Sept. 17, 6 p.m.
No. 22 Central Oklahoma at Northwest Missouri State| WATCH | LIVE STATS | TICKETS
 
Sept. 18, 6 p.m.
Newman at Northwest Missouri State| WATCH | LIVE STATS | TICKETS
 
The Northwest Missouri State University volleyball squad will open the home portion of its schedule Thursday and Friday against MIAA opponents Central Oklahoma and Newman in Bearcat Arena.
 
Northwest (3-6 overall) will play host to No. 22-ranked Central Oklahoma (10-3 overall) Thursday at 6 p.m. Northwest will take on the Newman Jets (3-8 overall) Friday at 6 p.m.
 
Series History vs. Central Oklahoma
Central Oklahoma holds a 21-6 lead in the all-time series. UCO has won four straight matchups with Northwest.
 
Series History vs. Newman
Northwest is 17-0 all-time vs. Newman.
 
Gabrielle Gartner leads the team with 91 kills (2.94 kills per set). 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 landed a career-high 10 kills at Rockhurst (Sept. 11). Gartner is credited with 34 kills (2.62 kills per set) in five matches of action this season.
 
Mya Karrick leads the Bearcats in assists (301 – 9.41 assists/set) and service aces (17). Karrick leads the MIAA in service aces per set (0.53). She ranks second on the team in digs (86 – 2.69 digs/set). Karrick has produced a team-high four double-doubles this season. She notched a career-high tying 15 digs vs. Ouachita Baptist (Aug. 28). 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.
 
Jada Smith ranks second on the squad with 61 kills (2.35 kill/set). Smith has reached nine or more kills in five of the nine matches. She set a career-high with 16 kills vs. Ouachita Baptist (Aug. 28).
 
Maddie Roenfeld is first on the team in blocks (16.0 – 0.52 blocks/set). Roenfeld notched a season-high 10 kills vs. Oklahoma Christian (Sept. 5).
 
Elle Heckenlively produced a season-high 12 kills in a five-set match with Oklahoma Christian (Sept. 5). She has seen action in five matches and has been credited with 27 kills.
 
Ellery Luhring tops the team in digs (123 – 3.97 digs/set). She was credited with a career-high 31 digs in a five-set victory over Ouachita Baptist (Aug. 28). Luhring has gained double figures in digs in six of nine matches.
 
Northwest has been 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 228 victories. She has a career mark of 228-170 and 134-107 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.