Volleyball Combined Season Statistics (PDF)

The No. 18-ranked Northwest Missouri State University volleyball team (4-0 overall) will look to continue its strong start to the 2019 season by taking part in the Drury Invitational this Friday and Saturday in Springfield, Missouri.
 
Fri., Sept. 13
1 p.m., #18 Northwest vs. #7 Northern State – LIVE VIDEO | LIVE STATS
4 p.m., #18 Northwest vs. Colorado Mesa – LIVE VIDEO | LIVE STATS
 
Sat., Sept. 14
1 p.m., #18 Northwest vs. Drury – LIVE VIDEO | LIVE STATS
5 p.m., #18 Northwest vs. Truman State – LIVE VIDEO | LIVE STATS

Northwest is ranked No. 18 in this week's American Volleyball Coaches Association Top 25 poll. It marks the 10th time in program history that Northwest has been ranked in the AVCA top 25. The previous nine times Northwest was ranked all came during the 2016 season. Northwest's highest AVCA top 25 ranking came when the Bearcats reached No. 16 on Oct. 24, 2016.

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
 
The Bearcats will face one ranked opponent this weekend, No. 7 Northern State, at the Drury Invitational.
 
Northwest Opponents Ranked in This Week's AVCA Top 25
#4 Washburn (Oct. 19, Nov. 15)
#7 Northern State (Sept. 13)
#8 Nebraska-Kearney (Oct. 5, Nov. 1)
#12 Central Missouri (Sept. 21, Oct. 15)
 
Northwest is looking to match last year's 5-0 start to the season. The last time Northwest won its first six matches of a season came in the 2016 campaign when the Bearcats won their first 15 matches of the year.
 
Northwest scored a pair of wins over ranked foes at the Washburn Invitational. The Bearcats began the season with a 3-0 win over No. 23-ranked Central Washington. Northwest added a five-set triumph over Drury to complete a perfect 4-0 start to the season. Northwest also recorded victories over Quincy (3-1) and William Jewell (3-0).
 
Northwest vs. Ranked Foes in 2019
W, 3-0 vs. #23 Central Washington (Sept. 6)
W, 3-2 vs. #18 Drury (Sept. 7)
 
The Bearcats had three players named to the Washburn Invitational All-Tournament Team – Hallie Sidney, Bethany Elkins and Morgan Lewis.
 
Junior setter Maddy Ahrens was named the MIAA Specialist of the Week and junior outside hitter Hallie Sidney earned Co-MIAA Hitter of the Week status for their play in the Washburn Invitational.
 
Ahrens averaged 11.27 assists per set and 2.40 digs per set at the Washburn Invitational. Ahrens had 34 assists vs. No. 23 Central Washington, 40 assists vs. Quincy, 40 assists vs. William Jewell and 55 assists vs. No. 18 Drury. Ahrens had a double-double against Drury with 11 digs.
 
Sidney averaged 4.13 kills per set and hit .303 and was named to the Washburn Invitational all-tournament team. Sidney averaged 2.67 digs per set, while notching a pair of double-doubles. Sidney had 11 kills, 12 digs, two blocks and a service ace in a 3-0 win over No. 23 Central Washington. Sidney posted 15 kills, six digs, two service aces and a block in a 3-1 triumph over Quincy. Sidney secured 14 kills, seven digs, three service aces and a block in a 3-0 win over William Jewell. Sidney produced a season-high 22 kills and 15 digs to go with two blocks in a 3-2 victory over No. 18-ranked Drury. Sidney leads the Bearcats in kills (62) and in digs (40).
 
Freshman Jaden Ferguson (Lincoln, Nebraska) made her debut at the Washburn Invitational. Ferguson started all four matches and averaged 2.71 digs/set. Ferguson tallied a season-high 18 digs in Northwest's 3-2 win over No. 18-ranked Drury. Ferguson also netted 18 kills (1.29 kills/set).
 
Sophomore Bethany Elkins (Belton, Missouri) is leading the squad in hitting percentage (.403). Elkins has 41 kills (2.73 kills/set) and only 10 attack errors on 77 swings.
 
Junior Morgan Lewis (Overland Park, Kansas) ranks second on the team in hitting percentage (.396). Lewis has 49 kills (3.27 kills/set) with 13 errors on 91 attacks. Lewis leads the squad in blocks (13 – 0.87 blocks/set).
 
Sophomore transfer Hannah Koechl (Innsbruck, Austria/Boise State) posted a team-best seven service aces at the Washburn Invitational.
 
The Bearcats recorded 13 team blocks in a four-set win vs. Quincy. It tied for the most blocks in a match by the Bearcats in the last three seasons. The last time Northwest had at least 13 blocks in a match came last season vs. Nebraska-Kearney (Sept. 29, 2018), when the Bearcats also tallied 13 team blocks.
 
Northwest is 2-0 in three-set matches this season. Northwest was a perfect 20-0 in three-set matches in 2018.
 
The Bearcats secured a five-set win over Drury at the Washburn Invitational. Northwest was 1-5 last season in five-set matches.
 
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 118 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.