Friday, Sept. 8 – Washburn Invitational
No. 15 Northwest Missouri State vs. No. 25 Harding, 11:30 a.m. | LIVE VIDEO | LIVE STATS
No. 15 Northwest Missouri State vs. Midwestern State, 5 p.m. | LIVE VIDEO | LIVE STATS
 
Saturday, Sept. 2 – Washburn Invitational
No. 15 Northwest Missouri State vs. Christian Brothers, 8 a.m. | LIVE VIDEO | LIVE STATS
No. 15 Northwest Missouri State vs. Oklahoma Baptist, Noon | LIVE VIDEO | LIVE STATS
 
The No. 15-ranked Northwest Missouri State University volleyball team (3-1 overall) will travel to Topeka, Kan., Friday and Saturday to compete in the 2023 Washburn Invitational.
 
The Bearcats will spare off against Harding (Friday, 11:30 a.m.), Midwestern State (Friday, 5 p.m.), Christian Brothers (Saturday, 8 a.m.) and Oklahoma Baptist (Saturday, Noon).
 
Northwest scored three wins this past weekend in Kansas City with non-conference matches at Rockhurst and William Jewell. Northwest picked up wins over Kentucky Wesleyan (3-0), Sioux Falls (3-2) and William Jewell (3-2). Rockhurst notched a five-set win over the 'Cats on Friday evening.
 
The No. 15 Bearcats will hook up with the No. 25-ranked Harding Bisons in their first match on Friday. The Bisons are 4-0 this season having won all four matches by sweeps over St. Edward's, Montevallo, Union and Dallas Baptist at the Texas-Tyler Tournament.
 
Midwestern State is 2-2 on the year with victories over West Alabama (3-1) and Western Colorado (3-0). The Mustangs fell to Southwestern Oklahoma State and Central Oklahoma.
 
Christian Brothers are off to a 1-3 start to the season. Christian Brothers scored a 3-0 win over Arkansas-Monticello. CBU dropped matchups with Maryville, Truman State and Northern State.
 
Oklahoma Baptist earned a 1-3 mark after its opening weekend of action. OBU stumbled in its first three matches with No. 11 Southwest Minnesota State, Spring Hill and No. 12-ranked West Florida, before notching a 3-0 triumph over Mississippi College.
 
Redshirt freshman setter Ella Caffery averaged 7.56 assists per set as the Bearcats experimented with a 6-2 approach to the matches. Caffery totaled three double-doubles and led the squad in service aces (14). She notched six service aces to go along with 11 assists and three digs against Kentucky Wesleyan. In a five-set loss at Rockhurst, she was credited with 39 assists, 12 digs, three kills and two service aces. In Northwest's five-set win over Sioux Falls, Caffery posted 38 kills, 14 digs, five service aces and four kills. She guided Northwest to a comeback win at William Jewell as she just missed a triple-double with 48 assists, 10 digs, nine kills, two blocks and a service ace. Caffery ranks No. 5 in the nation and first in the MIAA in services aces (14).
 
Active Career Double-Doubles
Payton Kirchhoefer     16
Ella Caffery                  3
Olivia Dir                       3

Freshman outside hitter Gabrielle Gartner led the Bearcats with 42 kills in helping the squad to a 3-1 start to the year. Gartner had a 16-kill performance at Rockhurst. She came back with a 12-kill effort in a five-set win over Sioux Falls. Gartner tallied 10 kills in another five-set win at William Jewell.
 
Junior middle hitter Avery Kemp pounded down a career-high 18 kills and hit .500 in Northwest's five-set win at William Jewell. Kemp leads the Bearcats in kills per set (2.90) and is hitting a team-best .309. Kemp saw her first action of the season against Sioux Falls, where she tallied 11 kills in another five-set triumph for the Bearcats. Kemp suffered a knee injury in last season's MIAA Tournament ending her 2022 season.
 
Junior middle Abby Brunssen recorded a team-best 14 blocks in the season-opening weekend in Kansas City. Brunssen have five blocks vs. Kentucky Wesleyan. She added 11 kills and four blocks vs. Rockhurst. Brunssen recorded 10 kills and two blocks vs. Sioux Falls. She added eight kills and three blocks at William Jewell.
 
Junior Liber Kyah Luhring landed a team-best 74 digs in leading Northwest to a 3-1 weekend. Luhring ranks No. 2 in the MIAA in total digs. She averaged 4.11 digs per set as Northwest played one three-set match and a trio of five-set thrillers. Luhring had seven digs in a three-set win over Kentucky Wesleyan. She then went 20-plus in Northwest's next three matches. She had 24 digs at Rockhurst, 22 digs vs. Sioux Falls and 21 digs at William Jewell.
 
Northwest is ranked No. 15 in the 2023 preseason AVCA Top 25 Coaches' Poll. Northwest has been ranked 50 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

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) – 188
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) - .605 (188-123)
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 is riding a 14-match home winning streak. Northwest was a perfect 10-0 at home last season and won its final four home matches of the 2021 season. The 10-home wins in 2022 was the most in a single season under head coach Amy Woerth.

Active NCAA Div. II Home-Court Winning Streaks
1. Wingate - 23
2. Emmanuel (GA.) - 20
3. Shaw - 18
    Mount Olive - 18
5. West Texas A&M - 16
6. Lewis - 15
    Dallas Baptist - 15
    Fayetteville St. - 15
9. Northwest Mo. St. - 14
    Texas A&M-Kingsville - 14
    Harding - 14
    Wheeling - 14
 
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.