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MSU Volleyball Weekly -- Shelbi Stewart

Women's Volleyball MSU Athletic Communications

MSU VOLLEYBALL WEEKLY: Mustangs to open LSC play with two tough foes

MSU Volleyball Weekly
  
Midwestern State opens Lone Star Conference play with a pair of road matches against Tarleton State Friday at 6 p.m. and at No. 13 Angelo State Saturday at 2.
 
SCOUTING THE OPPOSITION
 
TARLETON STATE
// Fri., 09.15.2012 // 6 p.m. // Wisdom Gym South // Stephenville, Texas
Live Stats | Video Streaming   (PPV Cost: $5.95 Courtesy of Tarleton State Athletics)
 
Tarleton State (5-3) carries a three-match winning streak into its Lone Star Conference opener Friday against Midwestern State. The TexAnns closed the Tarleton State Invitational with three consecutive wins against New Mexico Highlands, Ouachita Baptist (Ark.) and Southeastern Oklahoma after suffering a five-set defeat to William Jewell (Mo.) in their tourney opener. Tarleton is led by reigning LSC Players of the Week Nikki McNorton and Danielle Barker. McNorton, a 5-9 senior middle blocker from Houston, averages 2.66 kills per set hitting efficiently at a .315 clip and is tough at the net averaging 1.52 blocks per set. Junior outside hitter Stacie Murrah (2.55 k/s, .276) and sophomore outside hitter Katie Covell (2.55 k/s, .111) are the other top attack options for the TexAnns. Barker, a 5-6 junior setter from Amarillo, posts 8.87 set assists per set while quarterbacking TSU to a .186 team attack percentage. Junior libero Emily Klein paces the back row with 4.60 digs per set.
All-Time Series: Midwestern State leads the series, 22-20.
Coach Flores-Stafford on the TexAnns: "It's going to be a tough weekend playing two of the top teams in our conference. I haven't seen (Tarleton State) early this season. I know they have some good wins under their belt. They have some returning kids and their freshmen are really good. We saw them all through the recruiting season and they look pretty good. I expect them to be tough to play especially at home. It's fun to play in that atmosphere and that crowd so hopefully we can step up to the challenge."
 

ANGELO STATE
// Sat., 09.16.2012 // 2 p.m. // Junell Center // San Angelo, Texas
Live Stats | Video Streaming (PPV Cost: $5.95 Courtesy of Angelo State Athletics)
  
No. 13 Angelo State (6-2) has flexed its muscle by winning 18 of 19 sets in its six victories this season as its only two losses have come to ranked squads -- No. 25 Regis (Colo.) (3-2) and No. 17 Colorado Mines (3-0). The Rambelles are led by University of Alabama transfer Shelbi Goode. The 6-2 junior right-side hitter from Georgetown dominates play averaging 3.93 kills per set while hitting a .231 clip. Goode adds solid defensive play with 2.04 digs and 0.67 blocks per set. Junior outside hitter Kaelen Valdez (2.74 k/s), senior outside hitter Chelsea Gibson (2.08 k/s) and junior middle blocker Maddie Huth (2.08 k/s) are all quality attack options for the Rambelles. Senior setter Alex Woolsey carries an 11.42 set assists per set average while directing Angelo State's potent attack to a .226 team hitting percentage. Huth and senior middle blocker Emily Booth average 1.00 block per set while sophomore libero Shelby Wilt paces the back row with 4.63 digs per set.
All-Time Series: Angelo State leads the series, 18-11.
Coach Flores-Stafford on the Rambelles: "(Angelo State) is a good team right now. He put a very good team together. He has a transfer (Shelbi Goode) who is playing lights out. They'll be tough to play especially at their place. And that's why we get to play them twice and one of them is here."
 

ABOUT THE MUSTANGS
  
Midwestern State (2-6) has worked to overcome the adversity of fighting through injuries in key positions early this season. Key transfers Beatriz Villalba and Courtney Haney were expected to be a big part of the MSU rotation this season have missed time with abdominal and leg injuries, respectively. But many players are growing into roles led by senior outside hitter Shelbi Stewart, who garnered MVP honors with a strong showing at last weekend's UC-Colorado Springs Invitational. The Pflugerville native averages 3.27 kills per set while hitting a team-best .310. Stewart has added solid all-around play with 1.42 digs and 0.31 blocks per set. Junior middle blocker Caitlin Wallace has come up big with 2.54 kills per set while hitting .257. The Amarillo native also leads the squad with 0.69 blocks per set. Sophomore middle blocker Kasey Decker and junior transfer Michelle Blount add 1.62 and 1.54 kills per set, respectively. Sophomore Kristan Aduddell averages 7.58 set assists per set to go along with a team-best 13 service aces and a 1.96 digs per set average. Sophomore libero Casey Fletcher (3.69 d/s), senior Taylor Parker (3.12 d/s) and junior outside hitter Brandi Flores (2.46 d/s) have been solid on the back row.
 
Coach Flores-Stafford said: "After our first match (last weekend at the UCCS Invitational), we played really well. We had a little bit of a talk in the locker room after that first match and got all on the same page. They played really well (after that). They were really excited and they had fun. That's what you want to see and they improved over the weekend. They've taken a lot of the stuff we are trying to fix and they've applied it. It's exciting to see the growth from the new girls from the different rotations we've had to play. They've adjusted pretty well. They have performed very well. I'm not embarrassed by the outcome at all because they went out there and gave it their best. It's been very surprising because we're asking people to play out of position. It's just amazing as a team how they are lifting each other up. That says a lot about them and their character. It's fun to coach this group."
 

NOTEWORTHY
    
  • Midwestern State posted a 1-3 mark at last weekend's Colorado-Colorado Springs Invitational claiming a win over Franklin Pierce (N.H.) while falling to Fort Lewis (Colo.), No. 12 Wayne State (Neb.) and host UCCS.
  • Senior outside hitter Shelbi Stewart was named UCCS Invitational MVP after posting 3.27 kills and 2.58 digs per set with a .255 hitting percentage.
  • Stewart has posted double-figure kills in each of her last five matches and in six of her last seven.
  • Stewart now has 833 kills and need 66 more to enter the program's Top 10 total kills list.
  • Stewart posted her first two double-doubles of the season with 14 kills and 10 digs against Franklin Pierce and 10 kills and 10 digs at UC-Colorado Springs.
  • Junior middle blocker Caitlin Wallace hit a stellar .303 with 2.58 kills per set and was strong at the net with 0.83 blocks per set... Stewart ranks sixth in the LSC in both hitting percentage (.310) and kills per set (3.27).
     
      
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