Friday, Oct. 24 – Bearcat Arena – Maryville, Mo.
No. 24 Missouri Western at Northwest Missouri State, 6 p.m.
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The Northwest Missouri State University volleyball team is riding a two-match winning streak as it prepares to take on No. 24-ranked Missouri Western 6 p.m. Friday at Bearcat Arena.
 
The Bearcats (8-10 overall, 2-7 MIAA) are looking to claw their way back into contention for a spot in the MIAA Tournament. The top eight teams will qualify for the 2025 MIAA Tournament set for Nov. 20-22 at Civic Arena in St. Joseph, Mo. The Bearcats sit one game out of eighth place with seven MIAA regular season matches remaining on the schedule. Northwest dropped its first seven league matches this season before recording back-to-back 3-0 sweeps of Newman and Pittsburg State at home this past weekend.
 
The Bearcats will welcome the No. 24-ranked Griffons to Maryville on Friday. The Griffons are 15-5 overall and 7-2 in MIAA play. MoWest has won six straight matches entering Friday's contest against Northwest. The Griffons recorded a 3-0 win over the Bearcats in St. Joseph on Oct. 14. Missouri Western leads the all-time series with Northwest, 75-41. The schools have split the season series in each of the past two years.
 
Missouri Western is one of five MIAA teams featured in this week's AVCA Top 25 with Washburn at No. 2, Nebraska-Kearney at No. 4, Central Oklahoma at No. 7, Missouri Western at No. 24 and Emporia State at No. 25.
 
Senior setter Ella Caffery ranks No. 30 in the nation in assists per set. Caffey ranks fourth in the MIAA with an average of 10.03 assists per set. Caffery moved past the 2,000-career assist mark at Emporia State. Caffery has collected 2,274 assists to become the 12th Bearcat volleyball player with at least 2,000 career assists. Caffery ranks No. 10 on Northwest's all-time assist chart.
 
Bearcats with 2,000+ Assists
1. Jennifer Pittrich (1993-96)          5,428
2. Megan Danek (1999-2002)        5,064
3. Sarah Dannettell (2014-17)       3,949
4. Laira Akin (2009-11)                    3,600
5. Abby Willms (1997-98)               3,104
6. Maddy Ahrens (2017-21)            2,847
7. Alyssa Rezac (2019-22)             2,612
8. Katie Swenson (2007-08)          2,441
9. Molly Hankins (2005-06)            2,332
10. Ella Caffery (2022-pr.)              2,274
11. Sherri Miller (1982-85)              2,185
12. Jennifer Hepburn (1989-92)    2,159

Caffery was selected to three all-tournament teams this year. Caffery earned spots on the FHSU Tiger Invitational, Drury Invitational and Prairie Star Classic all-tourney teams.
 
Caffery dished out a season-high 54 assists in a four-set win over Cameron (Sept. 13). Caffery collected a career-high 23 digs in a 3-0 win over East Central (Sept. 13). Caffery has been credited with 30 or more assists in 14 matches this season. Caffery has tallied at least three kills in 14 of 18 matches and is hitting .310 on the year.
 
Caffery tops the squad with 18 service aces. Caffery ranks second on the team in digs (208) and blocks (26). Caffery has posted a team-high 10 double-doubles this season and has generated 27 in her Bearcat career.
 
Northwest's Double-Doubles in 2025 (Career)
Ella Caffery – 10 (27)
Kasidy Mohwinkle – 3 (3)
Elle Heckenlively – 2 (2)
Abby Bulthuis – 1 (1)
 
Kasidy Mohwinkle has produced a team-best 187 kills (3.07 kills/set) and 208.5 points. Mohwinkle tied a career-high with 17 kills and produced a career-high 20 digs for her third double-double of the year in a five-set match at No. 4 Central Oklahoma (Oct. 10). Mohwinkle collected 17 kills and 16 digs for her first career double-double in a four-set win vs. Cameron (Sept. 13). She has tallied 11 double-figure kill matches this year. Mohwinkle has collected 13 or more kills in five of Northwest's MIAA matches in 2025.
 
Abby Bulthuis ranks No. 2 on the team with 136 kills (2.43 kills/set and has scored 155.5 points. She is tied for third on the squad with 13 service aces. Bulthuis has produced eight matches of double-figure kills, which includes back-to-back 14-kill performances at No. 4 Central Oklahoma and Arkansas-Fort Smith. Bulthuis gained her first career double-double with 14 kills and 13 digs at UCO.
 
Kate Frakes is third on the squad in kills (110). She is tied for third on the team in blocks (23). Frakes posted her third double-figure kill match this season with 12 kills at Arkansas-Fort Smith. Frakes added three blocks each against Drury, No. 4 Central Oklahoma, Arkansas-Fort Smith and Pittsburg State.
 
Karsen VanScoy has been credited with 10 or more digs in all 18 matches this season. VanScoy has collected 28 career double-figure dig matches. VanScoy leads the team with 258 digs (4.10 digs/set). VanScoy posted a season-best 20 digs at No. 4 Central Oklahoma. She has generated 15 or more digs in nine matches this year.
 
Ellery Luhring ranks third on the squad with 130 digs. She is second on the team with 16 service aces. Luhring secured a career-high tying 14 digs vs. Maryville (Sept. 19). Luhring has nine double-figure dig matches in her Bearcat career.
 
Natalie Herrington leads the squad with 39 blocks. Herrington notched six of her blocks in a five-set match at Drury (Sept. 12). She has posted four or more blocks on six occasions this season. Herrington put down a career-high 12 kills in a four-set win over Cameron (Sept. 13). Herrington landed 11 kills in a five-set match at No. 4 Central Oklahoma.
 
For the 12th straight year and 19th 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 3.86 cumulative team grade point average during the 2024-25 season. Northwest produced a 3.82 team GPA in the fall and a 3.91 team GPA in the spring. Northwest is one of 159 NCAA Division II schools to gain the AVCA Team Academic Award this year. Northwest is one of 33 NCAA Div. II schools to have captured the award in each of the past 12 seasons. Northwest is among 16 programs to have been a recipient of the AVCA Team Award 19 times or more and one of two MIAA schools (Emporia State) with 19 or AVCA Team Academic Awards.
 
For the seventh 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, 2024 and 2025. Northwest is one of 12 Div. II programs to have received the Team Academic Honor Roll in each of the past two seasons.
 
Northwest is led by 14th-year head coach Amy Woerth. Woerth has produced a program-record 224 career victories. She holds a .586 winning percentage. In the offseason, coach Woerth represented USA D-2 Volleyball in a tour of Brazil. She brought along seniors Kasidy Mohwinkle and Ella Caffery. The Bearcat trio did not lose any matches in Brazil.
 
Woerth has compiled an overall mark of 224-158 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. 
 
Woerth ranks No. 4 in career wins among active MIAA coaches. Nebraska-Kearney's Rick Squiers (1,030), Washburn's Chris Herron (731) and Central Oklahoma's Edgar Miraku (325) are the only active MIAA coaches with more victories.

Northwest Volleyball Coaching Victories
1. Amy Woerth (2012-current) - 224
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) - .586 (222-157)
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)
 
Northwest had its first season of volleyball in 1975. This 2025 season will mark 50 years of Bearcat volleyball action. Northwest went 7-14 for head coach Theresa Hospodarski in 1975. Northwest has had 11 head coaches in program history. Current head coach Amy Woerth is the program's leader in victories with a mark of 224-158 (.586). Sarah Pelster has coached the most matches in school history at 450 as she was leading the program from 1991-2002.