Wednesday, Sept. 7
No. 12 Northwest Missouri State at No. 18 Central Missouri, 6 p.m. | LIVE VIDEO | LIVE STATS
 
Friday, Sept. 9
Missouri Western at No. 12 Northwest Missouri State, 6 p.m. | LIVE VIDEO | LIVE STATS | TICKETS
 
The No. 12-ranked Northwest Missouri State University volleyball team having posted a 6-2 mark in tournament play will begin MIAA regular season action with two matches this week.
 
Northwest will travel to Warrensburg, Mo., on Wednesday to match up against the No. 18-ranked Central Missouri Jennies. Northwest will wrap up the week with its home opener against the Missouri Western Griffons at 6 p.m. in Bearcat Arena.
 
Northwest has lost six of its last seven matches contested against the Central Missouri Jennies. Last season, UCM won all three matchups against Northwest including a five-set triumph in the MIAA tournament title. UCM holds a 103-12-1 mark against Northwest in the all-time series between the two programs.
 
Northwest has won seven consecutive decisions against the Missouri Western Griffons. Missouri Western holds a 72-37 lead in the all-time series.
 
The Bearcats are 3-1 against top-25 ranked opponents this season.
 
Northwest vs. 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)
 
Northwest is 5-1 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 54-6 when winning the first two sets.
 
The Bearcats opened their season 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.
 
Northwest went 2-2 in its debut at the Colorado Premier Challenge. Northwest picked up victories over No. 16 Angelo State and No. 3 Western Washington. Both of Northwest's losses at the Premier Challenge came on the home courts of No. 4 MSU Denver and Regis.
 
Sophomore Avery Kemp recorded a team-best 38 kills and hit .425 as Northwest scored two wins over ranked foes at the Colorado Premier Challenge. Kemp took 73 swings in the four matches and tallied 38 kills to go against only seven attack errors. She also added seven blocks. Kemp hit .818 with nine kills and no errors in a 3-0 win over No. 16 Angelo State. Kemp secured 10 kills (.250) in a four-set loss to No. 4-ranked MSU Denver.
 
Sophomore Abby Brunssen tied a career-high with 13 kills as she hit .545 in a 3-1 win over No. 3-ranked Western Washington at the Premier Challenge. Brunssen's .545 hitting percentage ranks as the 10th-best mark in a four-set match in Bearcat history. Brunssen also notched a team-high five blocks against the Vikings. Brunssen's 13 kills are a season-high and gives her eight career double-figure kill matches.
 
Sophomore Olivia Dir set a career-high with 18 kills in a five-set loss to Regis at the Premier Challenge. It is the fifth double-figure kill total of her Bearcat career.
 
Sophomore Payton Kirchhoefer secured her second straight all-tournament team honor by being named to the squad at the 2022 Colorado Premier Challenge in Denver, Colo. Kirchhoefer was also named the all-tournament team MVP at the Britkare Lady Buff Classic as she guided Northwest to a 4-0 start to the season.
 
Junior setter Alyssa 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 has been credited with 19 career double-doubles. It marks the fifth time in Rezac's career that she was named the MIAA's Setter of the Week after she was honored for her play in Canyon, Texas.
 
Head coach Amy Woerth is in her 11th year at the helm of the Bearcat volleyball program. Woerth has compiled an overall mark of 167-117. Woerth ranks No. 3 in coaching victories in program history with 167 – 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) - 167
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) - .588 (167-117)
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. 12 in this week's AVCA Top 25 Coaches' Poll. Northwest has been ranked 39 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
 
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.