ST. JOSEPH, Mo. – No. 10 Griffon Volleyball will close out the 2026 regular season this weekend with a pair of MIAA road matchups, beginning Friday, Nov. 6, against Pittsburg State before facing No. 12 Emporia State on Saturday, Nov. 7.
The Griffons enter their final weekend of regular-season competition with a 21-3 overall record and a 9-1 mark in MIAA play, riding a five-match winning streak.
Friday's matchup against Pittsburg State is scheduled for 6 p.m. in Pittsburg, Kansas, while Saturday's regular-season finale against No. 12 Emporia State is set for 7 p.m. in Emporia, Kansas.
Last Time Out
MoWest closed out its 2026 home schedule with a pair of straight-set victories over Arkansas-Fort Smith and Northeastern State last weekend, extending its winning streak to five matches.
On Friday, Oct. 30, the Griffons defeated Arkansas-Fort Smith 3-0 (25-21, 25-11, 25-22). MoWest followed with another 3-0 victory (25-10, 25-14, 25-23) over Northeastern State on Saturday afternoon inside the Looney Complex.
Saturday's contest also marked Senior Day, as the Griffons recognized Hayley Barsky, Skylar Walters, Holly Heldt, Anna Weberg, Emily Loy and Taylor Russell following the match.
Tanith Roush highlighted the weekend offensively, recording 20 kills across the two matches, including a match-high 14 kills against Northeastern State while hitting .545.
MIAA Athletes of the Week
MoWest continues to earn recognition across the MIAA, with Tanith Roush becoming the first Griffon to earn MIAA Offensive Athlete of the Week honors during the 2026 season, announced Monday, Nov. 2.
Roush helped lead the Griffons to a perfect 2-0 weekend, recording 20 kills across six sets while committing just three attacking errors. Against Arkansas-Fort Smith, Roush tallied six kills before delivering a match-high 14 kills on 22 attempts with just two errors for a .545 hitting percentage against Northeastern State.
Defensively, senior libero Anna Weberg has also earned conference recognition this season, receiving MIAA Defensive Athlete of the Week honors in Weeks Four and Six. Weberg has been a key contributor to the Griffons' defensive success throughout the season and became the program's all-time digs leader earlier this fall.
MIAA Standings
No. 10 Griffon Volleyball enters the final weekend of the regular season sitting second in the MIAA standings with a 9-1 conference record, trailing only Nebraska Kearney, which remains unbeaten in league play at 10-0.
MoWest holds a one-match lead in the loss column over third-place Emporia State (8-2), setting up a crucial showdown between the two programs in Saturday's regular-season finale. Washburn follows in fourth place at 9-3, while Central Oklahoma and Northwest Missouri are tied for fifth at 6-4.
The Griffons will first face Pittsburg State on Friday, as the Gorillas enter the weekend seventh in the conference standings at 5-5 with a 20-8 overall record. Saturday's opponent, No. 12 Emporia State, enters with a 23-3 overall record and an eight-match winning streak.
AVCA National Rankings
MoWest enters the final weekend of the regular season ranked No. 10 in the latest AVCA Division II Women's Volleyball Poll, released Monday, Nov. 2.
The Griffons received 726 points in the national poll and have now spent two consecutive weeks inside the top 10. Saturday's opponent, Emporia State, remains ranked No. 12 with 639 points, setting up a nationally ranked showdown to close out the regular season.
NCAA Central Region NPI Rankings
MoWest remains No. 4 in the latest NCAA Power Index (NPI) Central Region Rankings, released Monday, Nov. 2.
The Griffons are one of four MIAA programs ranked among the top 10 teams in the Central Region. Nebraska Kearney leads the conference contingent at No. 2, followed by Emporia State at No. 3, MoWest at No. 4 and Washburn at No. 7.
MoWest maintained its No. 4 position for another week, while Washburn moved up one spot from No. 8 to No. 7.
Saturday's regular-season finale against Emporia State will feature two of the Central Region's top four programs, adding significance to the nationally ranked matchup ahead of postseason competition.
What's Next
Following the conclusion of the regular season, MoWest will turn its attention to the 2026 MIAA Volleyball Championship Tournament, scheduled for Thursday, Nov. 12, through Saturday, Nov. 14, at Civic Arena in St. Joseph, Missouri.
The top eight teams in the final MIAA regular-season standings will advance to the postseason tournament, hosted by the St. Joseph Sports Commission. Tournament seeding and matchups will be determined following the conclusion of regular-season play.
