Friday, Oct. 18 – Wichita, Kan. (Fugate Gymnasium)
Northwest Missouri State at Newman, 6 p.m.
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Saturday, Oct. 19 – Pittsburg, Kan. (Lance Arena/Whetzel Court)
Northwest Missouri State at Pittsburg State, 6 p.m.
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The Northwest Missouri State University volleyball squad will begin a stretch of five consecutive road matches with contests against Newman University and Pittsburg State University this weekend.
 
The Bearcats (10-7 overall, 4-3 MIAA) have rotated wins and losses over their last seven matches. Northwest has not won back-to-back matches since Sept. 27 but has also not lost two matches in a row since Sept. 6.
 
Northwest will match up against Newman (3-18 overall, 0-7 MIAA) Friday at 6 p.m. in Fugate Gymnasium. The Jets have lost five straight matches. In seven MIAA matches, Newman has won one set. Northwest is 15-0 all-time against Newman.
 
The Bearcats will travel to Pittsburg, Kan., on Saturday for a 6 p.m. tilt with the Gorillas (9-8 overall, 4-3 MIAA). Pittsburg State has won three matches in a row entering this weekend's slate of matches. PSU will play host to Missouri Western Friday at 6 p.m. Northwest holds a 39-28-1 lead in the all-time series with Pittsburg State. Northwest had won 11 straight matches with PSU until last season when the Gorillas tallied a 3-0 win on Nov. 10, 2023 in Pittsburg.
 
Northwest is 2-2 against ranked opponents this season with victories over No. 21 West Florida (W, 3-2) and No. 24 Washburn (W, 3-2). Northwest has dropped matches against No. 3-ranked Nebraska-Kearney (L, 3-1) and No. 11 Central Oklahoma (L, 3-1).
 
Northwest leads the nation in team attacks per set (42.16). The Bearcats also rank No. 6 in the country in digs per set (19.16). Northwest ranks No. 3 in the MIAA in digs per set – trailing Missouri Western (19.35) and Missouri Southern (19.22).
 
Northwest set a pair of single-match team records in a five-set win over Missouri Western on Oct. 8, 2024. Northwest posted 143 digs and 264 attacks to set the standard in the school record book for both digs and attacks. The 143 digs and 264 attacks also rank as the top figures in NCAA Div. II volleyball this season.
 
Kyah Luhring ranks No. 21 in the nation and No. 2 in the MIAA in total digs (334). MSSU's Kyla Randall leads the MIAA in digs (401). Luhring was honored as the MIAA Volleyball Defensive Athlete of the Week for the second time this season and sixth time in her career as she averaged 7.42 digs per set and 89 digs in 12 sets of action last week. Luhring set a school record with 54 digs in a five-set win over Missouri Western. The 54 digs are the most by any NCAA Div. II student-athlete this year.
 
Northwest Most Digs (Match)
1. 54, Kyah Luhring vs. Missouri Western (10/8/24)
2. 47, Olivia Nowakowski at Arkansas-Fort Smith (9/15/17)
3. 46, Paige Spangenberg vs. Fort Hays State (10/24/08)
4. 42, Hannah Koechl vs. Nebraska-Kearney (11/22/19)
5. 40, Olivia Nowakowski at Nebraska-Kearney (11/3/18)

Luhring has posted 1,182 career digs in 92 career matches and 309 sets played as a Bearcat. She is averaging 3.83 digs per set in her collegiate career. Luhring became the 19th Bearcat in program history to reach 1,000 career digs in Northwest's five-set win over Washburn on Sept. 27 in Bearcat Arena.
 
She leads the Bearcats in digs this season with 334 (4.99 digs/set). She has reached double figures in digs in 16 straight matches. Luhring has reached 20-plus digs 21 times in her career and 16 times this season. Luhring has surpassed 30 digs in a match four times as a Bearcat.
 
Kristen Ford and Luhring have each surpassed the 1,000-dig mark in their Bearcat careers this season. Ford and Luhring are among 19 Bearcats to have reached 1,000 career digs in a Northwest uniform. Ford eclipsed the 1,000-career dig mark at the Augustana Classic. Ford gained back-to-back double figure dig matches against Washburn (18) and Emporia State (13). Ford has posted 1,162 career digs in 107 matches as a Bearcat. Ford is averaging 2.96 digs per set in 392 career sets. Ford leads the team in service aces (14).
 
Northwest's 1,000-Dig Club
1. Paige Spangenberg (2007-10)   2,489
2. Jill Quast (1997-00)                    1,924
3. Olivia Nowakowski (2015-18)     1,763
4. Jennifer Pittrich (1993-96)          1,494
5. Tori Beckman (2010-12)             1,488
6. Megan Danek (1999-02)            1,458
7. Sarah Trowbridge (2003-06)      1,401
8. Maddy Bruder (2015-18)            1,306
9. Heather Potts (1993-96)             1,291
10. Jennifer Waldron (1995-97)      1,239
11. Becky Brown (1990-93)            1,224
12. Kyah Luhring (2021-pres.)        1,182
13. Bailey Vance (2011-14)            1,178
14. Suzi Fabian (1994-97)              1,170
15. Terri Palmer (1988-90)             1,169
16. Kristen Ford (2021-pres.)         1,162
17. Hannah Koechl (2019-21)        1,050
18. Heidi Yurka (1991-93)              1,027
      Miranda Foster (2013-16)         1,027
 
Sophomore setter Ella Caffery leads the team with 519 assists (7.57 assists/set). Caffery ranks second on the squad in blocks (43). Caffery collected a career-high 58 assists in a five-set win over Missouri Western (Oct. 8). Caffery has produced five double-doubles this season and 14 in her career. She has three 40-plus assist efforts this season.
 
Double-Doubles – Career (Season)
Payton Kirchhoefer      21 (2)
Ella Caffery                  14 (5)
Olivia Dir                      11 (6)
Natalie Laiolo               9 (5)
Abby Brunssen            1 (1)
 
Senior Payton Kirchhoefer ranks second on the team with 181 kills (3.31 kills/set) in 16 matches this season. She is hitting .201 in 58 sets played. Kirchhoefer has reached double figures in kills in 12 matches this season. Kirchhoefer posted a season-high 21 kills and hit .341 in a five-set win over No. 24-ranked Washburn (Sept. 28). Kirchhoefer has recorded seven career 20-plus kill matches. Through 99 career matches, Kirchhoefer has put up 1,184 kills, 799 digs, 148 blocks with 21 double-doubles.
 
Kirchhoefer is 47 kills away from joining the top-10 list of kills in Bearcat history.
 
Northwest Career Kills
1. 1,740 – Diann Davis (1994-97)
2. 1,715 – Abby Sunderman (1997-00)
3. 1,715 – Jill Quast (1997-00)
4. 1,654 – Maddy Bruder (2015-18)
5. 1,638 – MacKenzie Heston (2003-06)
6. 1,321 – Nancy Pfeifler (1985-88)
    1,321 – Sarah Trowbridge (2003-06)
8. 1,299 – Mary Beth Bishop (1981-84)
9. 1,297 – Sara Falcone (2007-10)
10. 1,231 – Alex Hanna (2008-11)
 
Senior Abby Brunssen has collected a team-best 215 kills (3.31 kills/set) and 74 blocks (1.14 blocks/set) through 17 matches this season. Earlier this year, set a career-high with 15 blocks (14 block assists) in a 3-1 win at Upper Iowa (Sept. 20). Brunssen also garnered her first career double-double with 11 kills and 15 blocks against the Peacocks. Brunssen set a career-high with 25 kills (.440) and five blocks in a five-set win over No. 24-ranked Washburn. Brunssen followed it up with 18 kills and four blocks against Emporia State.
 
Brunssen ranks No. 9 all-time in total blocks in Bearcat history. Brunssen has posted 342 career blocks in 101 matches (348 career sets). Brunssen ranks No. 19 among active career leaders in NCAA Div. II with 342 blocks.
 
Northwest Career Blocks
1. 748, Diann Davis (1994-97)
2. 487, Jill Quast (1997-00)
3. 474, Abby Sunderman (1997-00)
4. 416, Jill Tallman (1983-84)
5. 410, Susie Thomas (1983-86)
6. 394, Sara Falcone (2007-10)
7. 385, MacKenzie Heston (2003-06)
8. 353, Angi Kidwell (1980-82)
9. 342, Abby Brunssen (2021-pres.)
10. 341, Amber Ryan (2007-10)
 
Brunssen ranks No. 6 in the MIAA in points scored per set (3.96). She ranks No. 8 in the MIAA in kills per set (3.31) and No. 5 in blocks per set (1.14). Brunssen ranks No. 12 in the MIAA in hitting percentage (.304).
 
Senior Olivia Dir third second on the squad in digs (174). She ranks fourth on the team in kills (151). Dir has tallied six double-doubles this season to give her 11 for her Bearcat career. Dir has put up 10 or more kills in seven times this season. She has also notched 10 or more digs on 10 occasions.
 
Junior Kasidy Mohwinkle ranks third on the team with 158 kills (2.36 kills/set). Mohwinkle has seven double-figure kill efforts this season. She tied a season-high with 14 kills against Missouri Western (Oct. 8). She secured 14 kills (.300 hitting percentage) in a 3-1 win over Florida Tech (Sept. 13). Mohwinkle added 13 kills and hit .333 in a five-set win over No. 24-ranked Washburn (Sept. 27). In the season opener with Northern State (Sept. 5), Mohwinkle hit .444 with 13 kills. She has hit .300 or better in six matches this season.
 
Freshman Maja Noehrer secured a career-high 12 kills in a five-set win over Missouri Western (Oct. 8). She came close to a double-double with nine kills and seven digs against No. 11-ranked Central Oklahoma (Oct. 11).
 
Freshman Ellery Luhring collected three straight double-figure dig efforts against Missouri Western (11), No. 11 Central Oklahoma (10) and Arkansas-Fort Smith (12). She is averaging 2.59 digs per set in 17 sets of action.
 
The Bearcats recorded 19 team blocks in a 3-1 win at Upper Iowa (Sept. 20), which ranks as the fourth-highest single-match total in program history. The 19 blocks at Upper Iowa ranks tied for the third-highest single-match total in a four-set match this season among NCAA Div. II programs.
 
Northwest is coming off a 15-14 season and the Bearcats tallied their seventh straight season of securing 10 or more MIAA victories with a 10-10 mark in league play. The 10 wins in MIAA action last season tied for the sixth-most in school 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
    10 – 2023
10. 8 – 2011
    8 – 2014
    8 – 2015
 
Northwest has produced eight consecutive winning seasons, which is the longest streak in school history. Northwest has reached 20-win seasons in five of the last seven campaigns.
 
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
 
The Northwest Missouri State University volleyball team has been selected sixth in the preseason 2024 MIAA Coaches' Poll. Northwest gained 68 points in the balloting to finish behind Central Missouri (113 pts.), Central Oklahoma (110 pts.), Nebraska-Kearney (106 pts.), Washburn (90 pts.) and Missouri Western (81 pts.). Central Missouri tallied five first-place votes, while UCO and UNK each garnered three first-place votes and Washburn gained one.
 
2024 MIAA VOLLEYBALL PRESEASON COACHES POLL
1. Central Missouri [5] – 113 points
2. Central Oklahoma [3] – 110 points
3. Nebraska Kearney [3] – 106 points
4. Washburn [1] – 90 points
5. Missouri Western – 81 points
6. Northwest Missouri State – 68 points
7. Arkansas-Fort Smith – 62 points
8. Missouri Southern – 49 points
9. Emporia State – 39 points
10. Pittsburg State – 35 points
11. Fort Hays State – 28 points
12. Newman – 11 points 
[#] - Number of First-Place Votes
 
Head coach Amy Woerth has compiled an overall mark of 210-143 and has taken over as the program's all-time winningest coach. Woerth captured her 200th career win in a 3-0 victory at home vs. Fort Hays State to close out the 2023 regular season. Woerth moved past Sarah Pelster, who had collected a mark of 199-226 from 1991 to 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 five 20-win seasons in her tenure. 

Northwest Volleyball Coaching Victories
1. Amy Woerth (2012-current) - 210
2. Sarah Pelster (1991-2002) - 199
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) - .594 (210-143)
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 added assistant coach Nick Sepulveda in the offseason after former assistant coach Jacquie Cason accepted the head women's volleyball coaching job at Missouri S&T in Rolla, Mo.
 
For the 11th straight year and 18th time overall, the Northwest Missouri State University volleyball team has been honored as a recipient of AVCA Team Academic Award sponsored by INTENT. 
 
The Bearcat volleyball team recorded a 3.87 cumulative team grade point average during the 2023-24 season. Northwest produced a 3.82 team GPA in the fall and a 3.92 team GPA in the spring. Northwest is one of 147 NCAA Division II schools to gain the AVCA Team Academic Award this year. Northwest is one of 31 NCAA Div. II schools to have captured the award in each of the past 11 seasons. Northwest is among 17 programs to have been a recipient of the AVCA Team Award 18 times or more and one of two MIAA schools (Emporia State) with 18 or AVCA Team Academic Awards.
 
For the sixth time in program history, Northwest also gained the AVCA Team Academic Honor Roll Award. The additional distinction of Team Academic Honor Roll celebrates programs in the top 20% of GPAs for their division. Northwest has gained the Team Academic Honor Roll in 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2024.