Northwest Volleyball Season Stats (PDF) | MIAA Volleyball Tournament Bracket (PDF)

Tues., Nov. 6 – MIAA Tournament Quarterfinal
Central Missouri at Northwest, 7 p.m. | MIAA Network Stream | Live Stats
 
The Northwest Missouri State University volleyball team (22-7 overall, 14-4 MIAA) will play host to the University of Central Missouri Jennies (24-6 overall, 14-4 MIAA) in the quarterfinals of the MIAA Tournament. The match is set for Tuesday at 7 p.m. in Bearcat Arena.
 
Admission is $5 and the doors will open at 5:30 p.m. The first 100 college students with a valid ID will receive free admission courtesy of the Bearcat Booster Club. The first 300 fans arriving to Bearcat Arena will receive a free t-shirt and pizza as well.


 
Northwest tied for third in the final MIAA standings with Central Oklahoma and Central Missouri. Northwest earned the No. 4 seed and home court in the quarterfinal round of the MIAA Tournament. The winners of the quarterfinal matches will advance to the semifinals on Nov. 9 at the highest remaining seed following Tuesday's action.
 
MIAA Tournament Quarterfinals
No. 8 Missouri Western at No. 1 Nebraska-Kearney, 6 p.m.
No. 5 Central Missouri at No. 4 Northwest Missouri, 7 p.m.
No. 6 Lindenwood at No. 3 Central Oklahoma, 7 p.m.
No. 7 Emporia State at No. 2 Washburn, 7 p.m.
 
Northwest and Central Missouri split the season series with the home team winning each match. Northwest recorded a 3-0 victory over UCM on Sept. 15 in Bearcat Arena. UCM posted a 3-1 triumph over Northwest in Warrensburg on Oct. 20.
 
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, 2018
21 – 1990, 1998
20 - 1996
 
Northwest has also set its single-season MIAA victory record with 14 this year. The previous mark of 11 was set in 2017.
 
MIAA Wins – Single-Season
1. 14 – 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 eight road victories so far this season, which ranks as the third-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
      2018 - 8
5. - 2005 - 6
       2016 - 6
       2017 - 6
8. - 1998 - 5
       1997 - 5
       1993 - 5
  
Northwest's seven losses this season have come against teams with a combined record of 146-35. 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 20-0 in three-set matches this season. Northwest is 1-2 in four-set matches and 1-5 in five setters.
 
Northwest has won the opening set in 25 of its 29 matches. The Bearcats have also won the second set 25 times.
 
Senior Maddy Bruder (Firth, Nebraska) averaged 5.00 kills per set and 3.50 digs per set as the Bearcats split a pair of road MIAA matches. Bruder hit .269 with 40 kills in 104 attacks in the two matches.
 
Bruder secured a double-double with 13 kills (.290) and 11 digs in a 3-0 win at Fort Hays State. Bruder notched her team-leading 16th double-double with a season-high 27 kills, 17 digs, three blocks and a service ace in a five-set match at No. 3-ranked Nebraska-Kearney.
 
Bruder leads the MIAA and ranks No. 17 in the nation in kills/set (4.24).
 
Bruder blew away the competition in MIAA matches only by averaging 4.30 kills per set with 275 kills in 64 sets. Bearcat teammate Hallie Sidney ranked second in the MIAA matches with 3.53 kills per set with 226 kills in 64 sets. UCM's Kylie Hohlen ranked third in the league with 3.50 kills per set with 238 kills in 68 sets.
 
Bruder leads the MIAA in points per set (4.63 all matches; 4.66 MIAA matches).
 
Bruder has accrued 1,634 career kills to rank No. 5 in Bearcat history and No. 4 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.)                1,634

 
NCAA Division II Active Career Leaders in Kills

1. Taylor Reiss (Southwest Minnesota State)    2,077
2. Chase Wessel (Holy Family)                           1,878
3. Taylor Bevis (Central Oklahoma)                    1,731
4. Maddy Bruder (Northwest Missouri State)   1,634
5. Courtney Place (Augustana, SD)                     1,617

 
Bruder ranks second on the team in digs (316). Bruder has 1,299 career digs and is ranked No. 8 on Northwest's all-time career digs chart.
 
Bruder has accumulated a team-high 16 double-doubles. She had 58 career double-doubles entering this week's action.
 
Sophomore Maddy Ahrens (Appleton, Wisconsin) leads the MIAA in assists (11.44 overall; 12.20 MIAA only). Ahrens's MIAA total of 12.20 assists per set is nearly a full point higher than second place Ally Offerdahl (UCM), who posted 11.22 assists per set in MIAA matches.
 
Ahrens set a pair of career highs with 67 assists and 20 digs in a five-set match at No. 3-Nebraska-Kearney.
 
Ahrens ranks second on the team in service aces (33) and double-doubles (14).
 
Ahrens is the fifth sophomore in school history to post 1,000 or more assists in a season with 1,121 this year. 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) averaged 6.75 digs per set as Northwest secured the No. 4 seed for the MIAA Tournament.
 
Nowakowski posted 40 digs against No. 3-ranked Nebraska-Kearney. She registered only the third 40 or more dig performance in school history. She is also only the third MIAA player this season to post 40 or more digs in a match (Allie Maloney, Emporia State – 46; Audrey Keim, Missouri Western – 45; Olivia Nowakowski, Northwest – 40).
 
Nowakowski leads the team in digs (471). Nowakowski has posted five 20-plus dig efforts this season. She ranks No. 6 in the MIAA in digs per set (4.73) in conference matches.
 
Nowakowski ranks No. 3 in school history in career digs with 1,731.
 
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.)        1,731
4. Jennifer Pittrich (1993-1996)             1,494
5. Tori Beckman (2010-2012)                 1,488
6. Megan Danek (1999-2002)                 1,458
7. Sarah Trowbridge (2003-2006)          1,401
8. Maddy Bruder (2015-pres.)                1,299
9. Heather Potts (1993-1996)                 1,291
10. Jennifer Waldron (1995-1997)           1,239

 
Senior Sofia Schleppenbach (Dallas, Texas) leads the MIAA in hitting percentage (.355). Schleppenbach also tops the Bearcats in blocks (87) and service aces (35). She ranks third on the squad in kills (258 – 2.55 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 had an eight-kill effort at Fort Hays State and followed it up with 10 kills (.290) in a five-setter at Nebraska-Kearney.
 
Sophomore Hallie Sidney (Chesterfield, Missouri) ranks second in the MIAA in kills per set in conference matches only (3.53 kills/set).
 
Sidney has seven double-doubles this season, including a 19-kill, 17-dig performance at No. 3-Nebraska-Kearney this past weekend.
 
Sidney has produced 15 double-figure kill matches this season. She ranks second on the team in kills (323 – 3.17 kills/set).