Tues., Sept. 18
Missouri Western at Northwest, 7 p.m. | MIAA Network Stream | Live Stats
 
Fri., Sept. 21
Northwest at Missouri Southern, 6 p.m. | MIAA Network Stream | Live Stats
 
Sat., Sept. 22
Northwest at Southwest Baptist, 3 p.m. | MIAA Network Stream | Live Stats
 
The Northwest Missouri State volleyball team (10-3 overall, 2-0 MIAA) will continue home conference play by taking on Missouri Western Tuesday at 7 p.m. in Bearcat Arena.

The promotion for Tuesday is Organization Night at Bearcat Arena.
 
Northwest is the midst of a five-match win streak and looking to go 3-0 in MIAA. The last time Northwest started the MIAA play 3-0 came in the 2016 season.
 
The Bearcats opened up MIAA play this past weekend with a pair of sweeps over Lindenwood and No. 9-ranked Central Missouri. It was Northwest's second 3-0 sweep over Central Missouri and the first time it happened at Bearcat Arena in the series.
 
The victory over Central Missouri was Northwest's first win over a ranked opponent this season. Northwest's last win over a ranked foe prior to this year came Oct. 27, 2017, when the Bearcats knocked off No. 16 Central Missouri in four sets in Warrensburg, Mo.
 
Head coach Amy Woerth's squad posted a .408 hitting percentage against the Jennies – Northwest's highest attack percentage this season besting the previous mark of .389 in a victory over Colorado State-Pueblo in the season opener. The last time Northwest hit .400 or better in a match came last season in a 3-0 win at Fort Hays State when the Bearcats hit .418 on Oct. 7, 2017.
 
The Bearcats are a perfect 10-0 in three-set matches this season.
 
Senior Maddy Bruder (Firth, Neb.) leads the MIAA in kills per set (4.36). Bruder has 192 kills and 116 digs through 13 matches.
 
Bruder averaged 5.83 kills/set (.295 hitting percentage) and lifted the Bearcats to a pair of MIAA opening wins including a 3-0 sweep of No. 9-ranked Central Missouri. Bruder posted 16 kills, eight digs two assists and a block assist in a 3-0 win over Lindenwood on Friday. Bruder followed that up with 19 kills, 15 digs and a block assist in a 3-0 triumph over Central Missouri. Bruder came up big with 10 kills in the third set alone vs. UCM. Bruder had a .326 hitting percentage against the Jennies.
 
Bruder has posted five double-doubles this season and 47 in her Bearcat career.
 
Bruder has accrued 1,394 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
3. Jill Quast (1997-2000)                     1,715
4. MacKenzie Heston (2003-2006) 1,638
5. Maddy Bruder (2015-pres.)         1,394
    

Sophomore setter Maddy Ahrens (Appleton, Wisconsin) averaged 14.0 assists per set and Northwest opened MIAA play at 2-0 with sweeps over Lindenwood and No. 9-ranked Central Missouri. Ahrens had 41 assists, nine digs, an ace and a block assist in a 3-0 win over Lindenwood. She helped the Bearcats hit .328 against the Lions. Ahrens posted 43 assists, four digs, two blocks and two service aces a 3-0 triumph over the No. 9-ranked Jennies. Ahrens helped the Bearcats record a .408 hitting percentage against UCM.
 
Redshirt freshman Bethany Elkins (Belton, Missouri) set the Northwest record for highest hitting percentage in a three-set win by hitting .800 against Central Missouri. Elkins had a career-high 12 kills in 15 attacks with zero attack errors. Elkins also added four blocks, including a solo stuff against the Jennies. Elkins leads the squad in blocks (42). Elkins has notched a team-best six solos and 36 assisted blocks. Elkins has recorded at least three blocks in 10 of the 13 matches.
 
Senior Olivia Nowakowski (Kansas City, Missouri) has posted a team-best 193 digs (4.83 digs/set). Nowakowski ranks No. 6 on Northwest's all-time digs list with 1,453 career digs. Megan Danek ranks No. 5 with 1,458 digs from 1999-2002.
 
Northwest's All-Time Digs List
1. Page Spangenberg (2007-2010)         2,489
2. Jill Quast (1997-2000)                         1,924
3. Jennifer Pittrich (1993-1996)             1,494
4. Tori Beckman (2010-2012)                 1,488
5. Megan Danek (1999-2002)                 1,458
6. Olivia Nowakowski (2015-pres.)        1,453