MSU Volleyball Weekly

Midwestern State continues on the road facing three Lone Star Conference opponents this week. The Mustangs take on Eastern New Mexico Tuesday night in Portales before facing Texas Woman's University and Texas A&M-Commerce Friday and Saturday night, respectively.
 

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MSU FAST FIVE

MUSTANGS LOOK TO SNAP SKID: Midwestern State has dropped its last seven matches for the first since falling in seven-straight matches to close the 2011 campaign. MSU last lost eight consecutive matches during the 2002 season and haven't dropped nine straight since losing 14 in a row from Sep. 30-Nov. 3, 2000.

DEFENSE! DEFENSE!  Midwestern ranks 11th in the LSC in opponent hitting percentage at .236 and has yielded better than a .200 opponent hitting percentage in each of its last 11 matches while hitting .200 as a team just twice in the same span. The Mustangs are 3-0 in matches in which they limited the opposition to a sub-.200 hitting percentage.

STEWART NEARING 1,000 KILLS   Senior outside hitter Shelbi Stewart put down 11 kills to raise her career total to 959. She needs 41 more to become the seventh player in program history to amass 1,000 career kills.

MUSTANGS ON LSC LEADER BOARDS  Junior middle blocker Caitlin Wallace rankds 13th in the LSC with a .248 hitting percentage while Stewart is 20th at .213. Sophomore setter Kristian Aduddell ranks 10th in the LSC with 5.82 set assists per set and is third in service aces with 26. Sophomore libero Casey Fletcher ranks eighth in the LSC at 4.11 digs per set.

VILLALBA LEADS MSU ATTACK  Junior outside hitter Beatriz Villalba led MSU's attack with 10 kills last week against Texas A&M-Kingsville and eight against Incarnate Word. it was third 10-kill effort of the season and first since posting consecutive 11-kill matches against TAMUK and UIW on Sep. 20 and 22.
   

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SCOUTING THE OPPOSITION


EASTERN NEW MEXICO
// Tuesday, 10.23.2012 // 8 p.m. // Greyhound Arena // Portales, N.M.
Live Stats  |  Video Streaming  Pay-Per-View Cost of $5.95 for a Day Pass (goeasternathletics.com).

The Zias (6-16, 1-11) ride a four-match skid into Tuesday's match against Midwestern State. ENMU's lone Lone Star Conference win came in a five-set thriller at Cameron at Sep. 29, but it is 2-14 since opening the campaign with four wins in its first six matches. Junior outside hitter Lindsey Barron leads ENMU's attack with 3.34 kills per set supported by junior middle blocker Kaitlyn Maddams at 2.13 kills per set.  The Zias boast a .111 team attack percentage behind the guidance of sophomore setter Kennedi Catano, who averages 8.05 set assists per set. Junior libero Hayley Couch leads back row efforts with 4.97 digs per set. ENMU has claimed just two set wins in its last eight LSC matches.
Previous Meeting: Midwestern State and Eastern New Mexico meet for the first time this season.
All-Time Series: Eastern New Mexico leads 14-10.
  

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TEXAS WOMAN'S UNIVERSITY
// Friday, 10.26.2012 // 7 p.m. // Kitty Magee Arena // Denton, Texas
Live Stats  |  Video Streaming

The Pioneers (16-6, 10-4) have won three of their last four matches and boast a 7-1 mark on the home floor at Kitty Magee Arena this season. Senior right-side hitter Viktorija Jablonska leads a TWU attack which boasts a .229 team attack percentage, with 3.59 kills per set but also kicks in 1.88 set assists per set as a part-time setter to go along with 2.05 digs and 0.68 blocks per set as one of the best all-around performers in the LSC. Junior middle blocker Marcela Alves (2.61 k/s) and junior middle blocker Chloe' Tate (2.67 k/s) add solid options for TWU while junior outside hitter Josie Santos, who has missed the last four matches, pitches in 2.61 kills per set.  Sophomores Kayla Rivero and Hannah Marshall split the setting duties at 6.92 and 4.64 set assists per set respectively. Tate leads the effort at the net for the Pioneers at 1.04 blocks per set while sophomore libero Morgan Wilson averages 4.00 digs per set.
Previous Meeting (9/29): TWU's Josie Santos and Viktorija Jablonska combined for 23 kills to lift the Pioneers to a 25-19, 25-19, 25-11 win over Midwestern State at D.L. Ligon Coliseum. Junior middle blocker Caitlin Wallace paced the Mustangs with eight kills.
All-Time Series:  Texas Woman's leads 21-15.

  

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TEXAS A&M-COMMERCE
// Saturday, 10.27.2012 // 7 p.m. // A&M-Commerce Fieldhouse // Commerce, Texas
Live Stats  |  No Streaming Video

The Lions (16-7, 7-6) had a four-game winning streak snapped by West Texas A&M Saturday afternoon in Canyon. Texas A&M-Commerce travels to Abilene Christian Tuesday then returns to Commerce to play host to Cameron and Midwestern State this weekend. The Lions are led by one of the premiere offensive perfomers of the Lone Star Conference in Rachel Robertson.  The 6-1 senior middle blocker from Princeton ranks second in the league with 3.70 kills per set and tops the LSC with a .371 attack percentage. Sophomore middle blocker Breanne Snyder (2.55 k/s), sophomore outside hitter Ezon Onditi (2.33 k/s) and junior outside hitter Kayla Bond (2.01 k/s) give the Lions depth on the attack. Junior setter Jordan Neal pilots the .200-hitting Lions with 10.70 set assists per set. Robertson and junior outside hitter Ciara Holmes lead A&M-C at the net with 0.81 and 0.71 blocks per set respectively while sophomore libero Michaela Spicer averages 5.28 digs per set.
Previous Meeting (9/28):  A&M-Commerce's Rachel Robertson put down 14 kills to lead the Lions to a 16-25, 26-24, 25-22, 25-16 win over Midwestern State at D.L. Ligon Coliseum. Senior outside hitter Shelbi Stewart had 14 kills to lead the Mustangs while junior outside hitter/setter Courtney Haney notched a triple-double with 10 kills, 18 set assists and 12 digs.
All-Time Series: Texas A&M-Commerce leads 15-12.