1999.
 
Northwest's 20-Win Seasons
52 – 1980
51 – 1981
46 – 1984
32 – 1982
30 – 1978
28 – 1979
27 – 1983
26 – 1994
25 – 1985, 1999
22 – 2016
21 – 1990, 1998, 2018
20 - 1996
 
Northwest has also set its single-season MIAA victory record with 13 this year. The previous mark of 11 was set in 2017.
 
MIAA Wins – Single-Season
1. 13 – 2018
2. 11 – 2017
3. 10 – 1999
     10 – 2010
     10 – 2016
6.   9 – 2012
7.   8 – 2011
       8 – 2014
       8 - 2015
 
While Northwest has been busy with MIAA wins, the Bearcats have also faired well on the road. Northwest has accumulated seven road victories so far this season, which ranks as the fourth-highest total in school history. The 1994 squad set the single-season mark with 10 road triumphs.
 
Most Road Wins – Single-Season
1. - 1994 - 10
2. - 1980 - 9
3. - 1999 – 8
4. – 2018 - 7
5. - 2005 - 6
       2016 - 6
       2017 - 6
8. - 1998 - 5
       1997 - 5
       1993 - 5
 
Northwest received 36 votes in this week's AVCA NCAA Div. II Top 25 Poll. The Bearcats possess top-25 wins over No. 11 Washburn and No. 15 Central Missouri.
 
Northwest's six losses this season have come against teams with a combined record of 135-33. The Bearcats have dropped matches to No. 3 Nebraska-Kearney (L, 3-2), No. 15 Central Missouri (L, 3-1), No. 17 Central Oklahoma (L, 3-2), Rockhurst (L, 3-2), Colorado Mesa (L, 3-2) and Sioux Falls (L, 3-1). Rockhurst, Colorado Mesa and Sioux Falls all received votes in this week's AVCA Top 25 Poll.
 
The Bearcats are a perfect 19-0 in three-set matches this season. Northwest is 1-2 in four-set matches and 1-4 in five setters.
 
Senior Maddy Bruder (Firth, Nebraska) leads the MIAA and ranks No. 17 in the nation in kills/set (4.17). Bruder is also tops in the conference in kills per set in MIAA matches only (4.20). Bruder has amassed a league-best 235 kills in MIAA-only matches this season. Bruder leads the MIAA in points per set (4.59).
 
Bruder has accrued 1,594 career kills to rank No. 5 in Bearcat history and No. 5 among the NCAA Division II active career leaders.
 
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.)                1,594

 
NCAA Division II Active Career Leaders in Kills

1. Taylor Reiss (Southwest Minnesota State)    2,039
2. Chase Wessel (Holy Family)                           1,840
3. Taylor Bevis (Central Oklahoma)                    1,715
4. Courtney Place (Augustana, SD)                     1,606
5. Maddy Bruder (Northwest Missouri State)   1,594

 
Bruder ranks second on the team in digs (288). Bruder has 1,271 career digs and is ranked No. 9 on Northwest's all-time career digs chart.
 
Bruder has accumulated a team-high 14 double-doubles. She had 56 career double-doubles entering this week's action.
 
Sophomore Maddy Ahrens (Appleton, Wisconsin) leads the MIAA in assists (11.26 overall; 12.02 MIAA only).
 
Ahrens ranks second on the team in service aces (33) and double-doubles (13).
 
Ahrens is the fifth sophomore in school history to post 1,000 or more assists in a season. Abby Wilms (1,499 in 1998), Megan Danek (1,475 in 1999), Jennifer Pittrich (1,468 in 1994) and Laira Akin (1,097 in 2010) are the only other Bearcat sophomores to surpass 1,000 assists in a season.
 
Senior Olivia Nowakowski (Kansas City, Missouri) leads the team in digs (417). Nowakowski has posted four 20-plus dig efforts this season.
 
Nowakowski averaged 4.17 digs per set as Northwest recorded a pair of MIAA home wins. Nowakowski secured 12 digs and four assists in a 3-0 win over Missouri Southern. Nowakowski added 13 digs in a sweep over Southwest Baptist. Nowakowski leads the Bearcats in digs with 417 (4.44 digs/set).
 
Nowakowski ranks No. 3 in school history in career digs with 1,677.
 
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.)        1,677
4. Jennifer Pittrich (1993-1996)             1,494
5. Tori Beckman (2010-2012)                 1,488

 
Senior Sofia Schleppenbach (Dallas, Texas) leads the MIAA in hitting percentage (.361). Schleppenbach also tops the Bearcats in blocks (81) and service aces (34). She ranks third on the squad in kills (240 – 2.58 kills/set).
 
Schleppenbach's .292 career hitting percentage ranks as the third-best percentage in school history behind Mary Beth Bishop (.307) and Abby Sunderman (.296).
 
This past week, Schleppenbach hit .545 and averaged 3.17 kills per set in leading Northwest to a pair of 3-0 home sweeps. She had 33 total attacks in the two matches with 19 kills and one error. Schleppenbach hit .467 with eight kills and a block in a 3-0 triumph over Missouri Southern. Schleppenbach hit .611 with 11 kills (no errors) and added four blocks in a 3-0 victory over Southwest Baptist.
 
Sophomore Hallie Sidney (Chesterfield, Missouri) has produced 13 double-figure kill matches this season. She ranks second on the team in kills (291).
 
Senior Megan Stilmock (Omaha, Nebraska) ranks tied for fourth on the team in digs (172). Stilmock has tallied five double-figure dig matches in 2018.
 
Sophomore Morgan Lewis (Overland Park, Kansas) has hit .300 or better in six MIAA matches this season. Lewis hit .636 with eight kills and one error in Saturday's 3-0 win over Southwest Baptist.