Friday, Sept. 29
Northwest Missouri State at Emporia State, 7 p.m. | MIAA NETWORK | LIVE STATS
 
Saturday, Sept. 30
Northwest Missouri State at No. 15 Washburn, 2 p.m. | MIAA NETWORK | LIVE STATS
 
The Northwest Missouri State University volleyball team (7-5 overall, 2-2 MIAA) will look to continue its winning ways with matches this week at Emporia State and No. 15 Washburn.
 
Northwest picked up two straight MIAA wins over Missouri Western and Newman in three-game sweeps this past week.
 
Northwest has played 12 matches this season. Five have gone to five sets and the Bearcats are 2-3 in those matches. Northwest has played six matches that have resulted in a sweep with the Bearcats going 5-1 in three-set matches. Northwest has played one four-set match and it resulted in a 3-1 loss to No. 25-ranked Harding.
 
Northwest is averaging 13.15 kills per set in 47 sets this season. The Bearcats are averaging 1.57 service aces per set and 1.49 blocks per set. Northwest is averaging 16.21 points per set in 13 matches.
 
Bearcat 13th-year head coach Amy Woerth has compiled an overall mark of 192-127. Woerth ranks No. 2 in coaching victories in program history with 192 – 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) - 192
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) - .602 (192-127)
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)


Northwest picked up a pair of MIAA athlete of the week awards following the 3-0 wins over Missouri Western and Newman. Junior libero Kyah Luhring was named the MIAA Defensive Athlete of the Week and redshirt freshman setter Ella Caffery captured the MIAA Setter of the Week award.
 
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. In two Northwest victories, Luhring averaged 8.17 digs per set in six sets of action. She had 18 digs in a sweep at Missouri Western on Tuesday, before her record-breaking effort on Friday against the Jets in Bearcat Arena. Luhring has recorded a team-high 220 digs (4.68 digs/set). Luhring ranks No. 1 in the MIAA in total digs. She ranks No. 3 in the MIAA in digs per set.
 
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, 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)
 
Caffery averaged 11.40 assists per set and hit .389 with eight kills in leading Northwest to two MIAA sweeps. Caffery had 31 assists and four kills (.364) in a 3-0 win at Missouri Western. She added six digs and a block assist in the three-set triumph. Caffery tallied 26 assists and four kills (.429) in a 3-0 victory over Newman. Caffery also contributed nine digs and a block assist vs. the Jets. Caffery is tops in the team in service aces (21) and assists (349). She is averaging 0.53 aces per set. 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. Caffery dished out 50 assists, tallied four kills, added one back and had 17 digs in a five-set match with Missouri Southern. Caffery added 50 more assists, five kills, three blocks and 16 digs in another five-set dual with Central Missouri. She leads the Bearcats with five double-doubles this season.
 
Active Career Double-Doubles
Payton Kirchhoefer     16
Ella Caffery                  5
Olivia Dir                       4
Natalie Laiolo              1
 
Junior Kristen Ford ranks No. 2 on the team in total digs (108). She tallied a career-high 33 digs in a 3-2 loss to Central Missouri. She has posted four double-figure dig totals this year.
 
Junior middle hitter Abby Brunssen leads the squad with 101 kills, 27 blocks and a .308 hitting percentage. She ranks No. 8 in the MIAA in hitting percentage. Brunssen has six double-figure kill matches, including a season-high 17 in a five-set match with Missouri Southern. Brunssen hit .538 with a team-best 14 kills in helping the Bearcats to a pair of 3-0 MIAA sweeps over Missouri Western and Newman. She did not have an attack error on 26 swings in the two matches. Brunssen had nine kills and hit .563 at Missouri Western. She added two digs and a solo block vs. the Griffons. She tallied five kills and hit .500 with two blocks in a 3-0 triumph over Newman.
 
Junior Avery Kemp ranks second on the team with 103 kills in 10 matches played. She has totaled seven 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 five consecutive matches.
 
Junior Payton Kirchhoefer has totaled 893 kills in 68 matches in her Bearcat career. 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.
 
Junior Olivia Dir is third on the squad with 85 kills. She has seen action in all 12 matches. Dir has notched four 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.
 
Graduate transfer Lauren Casey ranks fourth on the team in kills (77). She has seen action in 11 matches. She secured a season-high 12 kills in a five-set triumph at William Jewell.
 
Northwest is unranked but the top team receiving votes in this week's AVCA/Taraflex Top 25 Coaches' Poll. Northwest has been ranked 52 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
Sept. 18, 2023 – No. 24