Northwest volleyball facing five questions going into fall
DAILY FORUM FILE PHOTO
Northwest Missouri State University’s Olivia Nowakowski (center) digs a ball up as Alexis Williams (1), Megan Stilmock (14) and Maddy Bruder stand ready to help against Truman State last season. The Bearcats won in a 3-0 sweep.
1. After one of the best seasons in school history, what’s next?
There should be a pretty clear cut goal for this group. The Bearcats have been to the Mid-American Intercollegiate Athletic Association tournament two of the past three seasons, but haven’t won an MIAA Tournament game since 1992.
Northwest is 75-77 under Amy Woerth, who will enter next season fourth all-time on the Northwest coaching victories list. She needs 30 more to catch Susie Woman, who racked up 105 victories from 1982-84.
The Bearcats’ next step toward becoming a formidable program is winning a conference tournament game.
2. Is this a younger or older team?
It’s both, but with the departure of Miranda Foster and Jackie Becker, setter Sarah Dannettell and middle hitter hitter Alexis Williams are the only seniors who played a key role last season. Williams, outside hitter/right side Taylor Linenberger outside hitter/right side Darcy Sunderman, and outside hitter Gaby da Silva make up the rest of the senior class. Williams will be the next person counted on to clog up the middle while Sunderman was also very effective last season.
Those are just two reasons why the Bearcats shouldn’t panic. Maddy Bruder, who was one of the conference’s top players last season at outside hitter, as well as solid libero Olivia Nowakowski both will be back for their junior campaigns.
3. Where do the Bearcats need to improve most?
This is nitpicking, but it should be digs. Northwest was eighth in the conference in digs last year. That is the only category in which they didn’t finish in the top half of the 12-team conference.
4. Who is due for a breakout season?
By natural progression of the stats, it should be either Sunderman or Williams. Williams tallied 203 kills last season, which was third most on the team while Sunderman put up 196 kills — the same amount as Becker. If both can click at the same time for most of the season, Northwest has the potential to be very dangerous. They are going to be relied upon now that Bruder has arguably the league’s biggest target on her back.
5. When will their first true test come?
It will come early. Northwest is slated to take on Ferris State in the fourth game of the season at the Ferris State Invitational Sept. 1 and 2. The Bulldogs will be playing on their home floor after going 30-6 last season and reaching the NCAA Midwest Region Championship before losing to Lewis. They lost just three seniors from that squad.
Other early matches have the Bearcats playing Division II playoff qualifiers Wayne State in the eighth game of the season at the Quincy Tournament and West Florida in game No. 10 at the Arkansas-Fort Smith Tournament.
