Tues., Oct. 17
Northwest Missouri State at Missouri Southern, 6 p.m. | MIAA NETWORK | LIVE STATS
 
Wed., Oct. 18
Northwest Missouri State at Newman, 6 p.m. | MIAA NETWORK | LIVE STATS
 
The Northwest Missouri State University volleyball squad will hit the road early this week with matches at Missouri Southern on Tuesday and at Newman on Wednesday.
 
The Bearcats (10-9 overall, 5-6 MIAA) will look to even its season series with Missouri Southern (12-8, 5-6 MIAA) on Tuesday in Joplin. MSSU scored a five-set win over Northwest on Sept. 15 in Bearcat Arena.
 
Northwest will then travel to Wichita, Kan., on Wednesday to take on the Newman Jets (0-18, 0-10 MIAA) at 6 p.m. Northwest posted a 3-0 win over Newman in Bearcat Arena on Sept. 22.
 
Northwest is 3-4 in five-set matches this season. Northwest is 7-3 in three-set matches. Northwest is 0-2 in four-set matches this season.
 
Northwest has fared extremely well in the fourth set of matches this year by posting a mark of 7-2 in the fourth set. Northwest is 11-8 in the opening set of matches. Northwest also owns a winning mark in the third set at 10-9.
 
Northwest is averaging 12.84 kills per set in 73 sets this season. The Bearcats are averaging 1.38 service aces per set and 1.77 blocks per set. Northwest is averaging 15.99 points per set in 19 matches.
 
Bearcat opponents are averaging 12.33 kills per set. Northwest opponents are averaging 0.96 service aces and 2.15 blocks per set. Northwest opponents are averaging 15.44 points per set in 19 matches.
 
Junior Avery Kemp is tops on the team in points scored (208). She holds the team lead in kills (167). Kemp is tops on the team in hitting percentage (.302). Kemp put up a 13-kill effort while hitting .632 in a 3-0 win at Fort Hays State. Kemp notched 11 kills in a five-set win at Emporia State. Kemp added seven blocks vs. the Hornets. Kemp came back with a 12-kill match while hitting .556 against No. 15-ranked Washburn. She has totaled nine double-figure kill matches, including a season-high 18 in a five-set victory at William Jewell. She has posted two or more blocks in 11 of her last 12 matches.
 
Freshman Gabrielle Gartner hit .706 with 12 kills on 17 swings in a 3-0 win over Pittsburg State on Oct. 14. Her .706 hitting percentage ranks as the second-best hitting percentage in a three-set match in Bearcat history. Gartner has produced four double-figure kill efforts this season.
 
Junior Natalie Laiolo recorded her second double-double of the season with 31 assists and 11 digs in a three-set loss to No. 21-ranked Central Oklahoma. Laiolo has dished out 234 assists (5.71 per set) in 15 matches this season.
 
Active Career Double-Doubles
Payton Kirchhoefer     19
Ella Caffery                  6
Olivia Dir                       4
Natalie Laiolo              2
 
Junior middle hitter Abby Brunssen leads the Bearcats in total blocks (64). She ranks second on the squad in kills (151). Brunssen was credited with a season-high eight blocks in a three-set win over Pittsburg State. Brunssen has seven double-figure kill matches, including a season-high 17 in a five-set match with Missouri Southern.
 
Junior Payton Kirchhoefer has totaled 953 kills and 658 digs in 74 matches in her Bearcat career. She has landed 131 kills and tallied 166 digs this season. Kirchhoefer claimed her fifth double-double of the season with 15 kills and 18 digs against Central Missouri. It was the 19th double-double of her Bearcat career. She set a career-high with 27 digs in a five-set win at Emporia State. She has posted eight career matches of 20 or more digs. Kirchhoefer is a two-time AVCA All-America selection and a two-time first-team all-MIAA pick. She was the MIAA Freshman of the Year in 2021.
 
Graduate transfer Lauren Casey ranks third on the team in kills (136). She has seen action in 18 matches. She has posted four matches of double figures in kills. She secured a season-high 15 kills in a five-set victory at Emporia State. Casey scored three straight points down the stretch in the fifth set at Emporia State to lift the Bearcats to the victory. Northwest led 11-9 when Casey went on a three-kill stretch to put the match out of reach for the Hornets.
 
Junior Olivia Dir ranks fifth on the squad with 115 kills. She has seen action in 18 matches. Dir has notched five double-figure kill matches. She tallied a season-high 15 kills in a five-set match with Central Missouri. Dir has posted four career double-doubles and has one this year with a 14-kill, 15-dig effort in a 3-0 win over Midwestern State.
 
Junior Kyah Luhring has recorded a team-high 333 digs (4.56 digs/set). Luhring ranks No. 3 in the MIAA in total digs. She ranks No. 3 in the MIAA in digs per set. Luhring has tallied 30-dig matches this season. She has posted eight matches of 20 or more digs.
 
Junior Kristen Ford ranks third on the team in total digs (159). She tallied a career-high 33 digs in a 3-2 loss to Central Missouri. She has posted six double-figure dig totals this year.
 
Luhring set the school record for digs in a three-set match with 31 against Newman. Her 31 digs rank second in the nation this year in three-set matches. She was named the MIAA Defensive Player of the Week after her 31-dig effort vs. Newman.
 
Northwest's Single-Match Digs (3 Sets)
1. 31, Kyah Luhring vs. Newman (9/22/23)
2. 28, Paige Spangenberg vs. Washburn (11/18/10)
    28, Kyah Lulhring vs. Central Oklahoma (11/2/22)
4. 27, Becky Brown vs. Missouri Western (10/27/93)
5. 26, Jill Quast vs. Simpson (10/14/00)
    26, Paige Spangenberg vs. Southwest Baptist (10/30/10)
    26, Tori Beckman vs. Central Oklahoma (10/12/12)
 
NCAA Single-Match High Digs (3-set matches) in 2023
1. 32, Meagan Jimenez, Cameron vs. Missouri Southern (9/1/23)
2. 31, Kyah Luhring, Northwest Mo. St. vs. Newman (9/22/23)
3. 30, Najlaa Williams, Virginia St. vs. Claflin (9/30/23)
    30, Christine Funk, Montana State Billings vs. Rocky Mountain (9/25/23)
    30, Morgan Schmutzler, Franklin Pierce vs. Post (9/8/23)
    30, Elly Collins, Wilmington vs. Roberts Wesleyan (9/2/23)
 
Redshirt freshman Ella Caffery is tops in the team in service aces (21) and assists (496). She ranks third on the team in blocks (23) and fourth on the squad in digs (140). Caffery served up a season-high six aces against Kentucky Wesleyan in the season opener. Caffery has tallied five matches of 40 or more assists this season, including a pair of 50-assist matches against Missouri Southern and Central Missouri. She leads the Bearcats with six double-doubles this season. Caffery was named the MIAA Setter of the Week on Sept. 25 after helping the Bearcats produce 3-0 sweeps of Missouri Western and Newman.
 
Bearcat 13th-year head coach Amy Woerth has compiled an overall mark of 195-131. Woerth ranks No. 2 in coaching victories in program history with 195 – trailing only Sarah Pelster (199 wins from 1991-2002). Woerth captured her second MIAA Coach of the Year award in 2022. Woerth first earned MIAA Coach of the Year honors in 2018 and landed the award again in 2022 after guiding the Bearcats to the first MIAA regular season crown in program history. Woerth has led the Bearcats to four consecutive 20-win seasons. It is the fifth 20-win season in her tenure. 

Northwest Volleyball Coaching Victories
1. Sarah Pelster (1991-2002) - 199
2. Amy Woerth (2012-current) - 195
3. Pam Stanek (1977-81) - 176
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) - .598 (195-131)
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)