Friday, Oct. 16, 5:30 p.m.
No. 5 Nebraska-Kearney vs. Central Missouri | WATCH | LIVE STATS | TICKETS
 
Friday, Oct. 16, 7:30 p.m.
No. 18 Emporia State at Northwest Missouri State | WATCH | LIVE STATS | TICKETS
 
Saturday, Oct. 17, 3 p.m.
No. 5 Nebraska-Kearney vs. No. 18 Emporia State | WATCH | LIVE STATS | TICKETS
 
Saturday, Oct. 17, 5 p.m.
Central Missouri at Northwest Missouri State | WATCH | LIVE STATS | TICKETS

The Northwest Missouri State University volleyball program will serve as the host for the MIAA In-Season Tournament set for Friday and Saturday in Bearcat Arena.
 
The Bearcats will bring in No. 5-ranked Nebraska-Kearney (20-1 overall), No. 18-ranked Emporia State (17-3 overall) and Central Missouri (13-8 overall) for a total of four matches on Friday and Saturday. The matchups will be non-conference matches but will count as in-region contests.
 
Friday's action will feature No. 5-ranked Nebraska-Kearney against Central Missouri at 5:30 p.m. The Bearcats will take on No. 18-ranked Emporia State following the first match at approximately 7:30 p.m.
 
Saturday's matches will begin at 3 p.m. with No. 5 UNK squaring off against No. 18 ESU. Northwest and UCM will take the court at approximately 5 p.m.
 
Northwest is 7-10 overall and 4-3 in MIAA play. Last weekend, Northwest dropped a 3-1 decision to Nebraska-Kearney but did snap the Lopers' streak of 52 straight sets won this season by capturing the second set. Northwest closed the weekend with a 3-0 drubbing of Fort Hays State to move to 4-3 in MIAA play.
 
Northwest sits in seventh place in the league standings. The Bearcats are among seven league teams with winning records in conference play. Northwest is one game out of a tie for fourth place in the MIAA standings. The top eight teams will qualify for the 2026 MIAA Tournament set for Nov. 12-14 at Civic Arena in St. Joseph, Mo.
 
The Bearcats rank No. 2 in team attacks per set (38.42) and No. 3 in the MIAA in services aces per match (1.68).
 
In its 3-0 sweep of Fort Hays State, Northwest hit for a season-high .354 with only five attack errors. The five attack errors rank as the sixth-lowest figure posted this season by an NCAA Div. II program.

NCAA Div. II Fewest Team Attack Errors in a Match (2026)
1. 2, Nebraska-Kearney vs. Northwestern Oklahoma State (Sept. 11)
2. 3, Wayne State, Neb. vs. Queens, N.Y. (Aug. 29)
3. 4, Tampa vs. Florida Southern (Oct.13)
    4, Saint Anselm vs. Southern New Hampshire (Sept. 22)
    4, Nebraska-Kearney vs. Dominican, Calif. (Sept. 3)
6. 5, Northwest Missouri State vs. Fort Hays State (Oct. 10)


Northwest is 1-4 this season against nationally-ranked opponents. Northwest will play host to No. 18-ranked Emporia State this Friday.
 
Northwest vs. Ranked Foes in 20216
L, 3-0 vs. No. 10 Southwest Minnesota State (Sept. 4)
W, 3-2 vs. No. 22 Central Oklahoma (Sept. 17)
L, 3-1 vs. No. 15 Washburn (Sept. 22)
L, 3-0 vs. No. 8 Missouri Western (Sept. 25)
L, 3-1 vs. No. 5 Nebraska-Kearney (Oct. 9)

Gabrielle Gartner leads the team with 162 kills (2.66 kills per set). Gartner ranks No. 2 on the team in blocks (31). Gartner has produced nine double-figure kill matches this season. Gartner tied her career-high with 16 kills and set a new personal best with 16 digs in a five-set match with Oklahoma Christian (Sept. 5). Gartner collected her first career double-double with 16 kills and 16 digs against OCU. Gartner has earned all-tournament team honors at the McKendree Invitational and the Griffon Classic.
 
Sophia Gartner ranks No. 2 on the team with 134 kills (3.27 kills/set). Gartner blasted a career-high 23 kills in a five-set win over No. 22-ranked Central Oklahoma. Gartner added 16 kills in a four-set victory vs. Newman and 17 kills in a four-set loss to No. 15-ranked Washburn. Gartner set a career-high with seven blocks vs. Newman. She has seven double-figure kill matches this season and has reached 10 or more kills in three straight matches.
 
Mya Karrick leads Northwest in assists and ranks No. 3 in the MIAA with 542 (8.74 assists per set). Karrick ranks No. 4 in the MIAA in service aces per set (0.39). She ranks second on the team in digs (189 – 3.05 digs/set). Karrick has produced a team-high 12 double-doubles, including eight straight matches entering Friday's match vs. No. 18 Emporia State. She notched a career-high 17 digs vs. at Missouri Southern (Oct. 2). She also landed a season-best five service aces vs. Ouachita Baptist. She has dished out a season-high 51 assists vs. Ouachita Baptist (Aug. 28) and vs. Oklahoma Christian (Sept. 5). Karrick gained all-tournament team status at the McKendree Invitational. Karrick was named the MIAA Setter of the Week after she led the Bearcats to a 2-0 start to MIAA with victories over No. 22-ranked Central Oklahoma and Newman. Karrick had 40 assists, two blocks, a kill and a service ace in the five-set win over No. 22 Central Oklahoma. Karrick contributed with 44 assists, four kills, a block and a service ace in a four-set triumph over Newman.
 
Freshman setter Londyn Smith collected a career-high 25 assists in a four-set match vs. No. 5-ranked Nebraska-Kearney (Oct. 9). Smith has seen action in six matches this season.
 
Abby Bulthuis ranks third on the squad in kills (97 – 1.94 kills/set). Bulthuis broke out with a season-high 19 kills (one off her career high) against No. 5-ranked Nebraska-Kearney (Oct. 9). Bulthuis has notched five matches of 10 or more kills this season. She has produced 10 or more kills in three straight matches heading into Friday's matchup with No. 18-ranked Emporia State.
 
Maddie Roenfeld is first on the team in blocks (35.0 – 0.71 blocks/set). Roenfeld ranks fourth on the team in kills (81). Roenfeld notched a season-high 10 kills vs. Oklahoma Christian (Sept. 5). Roenfeld added nine kills in a five-set win vs. Central Oklahoma (Sept. 17). Roenfeld gained a season-high eight blocks in a four-set triumph vs. Newman (Sept. 18).
 
Junior Chloee Hayes posted a career-high 10 kills in a four-set win at Missouri Southern (Oct. 2). Hayes landed nine kills and hit .643 in a three-game sweep of Fort Hays State (Oct. 10).
 
Freshman Lily Zimmerman gained a career-high 17 digs in a four-set victory at Missouri Southern (Oct. 2). Zimmerman had registered six matches of 10 or more digs this season.
 
Ellery Luhring tops the team in digs (274 – 4.81 digs/set). Luhring has tallied six 20+ dig matches this season. She was credited with a career-high 31 digs in a five-set victory over Ouachita Baptist (Aug. 28). Luhring surpassed the 500-dig mark of her career at Central Misouri. Luhring has tallied 554 digs in 52 career matches (3.11 digs/set).
 
Northwest was selected to finish ninth in the 2026 MIAA volleyball preseason coaches poll. The MIAA regular season champion will be crowned with each league member playing 12 conference matches in 2026.
 
2026 MIAA VOLLEYBALL PRESEASON COACHES POLL
T1. Washburn [5] – 134 points
T1. Nebraska Kearney [4] – 134 points
3. Missouri Western [2] – 123 points
4. Emporia State [2] – 107 points 
5. Central Oklahoma – 104 points
6. Central Missouri – 90 points
7. Pittsburg State – 81 points
8. Fort Hays State – 63 points
9. Northwest Missouri – 57 points
10. Missouri Southern – 46 points
11. Arkansas-Fort Smith – 40 points
12. Newman – 23 points
13. Northeastern State – 12 points 
[#] - First Place Votes
 
Head coach Amy Woerth is in her 15th season at the helm of the Bearcat volleyball program. She is Northwest's all-time volleyball coaching wins leader with 232 victories. She has a career mark of 232-175 and 138-111 in MIAA play. She is a two-time MIAA Coach of Year (2018, 2022). Northwest captured the 2022 MIAA regular season title – the first conference crown in program history. Woerth has led the Bearcats to five 20-win seasons in her tenure. 
 
For the 13th straight year and 20th 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 2025-26 season. Northwest produced a 3.82 team GPA in the fall and a 3.91 team GPA in the spring. For the eighth 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, 2025 and 2026.