Friday, Oct. 7
No. 10 Northwest Missouri State at No. 24 Central Oklahoma, 6 p.m. | LIVE VIDEO | LIVE STATS
 
Saturday, Oct. 8
No. 10 Northwest Missouri State at Newman, 3 p.m. | LIVE VIDEO | LIVE STATS
 
Another top-25 matchup awaits the Northwest Missouri State University volleyball team as it completes a six-match road swing this week.
 
The No. 10-ranked Bearcats will square off against No. 24-ranked Central Oklahoma on Friday in Edmond, Okla. Northwest will then travel to Wichita, Kan., to take on the Newman Jets on Saturday at 3 p.m.
 
Northwest is 4-3 against ranked foes this season, including a mark of 2-2 against top-10 ranked opponents.
 
Northwest vs. Top-25 Ranked Foes in 2022
W, 3-1 at No. 14 West Texas A&M (8/27)
W, 3-0 vs. No. 16 Angelo State (9/2)
L, 3-1 at No. 4 MSU Denver (9/2)
W, 3-1 vs. No. 3 Western Washington (9/3)
L, 3-2 at No. 18 Central Missouri (9/7)
W, 3-1 at No. 2 Washburn (9/17)
L, 3-0 at No. 6 Nebraska-Kearney (9/30)
 
Northwest will begin the week in third place in the MIAA standings. Nebraska-Kearney sits atop the standings at 7-1 overall, riding a seven-match win streak. Central Oklahoma is ½ game back at 7-2 and Northwest is ½ game behind the Broncos at 6-2. The league features five teams ranked in the AVCA Coaches' Top 25 poll in No. 5 Nebraska-Kearney, No. 10 Northwest, No. 12 Washburn, No. 23 Central Missouri and No. 24 Central Oklahoma.
 
MIAA Standings
Neb.-Kearney              7-1
Central Oklahoma       7-2
Northwest Mo. St.      6-2
Central Missouri         5-2
Washburn                   5-3
Pittsburg State            5-4
Missouri Southern      3-4
Newman                     2-6
Missouri Western       2-6
Fort Hays State           1-7
Emporia State             1-7
 
Central Oklahoma holds a 16-5 lead in the all-time series vs. Northwest. The Bearcats have won two in a row in the series.
 
Northwest is a perfect 11-0 all-time against Newman. Northwest is 4-0 vs. the Jets since they joined the league in 2019.
 
Northwest hit a season-high .402 in its 3-0 win at Fort Hays State. It is the highest Northwest has hit since a .411 effort against Emporia State on Nov. 12, 2021.
 
Northwest is 11-1 this season when winning the first two sets. Northwest went 15-2 last season when taking the first two sets of a match. Since the start of the 2018 season, Northwest is 60-6 when winning the first two sets.
 
The Bearcats rank second in the MIAA in team hitting percentage (.249). Northwest ranks No. 4 in kills (13.39 kills/set) and blocks (1.95 blocks/set) in the MIAA. Northwest leads the MIAA in opponent blocks (1.62 blocks/set).
 
Jaden Ferguson ranks No. 7 in the league in hitting percentage (.341) with 162 kills. Ferguson is hitting .364 with 97 kills in eight MIAA matches. In MIAA matches, Ferguson ranks No. 7 in total kills (97). Ferguson averaged 3.67 kills per set and hit .352 as Northwest split matches with UNK and FHSU. Ferguson had 10 kills and hit .321 against No. 6-ranked Nebraska-Kearney. Ferguson secured a team-high tying 12 kills and hit .385 in a 3-0 sweep of Fort Hays State. Ferguson added six digs and a service ace against the Tigers.
 
Kristen Ford averaged 4.00 digs per set as Northwest split matches with UNK and FHSU. Ford had 12 digs in each match. She had a service ace in each match as well. Ford ranks No. 8 in the MIAA in digs per set (4.34). In MIAA matches only, Ford ranks No. 6 in the league in digs per set (4.85).
 
Setter Alyssa Rezac averaged 12.17 assists per set as Northwest split matches with No. 6-ranked UNK and Fort Hays State. Rezac tallied 33 assists in a three-set loss at UNK on Friday. She added eight digs, two blocks and a kill vs. the Lopers. Rezac came back on Saturday and notched 40 assists to go along with 10 digs. in a 3-0 sweep at Fort Hays State. She added two service aces and a block assist in the win. Rezac ranks No. 5 in the MIAA in assists per set (9.96) and that bumps up to No. 3 in MIAA matches only (11.67 assists/set). She ranks No. 3 in the league in service aces per set (0.43). She has posted six double-doubles this season and 22 in her Bearcat career.
 
Double-Doubles (2022)
Alyssa Rezac               6
Jaden Ferguson           4
Payton Kirchhoefer     3
Olivia Dir                     2
Kelly Wiedemann        2
 
Active Career Double-Doubles
Hallie Sidney               25
Alyssa Rezac               22
Jaden Ferguson           5
Olivia Dir                     3
Payton Kirchhoefer     3
Kelly Wiedemann       2
 
Payton Kirchhoefer leads the Bearcats in kills per set (3.00). She ranks second on the team in total kills (135). She has posted six double-figure kill performances this season, including a season-high 18 kills in a 3-1 win over West Texas A&M. She had a 22-dig effort at MSU Denver.
 
Abby Brunssen ranks No. 3 in the MIAA in blocks per set (1.08). Brunssen had a season-high nine blocks against Angelo State. Brunssen has tallied a team-best 53 blocks in 2022.
 
Avery Kemp ranks No. 8 in the MIAA in hitting percentage (.310). Kemp has posted 123 kills on the season. Kemp has recorded five double-figure kill matches this season. Kemp secured the sixth-best three-set hitting percentage total in Bearcat history with a .611 hitting effort against Missouri Southern (Sept. 25).
 
Kate Frakes made her season debut at Fort Hays State and put on a show. Frakes tied for the sixth-best three-set hitting percentage in program history with 12 kills on 18 swings with one error (.611 hitting percentage) against the Tigers on Oct. 1.
 
Head coach Amy Woerth is in her 11th year at the helm of the Bearcat volleyball program. Woerth has compiled an overall mark of 173-119. Woerth ranks No. 3 in coaching victories in program history with 173 – trailing only Sarah Pelster (199 wins from 1991-2002) and Pam Stanek (176 wins from 1977-1981). 
 
Northwest Volleyball Coaching Victories
1. Sarah Pelster (1991-2002) - 199
2. Pam Stanek (1977-81) - 176
3. Amy Woerth (2012-current) - 173
4. Susie Homan (1982-84) - 105
5. Peggy Voisin (1987-90) - 64
6. Anna Tool (2006-09) - 56
7. Cathie Schulte (1985-86) - 37
8. Lori Slight (2003-05) - 35
9. Jessica Reinhart (2010-11) - 29
10. Theresa Hospodarski (1975-76) – 12
 
Northwest Volleyball Coaching Win Percentage
1. Pam Stanek (1977-81) - .655 (174-93-7)
2. Susie Homan (1982-84) - .642 (105-58-2)
3. Amy Woerth (2012-current) - .592 (173-119)
4. Jessica Reinhart (2010-11) - .475 (29-32)
5. Sarah Pelster (1991-2002) - .468 (199-226)
6. Anna Tool (2006-09) - .415 (51-72)
7. Cathie Schulte (1985-86) - .411 (37-53)
8. Peggy Voisin (1987-90) - .349 (64-114)
9. Lori Slight (2003-05) - .354 (35-64)
10. Theresa Hospodarski (1975-76) - .237 (12-43-4)
 
Woerth and the Bearcats earned the program's second NCAA Tournament appearance in 2021. Northwest set a school record with 17 MIAA victories last season. The previous best of 14 was set in 2018.
 
Northwest is ranked No. 10 in this week's AVCA Top 25 Coaches' Poll. Northwest has been ranked 43 times in its program history. Northwest set the program's highest ranking at No. 3 in the Oct. 25, 2021, poll. Northwest has been ranked in the AVCA Top-10 14 times.

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
Sept. 20, 2021 – No. 13
Sept. 27, 2021 – No. 13
Oct. 4, 2021 – No. 10
Oct. 11, 2021 – No. 9
Oct. 18, 2021 – No. 6
Oct. 25, 2021 – No. 3
Nov. 1, 2021 – No. 5
Nov. 8, 2021 – No. 5
Nov. 15, 2021 – No. 4
Nov. 22, 2021 – No. 4
Dec. 18, 2021 – No. 12
2022 Preseason – No. 12
Aug. 29, 2022 – No. 10
Sept. 5, 2022 – No. 12
Sept. 12, 2022 – No. 13
Sept. 19, 2022 – No. 11
Sept. 26, 2022 – No. 10
Oct. 3, 2022 – No. 10
 
The Bearcats came in as the favorites in the preseason MIAA coaches' poll. Northwest received three first-place votes and edged out three other schools in a tight vote among the league coaches.
 
2022 MIAA Volleyball Preseason Coaches' Poll
1) Northwest Missouri – 90 Points [3 First-Place Votes]
T2) Nebraska Kearney – 85 Points [3 First-Place Vote]
T2) Washburn – 85 Points [3 First-Place Vote]
T2) Central Missouri – 85 Points [2 First-Place Vote]
5) Central Oklahoma – 60 Points 
6) Pittsburg State – 56 Points
7) Fort Hays State – 44 Points
8) Missouri Western – 43 Points
9) Emporia State – 21 Points 
10) Missouri Southern – 20 Points
11) Newman – 16 Points
*Coaches Are Not Allowed To Vote For Their Own Team
  
For the ninth straight year and 16th time overall, the Northwest Missouri State University volleyball team earned the United States Marine Corps/American Volleyball Coaches Association Team Academic Award. The Bearcat volleyball team recorded a 3.57 cumulative team grade point average during the 2021-22 season. Northwest was one of 148 NCAA Division II schools to gain the USMC/AVCA Team Academic Award this year.