Press Release

Nov. 15, 2010

This Week in Bearcat Athletics

Football hosts a rematch with Missouri Western in the first round of the NCAA playoffs, women's basketball tips-off its season and volleyball makes its first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance this week in Bearcat Athletics.

No. 3 Northwest Missouri State (9-1) hosts Missouri Western (8-3) in the first round of the NCAA football playoffs on Saturday in a noon kickoff from Bearcat Stadium. Northwest defeated the Griffons 42-0 on Oct. 2 in Maryville. The Bearcat defense held Western to 167 yards of total offense in the win. Blake Bolles passed for 314 yards and three touchdowns in the game.

Northwest is coming off a 22-16 victory in the Fall Classic at Arrowhead IX on Saturday over Pittsburg State. The win gave the Bearcats their fifth consecutive outright MIAA title and fifth-straight season with an unblemished mark in MIAA play. Jordan Simmons had a career-high 95 yards rushing with a touchdown and a career-best 73 yards receiving with a TD against the Gorillas.

The Northwest volleyball team (15-14) will be making its first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance in program history. The Bearcats will face Washburn (30-2) in the first round of the regional tournament on Thursday at 2:30 p.m. in Warrensburg, Mo., as Central Missouri is the top-seed in the South Central Region and will host the tournament.

Northwest and Washburn split the season series in 2010. Washburn swept the Bearcats in Topeka on Sept. 14. Northwest won a five-set match with the Lady Blues on Oct. 19 in the "Pink Out" match.

The Bearcat women's basketball squad opens its 2010-11 season on Monday night as Northwest hosts Nebraska-Kearney (0-1) at 7 p.m. Northwest will also be hosting the Winstead-Reeves Classic on Friday and Saturday night.

Northwest will play Southwestern (Kan.) on Friday and William Jewell on Saturday, both games will tip-off at 7:30 p.m. The Bearcats finished last season 14-15 and are led by head coach Gene Steinmeyer who enters his 12^th season at Northwest.

The Bearcat men's basketball team also plays this week. Northwest will host Graceland on Thursday at 7 p.m. inside Bearcat Arena.

The Northwest cross country teams will also be heading to Central Missouri this week. The Bearcats will be competing in the South Central regional meet on Saturday in Warrensburg. The men will run their 10K race at 10:30 a.m. The women's 6K will begin at approximately 11:30 a.m.

Schedule of Events: