The No. 14-ranked Northwest Missouri State University volleyball team (13-4 overall, 6-3 MIAA) will hit the road this weekend for league matches at Emporia State and Washburn.
 
Friday, Oct. 18
7 p.m., #14 Northwest at Emporia State – LIVE VIDEO | LIVE STATS
 
Saturday, Oct. 19
3 p.m., #14 Northwest at #4 Washburn – LIVE VIDEO | LIVE STATS
 
The Bearcats will look to return to their winning ways after dropping three of their last four matches. Northwest sits in fourth place in the MIAA standings – trailing Nebraska-Kearney (9-0), Washburn (7-2) and Central Missouri (7-2). All three teams above Northwest in the MIAA standings are ranked in the top 10 in the latest AVCA top 25 poll.
 
Northwest will take on the Emporia State Hornets on Friday at 7 p.m. in Emporia, Kansas. The Hornets are 5-12 overall and 1-8 in MIAA play. The Hornets scored their only league win over Newman in four sets on Oct. 5. ESU has lost 11 of its last 12 matches entering Friday. The Bearcats have defeated the Hornets in five of the last six meetings between the two programs.
 
The Bearcats will travel to Topeka, Kansas, on Saturday for a 3 p.m. tilt vs. the No. 4-ranked Washburn Ichabods. Washburn is 15-2 overall and 7-2 in MIAA action. The Ichabods had a six-match win streak snapped on Tuesday in a three-set loss to Nebraska-Kearney. It's the second loss this season for Washburn against UNK. Northwest has defeated Washburn in the last two meetings between the two programs. Northwest scored a 3-1 win over Washburn in Maryville on Oct. 20, 2017 and a 3-0 triumph over the Ichabods in Topeka last year on Oct. 13, 2018.
 
Northwest Volleyball Wins in Topeka
Nov. 1, 1976 – W, 2-1
Nov. 20, 1981 – W, 2-0
Sept. 9, 1993 – W, 3-1
Oct. 21, 1998 – W, 3-1
Oct. 13, 2018 – W, 3-0
 
Northwest dropped four spots to No. 14 in this week's American Volleyball Coaches Association Top 25 poll. It marks the 15th time in program history that Northwest has been ranked in the AVCA top 25.

Northwest in AVCA Top 25
Sept. 19, 2016 – No. 22
Sept. 26, 2016 – No. 20
Oct. 3, 2016 – No. 18
Oct. 10, 2016 – No. 17
Oct. 17, 2016 – No. 17
Oct. 24, 2016 – No. 16
Oct. 31, 2016 – No. 21
Nov. 7, 2016 – No. 25
Nov. 14, 2016 – No. 25
Sept. 9, 2019 – No. 18
Sept. 16, 2019 – No. 15
Sept. 23, 2019 – No. 11
Sept. 30, 2019 – No. 10
Oct. 7, 2019 – No. 10
Oct. 14, 2019 – No. 14
 
Northwest is 4-1 in matches this season against ranked opponents. The Bearcats scored a 3-1 win at No. 12-ranked Central Missouri on Sept. 21. Northwest knocked off No. 7-ranked Northern State in four sets at the Drury Invitational. Northwest began the season by defeating No. 23 Central Washington (3-0) and No. 18 Drury (3-2) at the Washburn Invitational. No. 4-ranked Nebraska-Kearney scored a 3-1 win over Northwest at Bearcat Arena on Oct. 5.
 
Northwest vs. Ranked Foes in 2019
W, 3-0 vs. #23 Central Washington (Sept. 6)
W, 3-2 vs. #18 Drury (Sept. 7)
W, 3-1 vs. #7 Northern State (Sept. 13)
W, 3-1 at #12 Central Missouri (Sept. 21)
L, 3-1 vs. #4 Nebraska-Kearney (Oct. 5)
L, 3-0 vs. #9 Central Missouri (Oct. 15)
 
Northwest Opponents Ranked in This Week's AVCA Top 25
#3 Nebraska-Kearney (L, 3-1; Nov. 1)
#4 Washburn (Oct. 19; Nov. 15)
#6 Northern State (W, 3-1)
#9 Central Missouri (W, 3-1; L, 3-0)
RV Central Washington (W, 3-0)
RV Central Oklahoma (L, 3-0)
 
Junior Maddy Ahrens (Appleton, Wisconsin) leads the squad in assists (706) and service aces (22). Ahrens ranks No. 1 in the MIAA in assists per set (11.21). Ahrens recorded a season-best 58 assists in Northwest's 3-2 victory over Missouri Western (Sept. 18). Ahrens ranks No. 8 in Northwest history with 2,288 career assists. Ahrens is 44 assists away from moving up to No. 7 and passing Molly Hankins, who earned 2,332 assists in 2005 and 2006. Ahrens earned all-tournament team honors at the Washburn Invitational. Ahrens has captured the MIAA Specialist of the Week award four times in 2019.
 
Junior Hallie Sidney (Chesterfield, Missouri) leads the MIAA in kills (247) and kills per set (4.12). Sidney's 4.12 kills per set is outdistancing Washburn's Genna Berg, who ranks second in the league at 3.84 kills per set. Sidney has reached double-figure kill totals in 14 of her 16 matches. Sidney set a career-high with 21 digs in a four-set loss to Nebraska-Kearney (Oct. 5). Sidney has tallied a team-best nine double-doubles. Sidney notched a season-best 23 kills in Northwest's 3-2 win over Missouri Western (Sept. 18). Sidney was named to the all-tournament teams at the Drury Invitational and the Washburn Invitational. Sidney is a three-time MIAA Hitter of the Week award winner in 2019.
 
Sophomore Bethany Elkins (Belton, Missouri) ranks No. 2 in the MIAA in blocks per set (1.02). Elkins has totaled 58 blocks on the season. Elkins ranks No. 3 in the MIAA in hitting percentage (.359). Elkins has 155 kills (2.72 kills/set) this season. Elkins tied a career-high with nine blocks vs. Nebraska-Kearney. Elkins tallied a career-high 24 kills and hit .526 in Northwest's 3-2 win over Truman State. Elkins has eight double-figure kill performances this season after posting two in 2018.
 
Junior Morgan Lewis (Overland Park, Kansas) ranks second on the team in blocks (44) and kills (188). Lewis possesses a .325 hitting percentage on the season. Lewis has posted nine double-figure kill totals. Lewis blistered the net with 11 kills (.474) in a 3-0 win over Fort Hays State. Lewis continued her hot play with a 14-kill performance (.520) in four set sets vs. No. 4-ranked Nebraska-Kearney. Lewis had 25 kills and three errors, while hitting .478 vs. Fort Hays State and Nebraska-Kearney. She hit .522 with 13 kills and one error in a 3-0 win at Missouri Southern. She posted a season-high seven blocks in a 3-1 win vs. Quincy. Lewis was named to the all-tournament team at the Drury Invitational.
 
Sophomore transfer Hannah Koechl (Innsbruck, Austria/Boise State) leads the team with 239 digs (3.73 digs/set). She is second on the squad in service aces (20). Koechl posted the eighth-best four-set dig total in school history with a career-high 30 digs in a four-set match vs. No. 4-ranked Nebraska-Kearney (Oct. 5). Koechl served up a season-high six aces in a 3-1 win at Pittsburg State. Koechl has posted five 20-or more dig performances this season.
 
Sophomore Rachel Sturdevant (Kansas City, Missouri) notched her first double-double of the season with a 16-kill, 11-dig performance in a 3-1 win at Pittsburg State. Sturdevant ranks No. 2 on the team in digs (203; 3.44 digs/set). Sturdevant secured a career-high 24 digs in a three-set match vs. Central Oklahoma (Oct. 11).
 
Freshman Emmy Grant (Omaha, Nebraska) made her 2019 season debut against Central Oklahoma and Newman. Grant had a block assist against UCO (Oct. 11). Grant tallied four kills and three blocks in a 3-0 win over Newman (Oct. 12). Grant made her first career start vs. No. 9-ranked Central Missouri and posted four kills and a block.
 
For the sixth consecutive year and 13th time overall, the Bearcat volleyball team earned the American Volleyball Coaches Association Team Academic Award. Northwest also tallied the AVCA Team Academic Award Honor Roll for the third straight year with a GPA ranked among the top-25 NCAA Division II schools. The Bearcat volleyball team recorded a 3.75 cumulative team grade point average during the 2018-19 season under the direction of head coach Amy Woerth. Northwest is one of 141 NCAA Division II schools to gain the AVCA Team Academic Award this year.
 
Eighth-year head coach Amy Woerth is looking to guide the Bearcats to an improvement in the MIAA standings for the seventh straight season. Woerth, who was named the 2018 MIAA Coach of the Year, and the Bearcats set a program record with 14 MIAA wins in 2018.
 
2013 – 9^th, 6-10 in MIAA
2014 – 7^th, 8-14 in MIAA
2015 – 7^th, 8-10 in MIAA
2016 – 6^th, 10-8 in MIAA
2017 – 5^th, 11-7 in MIAA
2018 – 4^th, 14-4 MIAA
 
Woerth ranks No. 3 in Bearcat coaching history with 127 career victories, trailing only Sarah Pelster (1991-2002) with 199 wins and Pam Stanek (1977-1981) with 176 triumphs.
 
The Bearcats registered 22 wins last season, their 15th 20-win campaign in program history. Northwest will be looking for back-to-back 20-win seasons for the first time since 1999. The Bearcats had 25 wins in 1999 after notching 21 wins in 1998.