Friday, Sept. 16
No. 13 Northwest Missouri State at Emporia State, 6 p.m. | LIVE VIDEO | LIVE STATS
 
Saturday, Sept. 17
No. 13 Northwest Missouri State at No. 2 Washburn, 6 p.m. | LIVE VIDEO | LIVE STATS
 
The Northwest Missouri State University volleyball team will trek to the state of Kansas for a pair of MIAA matchups this week at Emporia State and Washburn.
 
The No. 13-ranked Bearcats (7-3 overall, 1-1 MIAA) will take on the Emporia State Hornets Friday at 6 p.m., in Emporia, Kan. A top-25 matchup awaits on Saturday at 6 p.m. in Topeka, Kan., against the No 2-ranked Washburn Ichabods.
 
The Bearcats are 3-1 against top-25 ranked opponents this season.
 
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)
 
Emporia State holds a 43-20 lead over Northwest in the all-time series. Northwest has won six in a row in the series and nine of the last 10 matchups. The Bearcats have defeated the Hornets three consecutive times in Emporia, Kan.
 
Washburn owns a 50-26 lead in the all-time series with Northwest. Northwest captured victories in all three matchups with Washburn a season ago.
 
Northwest is 6-1 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 55-6 when winning the first two sets.
 
The Bearcats rank second in the MIAA in team hitting percentage (.250).
 
Jaden Ferguson ranks No. 10 in the league in hitting percentage (.320) with 93 kills. Ferguson posted two straight double-doubles and averaged 3.5 kills and 3.25 digs as Northwest went 1-1 to open MIAA action. Ferguson hit .348 over the two matches. Ferguson secured 14 kills (.268), 10 digs, three blocks and a service ace in a five-set loss to No. 18-ranked Central Missouri. Ferguson buried 14 kills (.464), 16 digs, three service aces and two blocks in a 3-0 sweep of Missouri Western.
 
Kristen Ford averaged 5.12 digs per set as she helped Northwest to a 1-1 start to MIAA play. Ford secured 23 digs, six assists and a service ace in a 3-2 loss at No. 18-ranked Central Missouri. Ford notched 18 digs, two assists and two service aces in a 3-0 sweep of rival Missouri Western in Northwest's home-court debut.
 
Setter Alyssa Rezac averaged 10.88 assists per set. She handed out 87 assists as the Bearcats began MIAA play at 1-1. Rezac notched 49 assists and eight digs in a five-set loss to No. 18-ranked Central Missouri. Rezac tallied 38 assists, two assists and eight digs in a 3-0 sweep of Missouri Western. Rezac ranks No. 5 in the MIAA in assists per set (8.89). She ranks No. 10 in the league in service aces per set (0.41). She has posted four double-doubles this season and 20 in her Bearcat career.
 
Double-Doubles (2022)
Alyssa Rezac               4
Olivia Dir                     2
Jaden Ferguson           2
Payton Kirchhoefer     2
Kelly Wiedemann        1
 
Active Career Double-Doubles
Hallie Sidney               25
Alyssa Rezac               20
Olivia Dir                     3
Jaden Ferguson           3
Payton Kirchhoefer     2
Kelly Wiedemann       1
 
Abby Brunssen ranks No. 2 in the MIAA in blocks per set (1.16). Brunssen had a season-high nine blocks against Angelo State.
 
Avery Kemp ranks No. 7 in the MIAA in hitting percentage (.333). Kemp has posted 82 kills on the season.
 
Head coach Amy Woerth is in her 11th year at the helm of the Bearcat volleyball program. Woerth has compiled an overall mark of 168-117. Woerth ranks No. 3 in coaching victories in program history with 168 – 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) - 168
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) - .587 (168-118)
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. 13 in this week's AVCA Top 25 Coaches' Poll. Northwest has been ranked 40 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
Sept. 5, 2022 – No. 12
Sept. 12, 2022 – No. 13
 
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.