Friday, Sept. 27 – Maryville, Mo. (Bearcat Arena)
No. 24 Washburn at Northwest Missouri State, 6 p.m.
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Saturday, Sept. 28 – Maryville, Mo. (Bearcat Arena)
Emporia State at Northwest Missouri State, 6 p.m.
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The Northwest Missouri State University volleyball squad will play its first home matches of the season and open MIAA play this Friday and Saturday in Bearcat Arena.
 
Northwest will take on No. 24-ranked Washburn Friday at 6 p.m., followed by a matchup with Emporia State Saturday at 6 p.m. after the Bearcat football game.
 
Northwest (6-4 overall, 0-0 MIAA) enters conference play riding a four-match winning streak. The Bearcats have won six of their last seven matches after opening the season with a 1-3 mark.
 
Washburn (9-1 overall, 0-0 MIAA) joined the AVCA Top 25 poll this week at No. 24. The Ichabods have won three in a row after suffering their only setback of the season to Texas A&M-Kingsville in a five-set match in Gunnison, Colo. Washburn has dropped only six sets this season in 10 matches.
 
Washburn holds a 52-29 lead in the all-time series with Northwest. The Bearcats have held the upper hand of late between the two schools with Northwest having won eight of the last 12 meetings.
 
Emporia State (8-2 overall, 0-0 MIAA) has won eight of its last nine matches entering MIAA play. The Hornets will take on Missouri Western in St. Joseph, Mo., Friday at 6 p.m., before making the journey to Maryville on Saturday. ESU's two losses have come against Rockhurst (L, 3-0) and Illinois-Springfield (L, 3-1).
 
The Hornets own a 43-23 lead in the all-time series with the Bearcats. However, Northwest has won 10 in a row and 13 of the last 14 meetings.
 
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.
 
Senior Kyah Luhring is two digs away from capturing 1,000 career digs as a Bearcat. Luhring has tallied 998 digs in 85 matches and 231 sets played. She is averaging 3.55 digs per set in her collegiate career. She leads the Bearcats in digs this season with 150 (3.85 digs/set). She 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.
 
Senior libero Kyah Luhring was named the MIAA Volleyball Defensive Athlete of the Week for her play at the Outback Invitational. Luhring averaged 5.00 digs per set as she produced 85 digs in four matches (17 sets) in Pensacola, Fla. Luhring tallied 19 digs vs. Florida Tech, 24 vs. Wingate, 16 vs. Spring Hill and 26 vs. No. 21 West Florida. It is the fifth time in her career that Luhring has gained the league's top weekly defensive honor. Luhring has posted 973 career digs in 83 career matches and 273 sets played as a Bearcat. She has reached double figures in digs in nine straight matches. She secured a season-high 26 digs in a five-set win over No. 21-ranked West Florida. She has two 20-plus dig matches this year.
 
Senior Payton Kirchhoefer ranks third on the team with 100 kills in nine matches this season. Kirchhoefer leads the team with 3.13 kills per set. She is hitting .221 in 32 sets played. Kirchhoefer has reached double figures in kills in six straight matches. She posted a season-high 19 kills and hit .311 in a four-set win over Winona State (Sept. 21).
 
Senior Abby Brunssen 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 leads the squad in kills (125) and blocks (49). She ranks No. 3 in the MIAA in blocks per set (1.26). Brunssen ranks No. 4 in the MIAA and No. 21 in the nation in total blocks (49). Brunssen ranks No. 6 in the MIAA in hitting percentage (.311). She ranks No. 7 in the MIAA in total kills (125).
 
Double-Doubles – Career (Season)
Payton Kirchhoefer      21 (2)
Olivia Dir                      10 (5)
Ella Caffery                  10 (1)
Natalie Laiolo               9 (5)
Abby Brunssen            1 (1)
 
Senior Olivia Dir ranks second on the team with 109 kills and 121 digs. Dir has tallied five double-doubles this season to give her 10 for her Bearcat career. Dir has put up 10 or more kills six times this season. She has also notched 10 or more digs on six occasions.
 
Senior setter Natalie Laiolo is tied for the team lead with five double-doubles this season. Laiolo is averaging 4.97 assists per set and 2.36 digs per set.
 
Sophomore setter Ella Caffery leads the team with 228 assists (5.85 assists/set). She has notched 33 kills, 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 and 10^th of her career with 28 assists and 11 blocks vs. Upper Iowa.
 
Senior Kristen Ford eclipsed the 1,000-career dig mark at the Augustana Classic. Ford has posted 1,064 career digs in 100 matches as a Bearcat. Ford is averaging 2.92 digs per set in 364 career sets.
 
Junior Kasidy Mohwinkle ranks fourth on the team with 88 kills (2.26 kills/set). Mohwinkle has three double-figure kill efforts this season. She secured a career-high 14 kills (.300 hitting percentage) in a 3-1 win over Florida Tech.
 
Senior Avery Kemp saw her first action of the season at the Outback Invitational in Pensacola, Fla. Kemp had four kills against Wingate, five kills vs. Spring Hill and an eight-kill performance vs. No. 21-ranked West Florida. Kemp tallied at least two blocks in all four matches she has played this season.

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 206-140 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) - 206
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 (206-140)
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.