Friday, Sept. 15
Missouri Southern at No. 18 Northwest Missouri State, 6 p.m. | MIAA NETWORK | LIVE STATS
 
Saturday, Sept. 16
Central Missouri at No. 18 Northwest Missouri State, 3 p.m. | MIAA NETWORK | LIVE STATS
 
The No. 18-ranked Northwest Missouri State University volleyball squad (5-3 overall) will open up MIAA play this Friday and Saturday with two home matches.
 
Northwest will play host to Missouri Southern Friday at 6 p.m. in Bearcat Arena. Northwest will then tangle with Central Missouri at home on Saturday at 3 p.m.
 
Northwest has won 15 straight matches against Missouri Southern. Northwest holds a 48-25-1 lead in the series with the Lions.
 
The Bearcats has tallied 13 wins in 118 tries all time against Central Missouri. Northwest won the last matchup between the two programs last season.
 
The Bearcats went 2-2 at the Washburn Invitational in Topeka, Kan. Northwest tallied 3-0 wins over Midwestern State and Christian Brothers, but suffered losses to No. 25 Harding (3-1) and unranked Oklahoma Baptist (3-0).
 
Junior setter Natalie Laiolo captured her first career double-double with 35 assists and 12 digs in a 3-0 win over Midwestern State at the Washburn Invitational. Her 35 assists were season and career highs.
 
Active Career Double-Doubles
Payton Kirchhoefer     16
Olivia Dir                       4
Ella Caffery                  3
Natalie Laiolo              1

Junior Olivia Dir tied a season-high with 14 kills and tallied 15 digs in the sweep of Midwestern State. It marked the fourth double-double of Dir's career.
 
Junior Kyah Luhring posted a season-best 25 digs against No. 25-ranked Harding. Luhring notched 62 digs (4.77 digs/set) at the Washburn Invite. On the season, Luhring has recorded a team-high 136 digs (4.39 digs/set).
 
Junior Avery Kemp is tied for the team lead with 65 kills in only six matches. Kemp began her season with four straight double-digit kill efforts. She is hitting .286 on the year. Kemp gained a season-best 18 kills in a five-set win over William Jewell (Sept. 2).
 
Junior Payton Kirchhoefer has totaled 850 kills in 64 matches in her Bearcat career. Kirchhoefer is a two-time AVCA All-America selection.
 
Sophomore Kasidy Mohwinkle put up a season-high 11 kills and hit .318 against No. 25-ranked Harding. She notched seven kills and hit .385 in a 3-0 win over Christian Brothers. Mohwinkle has played in seven matches and 20 sets this season.
 
Junior middle hitter Abby Brunssen leads the squad with 22 total blocks (two solos) through eight matches. Brunssen has four double-figure kill matches. She tallied 11 kills in a five-set loss to Rockhurst and 11 kills in a 3-0 sweep of Christian Brothers.
 
Graduate transfer Lauren Casey is tied for the team lead in kills with 65 through eight matches. Casey has landed nine or more kills in five matches. She secured a season-high 12 kills in a five-set triumph at William Jewell.
 
Redshirt freshman Ella Caffery is tops in the team in service aces (17). She is averaging 0.68 aces per set. She also leads the team in assists (192). She set a season-high for assists with 48 at William Jewell. Caffery served up a season-high six aces against Kentucky Wesleyan in the season opener. Caffery leads the MIAA in aces per set (0.68) and ranks No. 25 in the nation.
 
Northwest is ranked No. 18 in this week's AVCA/Taraflex Top 25 Coaches' Poll. Northwest has been ranked 51 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 16 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
Oct. 10, 2022 – No. 15
Oct. 17, 2022 – No. 13
Oct. 24, 2022 – No. 12
Oct. 31, 2022 – No. 10
Nov. 7, 2022 – No. 10
Nov. 14, 2022 – No. 12
Final 2022 – No. 13
2023 Preseason – No. 13
Sept. 4, 2023 – No. 15
Sept. 11, 2023 – No. 18

Bearcat 13th-year head coach Amy 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. Woerth has compiled an overall mark of 188-123. Woerth ranks No. 2 in coaching victories in program history with 188 – trailing only Sarah Pelster (199 wins from 1991-2002).
 
Northwest Volleyball Coaching Victories
1. Sarah Pelster (1991-2002) - 199
2. Amy Woerth (2012-current) – 190
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) - .603 (190-125)
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)
 
The defending conference champion Northwest Missouri State University volleyball team has been pegged second in the 2023 MIAA Preseason Coaches Poll released by the league office. The Bearcats snared three first-place votes but were edged out as the preseason favorite by Nebraska-Kearney, who tallied four first-place votes. The Lopers gained 92 votes in the poll with the Bearcats close behind at 88 points. Central Oklahoma tallied two first-place votes and 80 points to finish third. Washburn gained the other two first-place votes and came in fourth with 77 points. Central Missouri was fifth with 73 points.
 
Northwest made the program's third NCAA Div. II Tournament appearance in 2022. Northwest 0-3 all-time in the NCAA Tournament.
 
Bearcat Volleyball NCAA Tournament History
L, 3-0 vs. Washburn (Nov. 18, 2010) – Warrensburg, Mo.
L, 3-2 vs. Nebraska-Kearney (Dec. 2, 2021) – Warrensburg, Mo.
L, 3-1 vs. St. Cloud State (Nov. 18, 2022) – Wayne, Neb.
 
Northwest captured the program's first-ever MIAA regular season title with a 17-3 mark in 2022. The 17 MIAA wins tied for the most in program history. Each of the last six seasons has produced the most MIAA wins in program history. 


Northwest's MIAA Wins – Single Season
1. 17 – 2021
    17 – 2022
3. 14 – 2018
4. 13 – 2019
5. 11 – 2017
6. 10 – 1999
    10 – 2010
    10 – 2016
9. 8 – 2011
    8 – 2014
    8 – 2015
 
Northwest surpassed the 20-win mark in 2022 for the 18th time in program history. It is the fifth 20-win season in six years for the 'Cats. Northwest has recorded four consecutive 20-win seasons, which is the longest stretch since the Bearcats had six straight 20-win seasons from 1980-1985. The 24 wins this season ranks tied for the 11th-most in a single season in Bearcat history.
 
Northwest's 20-Win Seasons
52 – 1980
51 – 1981
46 – 1984
32 – 1982
30 – 1978
28 – 1979
27 – 1983
26 – 1994
25 – 1985, 1999
24 – 2021, 2022
22 – 2016, 2018
21 – 1990, 1998
20 – 1996, 2019
 
Northwest produced its fourth-highest winning percentage (.774) this season with a mark of 24-7 overall in 2022. The best single-season winning percentage mark at Northwest came in the 1980 season at .852.

Northwest Single-Season Winning Percentage
1. .852 (52-9), 1980
2. .813 (26-6), 2021
3. .783 (46-13), 1984
4. .774 (24-7), 2022
5. .750 (51-14-1), 1981
6. .733 (22-8), 2018
7. .710 (22-9), 2016
8. .700 (21-9), 2019
9. .694 (25-11), 1999
10. .684 (26-12, 1994


The Bearcats crowned an NCAA Div. II best with three AVCA All-America honors in 2022. Payton Kirchhoefer earned second-team AVCA All-America status for the second straight year. Alyssa Rezac tallied third-team status, while Jaden Ferguson landed third-team honors as well.
 
Northwest's All-Time AVCA All-America Selections
2018 – Maddy Bruder (First Team)
2019 – Hallie Sidney (Honorable Mention)
2021 – Payton Kirchhoefer (Second Team)
2021 – Alyssa Rezac (Honorable Mention)
2022 – Payton Kirchhoefer (Second Team)
2022 – Alyssa Rezac (Third Team)
2022 – Jaden Ferguson (Third Team)
 
Northwest will enter the 2023 season riding a 13-match home winning streak. Northwest was a perfect 10-0 at home last season and won its final three home matches of the 2021 season. The 10-home wins in a season is the most under head coach Amy Woerth.
 
2023 MIAA Volleyball Preseason Coaches' Poll
1. Nebraska Kearney (4) - 92 points
2. Northwest Missouri (3) - 88 points
3. Central Oklahoma (2) - 80 points
4. Washburn (2) - 77 points
5. Central Missouri - 73 points
6. Pittsburg State - 53 points
7. Missouri Western - 45 points
8. Missouri Southern - 35 points
9. Fort Hays State - 29 points
10. Emporia State - 19 points
11. Newman - 14 points
*Coaches Are Not Allowed To Vote For Their Own Team
  
For the 10th straight year and 17th 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 3.69 cumulative team grade point average during the 2022-23 season. Northwest was one of 155 NCAA Division II schools to gain the USMC/AVCA Team Academic Award this year.