Friday, Sept. 2
No. 10 Northwest Missouri State vs. No. 16 Angelo State, 12 p.m. | LIVE VIDEO | LIVE STATS
No. 10 Northwest Missouri State vs. No. 4 MSU Denver, 7 p.m. | LIVE VIDEO | LIVE STATS
 
Saturday, Sept. 3
Schedule to be determined following pool play on Friday

The No. 10-ranked Northwest Missouri State University volleyball team will travel to Denver, Colo., for the 2022 Colorado Premier Challenge.
 
This will mark the debut for the Bearcats in the Premier Challenge which has been taking place annually since 1996. This year's field includes 10 schools ranked in this week's AVCA Top 25 poll.
 
No. 3 Western Washington
No. 4 MSU Denver
No. 5 West Florida
No. 6 Concordia-St. Paul
No. 10 Northwest Missouri State
No. 11 Central Missouri
No. 12 West Texas A&M
No. 15 Wayne State
No. 16 Angelo State
No. 18 Lewis
 
Northwest will take on No. 16-ranked Angelo State and No. 4-ranked MSU Denver in pool play on Friday. Saturday's opponents will be determined at the conclusion of Friday's pool play.
 
Tickets for the Colorado Premier can be purchased in advance by visiting: http://RoadrunnersAthletics.com/Tickets.  There are options for all-session passes as well as single-day tickets.  Tickets will be valid at both MSU Denver and Regis.
 
Single Day:     
Adults: $12
Ages 6-22: $6
Senior Citizen (65+)
Children (5 & under), MSU Denver Students and Regis Students: FREE
 
Tournament Pass:
Adults: $20
Ages 6-22: $10
Senior Citizen (65+): $10
Children (5 & under), MSU Denver Students and Regis Students: FREE
 
Northwest's matches on Friday will be streamed on MSU Denver's athletic website free of charge. Saturday's matches will be streamed either on MSU Denver's athletic website or Regis's athletic website also free of charge.
 
The Bearcats opened their season last weekend by going 4-0 at the Britkare Lady Buff Classic in Canyon, Texas. Northwest tallied wins over St. Mary's (3-0), Adams State (3-0), UC Colorado Springs (3-0) and No. 14 West Texas A&M (3-1). Payton Kirchhoefer was named the MVP of the tournament and she was joined on the all-tournament team by Alyssa Rezac and Jaden Ferguson.
 
Rezac was named the MIAA Volleyball Setter of the Week. Rezac earned all-tournament team honors at the Britkare Lady Buff Classic. Rezac averaged 10.0 assists per set and 2.92 digs per set. Rezac also posted nine service aces that included five in a three-set win vs. Adams State. Rezac recorded a pair of double-doubles with 30 assists and 11 digs vs. St. Mary's and 52 assists and 12 digs in a four-set win at West Texas A&M. Rezac has been credited with 17 career double-doubles. It marks the fifth time in Rezac's career that she has been named the MIAA's Setter of the Week.
 
Kirchhoefer was named the all-tournament team MVP at the Britkare Lady Buff Classic as she guided Northwest to a 4-0 start to the season. Kirchhoefer averaged 3.46 kills per set while hitting .263. She averaged 4.19 points per set in 13 sets played in Canyon, Texas. Kirchhoefer notched 18 kills, hit .295 and posted 10 digs in a four-set win over No. 14-ranked West Texas A&M. Kirchhoefer hit .381 with eight kills in a 3-0 sweep of Adams State.
 
Kristen Ford averaged 4.23 digs per set as she helped Northwest to a 4-0 start to the 2022 season. Ford reached double-figures in digs in each of the four matches. Ford notched a season-best 17 digs in a three-set win over St. Mary's (Texas).
 
Olivia Dir tied a career-high with 15 kills in a four-set win over No. 14-ranked West Texas A&M. It marks the fourth time in her career she has reached double figures in kills.
 
Head coach Amy Woerth is in her 11th year at the helm of the Bearcat volleyball program. Woerth has compiled an overall mark of 165-115. Woerth ranks No. 3 in coaching victories in program history with 161 – 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) - 165
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) - .589 (165-115)
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 moved up to No. 10 in AVCA's Top 25 Poll for Aug. 29. Northwest has been ranked 38 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 12 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
 
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.