Oct. 2, 6 p.m.
Northwest Missouri State at Missouri Southern | WATCH | LIVE STATS | TICKETS
 
The Northwest Missouri State University volleyball team will take on the Missouri Southern Lions Friday at 6 p.m. in Joplin, Mo.
 
The Bearcats sit at 5-9 overall and 2-2 in MIAA play. Missouri Southern is 6-9 overall and 1-3 in MIAA matches.
 
Northwest has scored MIAA victories over Central Oklahoma and Newman. The Bearcats have dropped MIAA matches to No. 8 Missouri Western and Central Missouri.
 
Northwest owns a 48-29-1 all-time record vs. Missouri Southern. Northwest has won 18 of the last 19 matchups vs. Missouri Southern. Head coach Amy Woerth is 23-2 vs. the Lions.
 
The Bearcats rank No. 3 in team attacks per set (37.96) and No. 5 in the MIAA in services aces per match (1.67).

Northwest is 1-3 this season against nationally-ranked opponents.
 
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)

Gabrielle Gartner leads the team with 131 kills (2.62 kills per set). Gartner ranks No. 2 on the team in blocks (24). Gartner has produced seven 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 96 kills (3.20 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.
 
Mya Karrick leads Northwest in assists and ranks No. 3 in the MIAA with 465 (9.12 assists per set). Karrick ranks No. 2 in the MIAA in service aces per set (0.45). Karrick has posted at least one service ace in 12 of the 14 matches this season. She ranks second on the team in digs (148 – 2.90 digs/set). Karrick has produced a team-high nine double-doubles, including five straight matches entering Friday's tilt at Missouri Southern. She notched a career-high 16 digs vs. Newman (Sept. 18). 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.
 
Maddie Roenfeld is first on the team in blocks (35.0 – 0.71 blocks/set). Roenfeld ranks third 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).
 
Ellery Luhring tops the team in digs (236 – 4.72 digs/set). Luhring has tallied five 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 516 digs in 171 career matches (3.02 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 230 victories. She has a career mark of 230-173 and 136-109 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.