Friday, Sept. 17
No. 7 Central Missouri at No. 12 Northwest Missouri State, 6 p.m. | LIVE VIDEO | LIVE STATS
 
Saturday, Sept. 18
No. 12 Northwest Missouri State at Missouri Western, 2 p.m. | LIVE VIDEO | LIVE STATS
 
The No. 12-ranked Northwest Missouri State University volleyball team (7-1 overall) will embark on MIAA play this week by playing host to Central Missouri Friday and traveling to Missouri Western Saturday.
 
The Bearcats will play their first home match of the season in a much different setting than they have previously. Northwest will play its home matches this season at Hughes Fieldhouse. Bearcat Arena is unavailable this fall with shoring improvements for the building's roof. Sport Court is being installed to be used for a playing surface.
 
Parking for home matches is available in the south and east lots of Hughes Fieldhouse. Fans can enter in either the south or east entrances to the building. Concessions and restrooms will be available on the concourse level. General admission tickets are available to purchase for $5 (cash only) for each home match.
 
Central Missouri (7-1 overall) holds a 100-12-1 lead in the all-time series vs. Northwest. UCM has won six of the last 10 meetings between the two schools. The teams met two times this spring, in unofficial matches, where Northwest scored a pair of 3-0 victories, including the MIAA Tournament semifinal.
 
Missouri Western (7-1 overall) owns a 72-35 lead in the all-time series against Northwest. Northwest has won five straight matches in the series. The teams met two times this spring, in unofficial matches, where the Bearcats notched two 3-0 sweeps of the Griffons.
 
Both matches will be streamed on The MIAA Network and live stats will be available for each of the contests (www.BearcatSports.com).
 
Northwest ranks No. 7 in the nation in total assists (403) and total kills (439). The Bearcats lead the MIAA in total digs (557) and total attacks (1,158).
 
The Bearcats posted a 3-1 mark in Springfield, Ill., at the 2021 Capital Classic hosted by the University of Illinois-Springfield. Northwest picked up wins over Grand Valley State (W, 3-2), Purdue University-Northwest (W, 3-0) and Upper Iowa (W, 3-1). Michigan Tech knocked off Northwest in a four-set match to give the Bearcats their first setback of the season.
 
In Northwest's 3-0 win over Purdue Northwest, the Bearcats recorded its second-highest hitting percentage in a match in the history of its program. Northwest hit .494 with 42 kills and four attack errors on 77 total swings. It ranks as the eighth-best single-match hitting performance this season among all NCAA Division II teams.
 
Freshman Payton Kirchhoefer averaged 4.31 kills per set with a .400 hitting percentage as Northwest went 3-1 at the Capital Classic in Springfield, Ill. Kirchhoefer posted 16 kills (.333) with four blocks in a five-set win over Grand Valley State. She notched the fifth-most kills for a Bearcat in a four-set match with 26 kills (.489) and eight digs in a four-set loss to Michigan Tech. She blasted 11 kills (.526) and added two digs in a three-set sweep of Purdue Northwest. Kirchhoefer secured 16 kills (.303), two blocks and a dig in a four-set triumph over Upper Iowa.
 
Kirchhoefer's 26 kills against Michigan Tech ranks as the second-highest four-set kill total this season among NCAA Division II participants. She ranks No. 2 in the MIAA and No. 21 in the nation in total kills (114).
 
Sophomore setter Alyssa Rezac averaged 11.18 assists per set and 2.09 digs per set in helping Northwest to a 3-1 mark at the Capital Classic in Springfield, Ill. Rezac tallied 36 assists and eight digs in a five-set win over Grand Valley State. She also tallied a double-double with 50 assists and 11 digs in a four-set triumph over Upper Iowa.
 
Junior libero Hannah Koechl averaged 5.25 digs per set in 16 sets of action as No. 8-ranked Northwest went 3-1 at the Capital Classic in Springfield, Ill. Koechl posted a season-high 38 digs and six assists in a five-set win over Grand Valley State. Koechl tallied 21 digs and three assists in a four-set loss to Michigan Tech. Koechl earned eights digs and two service aces in a quick 3-0 win over Purdue-Northwest.
 
Senior setter Maddy Ahrens (Appleton, Wis.) ranks No. 6 in Northwest history with 2,773 career assists. Ahrens notched first-team all-MIAA honors in 2018 and followed up with second-team all-MIAA status in 2019.
 
Northwest Career Assists
1. Jennifer Pittrich – 5,428 (1993-1996)
2. Megan Danek – 5,064 (1999-2002)
3. Sarah Dannettell – 3,949 (2014-2017)
4. Laira Akin – 3,600 (2009-2011)
5. Abby Wilms – 3,104 (1997-1998)
6. Maddy Ahrens – 2,773 (2017-pr.)
 
The Bearcats dropped four slots to No. 12 in the latest American Volleyball Coaches' Association Division II Top 25 rankings. It marks the 25th time in program history that Northwest has been ranked in the AVCA Top 25. Northwest's all-time highest ranking came at No. 8 in the Sept. 6, 2021 poll.
 
This week's AVCA poll features four MIAA teams ranked in the top 12. Nebraska-Kearney is ranked No. 1 with 30 first place votes. Washburn is ranked No. 3. Central Missouri is ranked No. 7 and Northwest is ranked No. 12. Nine of the top 13 teams in the nation are in the Central Region.

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
Oct. 21, 2019 – No. 14
Oct. 28, 2019 – No. 14
Nov. 4, 2019 – No. 14
Nov. 11, 2019 – No. 19
Nov. 18, 2019 – No. 20
Nov. 25, 2019 – No. 21
Dec. 16, 2019 – No. 25
2021 Preseason – No. 17
Sept. 6, 2021 – No. 8
Sept. 13, 2021 – No. 12
 
With its win over No. 5-ranked Tampa, it is the third straight season that Northwest has knocked off a top-10 ranked opponent. Northwest scored a 3-0 win over No. 9-ranked Central Missouri in the 2018 season. In 2019, Northwest recorded a 3-1 victory over No. 7-ranked Northern State.
 
The Bearcats came in at No. 3 in the preseason MIAA coaches' poll. Northwest received a pair of first place votes and was only two points away from second-place Washburn.
 
2021 MIAA Volleyball Preseason Coaches' Poll
1. Nebraska Kearney (7) - 96 points
2. Washburn (2) - 88 points
3. Northwest Missouri (2) - 86 points
4. Central Missouri - 75 points
5. Central Oklahoma - 62 points
6. Missouri Western - 48 points
7. Missouri Southern - 47 points
8. Pittsburg State - 43 points
9. Fort Hays State - 25 points
10. Emporia State - 20 points
11. Newman - 15 points
*First Place Votes Are in Parentheses
*Coaches Are Not Allowed To Vote For Their Own Team
 
Northwest secured its 16th 20-win season in program history in 2019. It marks the third time in four years that Northwest reached 20 wins or more in a season. It is the first back-to-back 20-win seasons for the Bearcats since 1999. Northwest had a stretch of six consecutive 20-win seasons from 1980 to 1985.
 
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, 2019
 
For the eighth consecutive year and 15th 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 fifth straight year with a GPA ranked among the top-25 NCAA Division II schools. The Bearcat volleyball team recorded a 3.80 cumulative team grade point average during the 2020-21 season. Northwest is one of 161 NCAA Division II schools to gain the AVCA Team Academic Award this year.
 
Tenth-year head coach Amy Woerth ranks No. 3 in Bearcat coaching history with 142 career victories, trailing only Sarah Pelster (1991-2002) with 199 wins and Pam Stanek (1977-1981) with 176 triumphs.
 
The Bearcats posted a 14-3 mark this past spring during an abbreviated schedule of MIAA foes.
 
The Bearcats have named Hallie Sidney, Alyssa Rezac and Maddy Ahrens as their team captains for the 2021 season. Sidney will miss the 2021 season as she recovers from an injury.