Thursday, Sept. 5 – Augustana Classic (Sanford Pentagon – Sioux Falls, S.D.)
Northwest Missouri State vs. Northern State, 3:45 p.m.
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Friday, Sept. 6 – Augustana Classic (Sanford Pentagon – Sioux Falls, S.D.)
Northwest Missouri State vs. Alaska-Anchorage, 11:15 a.m.
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Northwest Missouri State at Augustana, 6 p.m.
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Saturday, Sept. 7 – Augustana Classic (Sanford Pentagon – Sioux Falls, S.D.)
Northwest Missouri State vs. South Dakota Mines, 11:15 a.m.
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The Northwest Missouri State University volleyball team will begin its season with four matches at the Augustana Classic held in the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, S.D.

Northwest has won five consecutive season-opening matches.

Northwest's Last Five Season-Opening Results
Aug. 24, 2018 – W, 3-0 vs. Colorado State-Pueblo (25-11, 25-16, 25-12)
Sept. 6, 2019 – W, 3-0 vs. No. 23 Central Washington (25-23, 27-25, 25-17)
Sept. 3, 2021 – W, 3-1 vs. Augustana (25-21, 25-17, 22-25, 25-18)
Aug. 26, 2022 – W, 3-0 vs. St. Mary's, Texas (25-16, 25-12, 25-19)
Sept. 1, 2023 – W, 3-1 vs. Kentucky Wesleyan (25-12, 25-23, 25-14)
 
The Bearcats will take on Northern State on Thursday, followed by two matches on Friday against Alaska-Anchorage and Augustana, before wrapping up play Saturday vs. South Dakota Mines.

Northwest is 2-3 all-time vs. Northern State. The Bearcats picked up the last win in the series Sept. 13, 2019 in Springfield, Mo., when the Wolves were ranked No. 7 in the nation.

Northwest is 1-2 in three meetings vs. Alaska-Anchorage. The teams last met Oct. 14, 1989 in Denver, Colo. Northwest's only win in the series came Oct. 29, 1983 in Duluth, Minn.

The Bearcats are 2-7 all-time against Augustana. Northwest took the opening meeting between the two programs in Maryville, Mo., on Sept. 7, 1984, 2-1, and the latest matchup Sept. 3, 2021 in Tampa, Fla., by the count of 3-1.

Northwest and South Dakota Mines will be meeting for the first time.

The Bearcats are led by 13th-year head coach Amy Woerth. Woerth captured her 200th career coaching victory last season to become the program's all-time wins leader.

Northwest's roster is composed of seven seniors, three juniors, four sophomores and four freshmen. All four Bearcats that captured all-MIAA honors last season return including first-team selection Abby Brunssen, second-team pick Avery Kemp and honorable mention performers Ella Caffery and Kyah Luhring.

Two-time AVCA All-America honoree Payton Kirchhoefer also returns after battling injuries last season. Kirchhoefer has produced 19 career double-doubles and enters the season with 1,003 kills and 703 digs.

Active Career Double-Doubles
Payton Kirchhoefer      19
Ella Caffery                    9
Olivia Dir                        5
Natalie Laiolo                 2

Senior Kristen Ford is closing in on 1,000 career digs as a Bearcat. Ford has posted 983 digs in 90 career matches at Northwest. Ford is averaging 3.01 digs per set in 327 career sets.
 
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

Woerth has compiled an overall mark of 200-136 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) - 200
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 (200-136)
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.