Midwestern State at Texas A&M-Commerce
Thursday, Oct. 31, 2013 | 7 p.m.
A&M-Commerce Fieldhouse | Commerce, Texas
Records: Midwestern State (12-10, 4-8); Texas A&M-Commerce (17-6, 5-5)
Video: LionAthletics.com 
Live Stats: LionAthletics.com 
 
SCOUTING THE LIONS
Texas A&M-Commerce has won three straight and five of its last seven. Junior all-around performer Amy Davault leads the Lions with 3.49 kills and 3.47 digs per set while senior right-side hitter Kayla Bond (2.76 kps), junior middle blocker Breanne Snyder (2.70 kps) and senior outside hitter Ciara Holmes (2.45 kps) round out A&M-C's diverse attack. Senior setter Jordan Neal ranks ninth in NCAA Division II with 11.65 assists per set while directing the Lions to a .207 team attack percentage. Junior libero Michaela Spicer adds 3.30 digs per set and Bond (0.89 bps) lead the Lions' defensive effort. A&M-Commerce ranks 13th in overall digs per set (18.36) and 18th in kills per set (13.74).
 
ABOUT THE SERIES
Midwestern State and Texas A&M-Commerce meet for the 30th time on the court Thursday night at the A&M-Commerce Fieldhouse. The Lions owns a 17-12 overall edge in the series, but MSU has fared well in Commerce winning eight of the 13 matches placed at The Fieldhouse.
 
LAST TIME OUT VS. TEXAS A&M-COMMERCE
Texas A&M-Commerce's Amy Davault clubbed 16 kills and had 13 digs to lead the Lions to a 25-7, 25-23, 26-24 win over Midwestern State on Sep. 28 at D.L. Ligon Coliseum. Freshman middle blocker Sarah Garfield led MSU with eight kills and two blocks as the Mustangs struggled to a .024 team hitting percentage.
 

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Midwestern State at Texas Woman's
Saturday, Nov. 2, 2013 | 2 p.m.
Kitty Magee Arena | Denton, Texas
Records: Midwestern State (12-10, 4-8); Texas Woman's (16-8, 7-4)
Video: TWUAthletics.com  
Live Stats: TWUAthletics.com  
 
SCOUTING THE PIONEERS
Texas Woman's rebounded from dropping three of four matches to claim consecutive straight-set wins over Dallas Baptist and Tarleton State last week. TWU opens battle Cameron Friday night before taking on Midwestern on Saturday. The defensive minded Pioneers lead on the stellar blocking combo of senior middle blockers Marcela Alves and Chloe' Tate to rank sixth in the nation with 2.60 blocks per set as a team. Alves is 14th in NCAA Division II with 1.25 blocks per set, while Tate is 54th with 1.06. Junior libero Morgan Wilson leads back row play with 4.52 digs per set as Texas Woman's ranks 15th in the country with 18.26 digs per set. Tate (2.25 kps) leads a quartet of Pioneers averaging more than two kills per set and is joined by Alves (2.24 kps), senior right-side hitter Josie Santos (2.34 kps) and freshman outside hitter Mallory Kuechle (2.11 kps). Junior Kayla Rivero (5.62 aps) and freshman Kimberly Bell (4.91 aps) direct an attack which averages 12.40 kills per set with a .187 team attack percentage.
 
ABOUT THE SERIES
Midwestern State and Texas Woman's meet for the 39th time on the court Saturday afternoon at Kitty Magee Arena. The Pioneers own a 23-18 edge in the series and 13-5 against the Mustangs in Denton.
 
LAST TIME OUT VS. TEXAS WOMAN'S
Texas Woman's combined for 14.5 team blocks on the way to a 25-18, 27-25, 25-15 win over Midwestern State on Sep. 27 at D.L. Ligon Coliseum. Senior middle blocker Marcela Alves finished with team highs at nine kills and eight total blocks to lead the Pioneers as Courtnee Davis and Hillary Shaffer had six blocks each and Chloe Tate added five. Senior middle blocker Caitlin Wallace led the mustangs with nine kills, while junior libero Casey Fletcher paced the back row with 22 digs.
 

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ABOUT THE MUSTANGS
Midwestern State has been victorious in five of its last eight matches since battling its way out of a six-match skid. Senior middle blocker Caitlin Wallace continues to lead the Lone Star Conference and ranks 43rd in NCAA Division II with a .339 hitting percentage. The Amarillo native also paces the Mustangs with 2.70 kills and 0.91 blocks per set. MSU boasts one of the nation's top back rows ranking sixth in the country at 18.79 digs per set. Six different players average better than two digs per set including junior Casey Fletcher (4.45 dps), sophomore Nicole Marzik (3.07 dps), redshirt-freshman Madelyn Johnson (3.04 dps), junior Kaitlyn Molloy (2.51 dps) and sophomore Marissa Olivares (2.21 dps). Freshman setters Sarah Rosinke (6.05 aps) and Alyssa Fulgium (3.18 aps) direct an MSU attack with a .161 team hitting percentage.
 
LAST TIME OUT
Freshman middle blocker Sarah Garfield had seven kills with a single error in 19 attacks (.316), but more importantly made a season-high nine total blocks in a four-set loss (25-23, 16-25, 21-25, 10-25) to Angelo State Saturday at D.L. Ligon Coliseum. Sophomore Marissa Olivares (8 kills, 23 digs) and senior Marija Jovanovic (8 kills, 4 blocks) added solid performances for the Mustangs, while senior middle blocker Caitlin Wallace had seven kills and two blocks.
 
THE LSC RACE
West Texas A&M continues to lead the league with a perfect 11-0 mark followed by Angelo State (9-3), Texas Woman's (7-4), Tarleton State (6-5), Texas A&M-Commerce (5-5), Texas A&M-Kingsville (5-5), MSU (4-8), Eastern New Mexico (3-8) and Cameron (0-12). The top eight teams advance to the LSC Postseason  Tournament set for Nov. 21-23 at the site of the regular season champion.
 
THREE...DOT...THOUGHTS
Midwestern State posted a 1-2 mark last week taking a five-set win over Tarleton State and losses to Dallas Baptist and Angelo State... The Mustangs maintained the No. 7 position in the Lone Star Conference standings and are three games back in the loss column from Texas A&M-Commerce and Texas A&M-Kingsville for the 5th spot... Senior middle blocker Caitlin Wallace put down a career high 20 kills against Dallas Baptist then had 17 kills versus Tarleton State on her way to averaging a team-high 3.14 kills per set with a .322 attack percentage... Wallace continues to lead the LSC with a .339 attack percentage... Wallace totaled 12 blocks last week to move into fourth place on MSU all-time total blocks list with 273. She needs 20 more to pass Molly Truelove (292, 1994-95, 97-98) to move into third... Sophomore outside hitter Marissa Olivares posted her first two collegiate double-doubles with 12 kills and a team season single-match best 32 digs against Dallas Baptist then had 13 kills and 23 digs Friday against Tarleton State... Freshman setter Alyssa Fulgium notched her team-best fourth double-double of the season with 19 assists and 10 digs Friday against Tarleton State... Freshman middle blocker Sarah Garfield posted a season-best nine blocks Saturday against No. 19 Angelo State. They were the most blocks in a single match by an MSU player since Miranda Byrd had nine blocks against Texas Woman's on Oct. 15, 2011. The nine blocks in a four-set match are tied for the third most in program history... Redshirt-freshman Madelyn Johnson has posted 10-or-more digs in three consecutive matches including her third 20-dig effort with 21 Friday against Tarleton State... Freshman setter Sarah Rosinke added three service aces last weekend and continues to rank second in the LSC with 0.34 service aces per set... Sophomore outside hitter Marissa Olivares had 40 total digs for the season before notching 88 in three matches last week to average 5.57 digs per set... Senior outside hitter Marija Jovanovic has 10 total blocks over their last three matches to raise her season average to 0.48 blocks per set...