Friday, Oct. 4 – Hays, Kan. (Gross Memorial Coliseum)
Northwest Missouri State at Fort Hays State, 6 p.m.
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Saturday, Oct. 5 – Kearney, Neb. (Health & Sports Center)
Northwest Missouri State at No. 3 Nebraska-Kearney, 3 p.m.
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After starting MIAA play at home with a split, the Northwest Missouri State University volleyball team will travel to Fort Hays State and Nebraska-Kearney this weekend for league action.
 
The Bearcats (7-5 overall, 1-1 MIAA) will take on the Fort Hays State Tigers (9-2 overall, 1-1 MIAA) Friday at 6 p.m., in Hays, Kan. Northwest will then travel to Kearney, Neb., to face off against the No. 3-ranked Nebraska-Kearney Lopers (14-0 overall, 2-0 MIAA) Saturday at 3 p.m.
 
Northwest is 2-0 against ranked opponents this season with victories over No. 21 West Florida (W, 3-2) and No. 24 Washburn (W, 3-2).
 
The Bearcats had their five-match win streak snapped in a four-set home loss to Emporia State on Saturday.
 
Northwest owns a 27-8-1 lead in the all-time series with Fort Hays State. The Bearcats have won 13 straight matches against the Tigers. FHSU's last win in the series came Nov. 5, 2016, in Maryville, Mo. FHSU's last home win over Northwest came in a five-set triumph on Nov. 7, 2015.
 
Nebraska-Kearney holds a 26-5 lead in the all-time series against Northwest. The Lopers have won the last three matchups. Northwest's only win in Kearney, Neb., came in a four-set triumph on Oct. 29, 2022.
 
Senior Kyah 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. Luhring has tallied 1,044 digs in 87 matches and 290 sets played. She is averaging 3.60 digs per set in her collegiate career. She leads the Bearcats in digs this season with 196 (4.08 digs/set).
 
Luhring was named the MIAA Defensive Player of the Week (Sept. 16) for her play in the Outback Invitational in Pensacola, Fla. She is a five-time MIAA Defensive Player of the Year honoree. She has reached double figures in digs in nine straight matches. She recorded a season-high 27 digs in a five-set win over No. 24-ranked Washburn. Luhring has reached 20-plus digs 18 times in her career and three times this season.
 
Kristen Ford and Kyah Luhring each surpassed the 1,000-dig mark in their Bearcat careers this season. Ford and Luhring are among 18 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 1,095 career digs in 102 matches as a Bearcat. Ford is averaging 2.94 digs per set in 373 career sets.
 
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. Bailey Vance (2011-14)            1,178
13. Suzi Fabian (1994-97)              1,170
14. Terri Palmer (1988-90)             1,169
15. Kristen Ford (2021-pres.)         1,095
16. Hannah Koechl (2019-21)        1,050
17. Kyah Luhring (2021-pres.)        1,044
18. Heidi Yurka (1991-93)              1,027
      Miranda Foster (2013-16)         1,027
 
Senior Payton Kirchhoefer ranks second on the team with 128 kills (3.12 kills/set) in 11 matches this season. She is hitting .224 in 41 sets played. Kirchhoefer has reached double figures in kills in eight 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 94 career matches, Kirchhoefer has put up 1,131 kills, 759 digs, 139 blocks with 21 double-doubles.
 
Senior Abby 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 has collected a team-best 168 kills (3.50 kills/set) and 58 blocks (1.21 blocks/set) through the first 12 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 ranks No. 3 in the MIAA in points scored per set (4.15). She ranks No. 4 in the MIAA in kills per set (3.50) and in blocks per set (1.21). Brunssen ranks No. 7 in the MIAA in hitting percentage (.339).
 
Senior Olivia Dir ranks second on the squad in digs (142). She ranks third on the team in kills (168). 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 eight occasions.
 
Double-Doubles – Career (Season)
Payton Kirchhoefer      21 (2)
Olivia Dir                      11 (6)
Ella Caffery                  11 (2)
Natalie Laiolo               9 (5)
Abby Brunssen            1 (1)
 
Sophomore setter Ella Caffery leads the team with 313 assists (6.52 assists/set). Caffery netted a season-high 49 assists in guiding Northwest to a five-set win over No. 24-ranked Washburn (Sept. 27). Caffery gained her second double-double of the season and 11th of her career with 36 assists and 14 digs against Emporia State (Sept. 28). She has notched 33 assists, including a season-high eight kills in a five-set win over No. 21-ranked West Florida (Sept. 14). Caffery set a career-high with 11 blocks in a 3-1 win over Upper Iowa (Sept. 20). Caffery picked up her first double-double of the season with 28 assists and 11 blocks vs. Upper Iowa.
 
Junior Kasidy Mohwinkle ranks fourth on the team with 108 kills (2.25 kills/set). Mohwinkle has four double figure kill efforts this season. She secured a career-high 14 kills (.300 hitting percentage) in a 3-1 win over Florida Tech. Mohwinkle added 13 kills and hit .333 in a five-set win over No. 24-ranked Washburn (Sept. 27). 

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 fourth-highest single-match total in a four-set match this season among NCAA Div. II programs.
 
Head coach Amy Woerth has compiled an overall mark of 207-141 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) - 207
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) - .595 (207-141)
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.