Friday, Sept. 26 – Whiting Fieldhouse – Topeka, Kan.)
Northwest Missouri State at No. 7 Washburn, 6 p.m.
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Saturday, Sept. 27 – White Auditorium– Emporia, Kan.)
Northwest Missouri State at Emporia State, 7 p.m.
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The Northwest Missouri State University volleyball squad (6-3 overall) will begin MIAA play this week with road matches against No. 7-ranked Washburn (11-0 overall) and Emporia State (9-2 overall).
 
The Bearcats and Ichabods will meet Friday at 6 p.m. in Whiting Fieldhouse on the Washburn campus. The Ichabods have lost only three sets in their 11 victories. Washburn has won nine of 11 matches in three-set sweeps. Bearcat head coach Amy Woerth has won eight of her last 11 matchups against Washburn head coach Chris Herron. Northwest won two of the three contests with Washburn last season, including a 3-1 triumph in the MIAA Tournament in St. Joseph, Mo.
 
Northwest will take on Emporia State Saturday at 7 p.m. at White Auditorium in Emporia, Kan. Emporia State won both of last year's matchups with Northwest. Prior to last season, Northwest had won 13 of the previous 14 encounters with ESU. The Hornets are 9-2 this year with losses to No. 16 Point Loma (L, 3-0) and Cal State San Bernardino (L, 3-2). ESU will enter the weekend riding a nine-match win streak. The Hornets will play Missouri Western at home Friday at 6 p.m.
 
Northwest ranks No. 16 in the nation in kills per set (14.10). The Bearcats rank fifth in the MIAA behind Nebraska-Kearney (15.23), Washburn (14.75), Fort Hays State (14.54), Central Oklahoma (14.34) in kills per set.

Senior setter Ella Caffery ranks No. 22 in the nation in assists per set. Caffey ranks third in the MIAA by averaging 10.37 assists per set. Caffery collected her third consecutive all-tournament team accolade at the Prairie Stars Classic. Caffery averaged 9.0 assists, 1.5 kills, 2.5 digs and 0.5 blocks as Northwest went 1-1 against Illinois-Springfield and Maryville. Caffery had 30 assists, six kills, eight digs, two service aces and two blocks in a 3-0 win over the Prairie Stars on Thursday. Caffery added 24 assists, seven digs, three kills and one block in a three-set loss to Maryville. 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 six of Northwest's nine matches this season. Caffery has tallied at least three kills in every match and is hitting .354 on the year. Caffery ranks second on the team in digs (104) and blocks (10). Caffery has posted a team-high four double-doubles this season and has generated 21 in her Bearcat career.
 
Northwest's Double-Doubles in 2025 (Career)
Ella Caffery – 4 (21)
Elle Heckenlively – 1 (1)
Kasidy Mohwinkle – 1 (1)
 
Kasidy Mohwinkle has produced a team-best 88 kills (3.14 kills/set) and 97.0 points. Mohwinkle collected a career-high 17 kills and 16 digs for her first career double-double in a four-set win vs. Cameron (Sept. 13). She has tallied five double-figure kill matches this year,
 
Kate Frakes is second on the squad in kills (69) and third on the team in blocks (9). Frakes has reached double figures in kills twice with 13 vs. Arkansas Tech (Sept. 5) and 11 vs. Cameron (Sept. 13). Frakes posted a season-high three blocks at Drury (Sept. 12).
 
Abby Bulthuis ranks No. 3 on the team with 66 kills (2.54 kills/set and has scored 76.5 points. She is second on the squad with eight service aces. Bulthuis has produced four matches of double-figure kills, including a pair of season-high 13 kill-efforts against Cameron (Sept. 6 & Sept. 13). Bulthuis has tallied three matches of nine digs this season.
 
Karsen VanScoy has been credited with 10 or more digs in all nine matches this season. VanScoy has collected 19 career double-figure dig matches. VanScoy leads the team with 118 digs (3.93 digs/set). VanScoy has generated 16 digs in three matches this year.
 
Ellery Luhring has had double-figure dig totals in three straight matches. Luhring secured a career-high tying 14 digs vs. Maryville (Sept. 19). She ranks third on the team with 73 digs. Luhring has eight double-figure dig matches in her Bearcat career.
 
Natalie Herrington leads the squad with 17 blocks. Herrington notched six of her blocks in a five-set match at Drury (Sept. 12). Herrington put down a career-high 12 kills in a four-set win over Cameron (Sept. 13). Herrington was credited with four blocks in both matches at the Prairie Stars Classic in Springfield, Ill.
 
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 222 career victories. She holds a .595 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 222-151 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 Squires (1,023), Washburn's Chris Herron (723) and Central Oklahoma's Edgar Miraku (320) are the only active MIAA coaches with more victories.

Northwest Volleyball Coaching Victories
1. Amy Woerth (2012-current) - 222
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 (222-151)
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 216-148 (.593). Sarah Pelster has coached the most matches in school history at 450 as she was leading the program from 1991-2002.