Midwestern State vs. Texas A&M-Kingsville
Friday, Nov. 7, 2014 | 7 p.m.
Steinke Center | Kingsville, Texas
Records: Midwestern State (9-19, 3-12); Texas A&M-Kingsville (17-11, 6-8)
Video: JavelinaAthletics.com  
Live stats: JavelinaAthletics.com 
 
ON THE COURT
Midwestern State closes the regular season Friday night against Texas A&M-Kingsville at Steinke Center. First serve is set for 7 p.m.
 
SCOUTING THE JAVELINAS
- Texas A&M-Kingsville had its three match winning streak snapped in five sets Saturday at Texas Woman's.
- The Javelinas boast an 8-3 mark at Steinke Center this season falling to West Texas A&M, Tarleton and Angelo State.
- The Javelinas can clinch the No. 5 seed in next week's Lone Star Conference Postseason Tournament with a win in either of their remaining matches against Midwestern State or Cameron. TAMUK would face the loser of Friday night's matchup between Tarleton State and Angelo State in the opening round.
- Senior outside hitter Kelsey Washington leads the Javelina attack ranking eighth in the Lone Star Conference with 2.88 kills per set.
- Sophomore middle blocker Ashley Bukowski is ninth in the league at 2.83 kills per set while rating sixth with a team-best .274 hitting percentage.
- Freshman outside hitter Crystal Faison gives TAMUK a solid No. 3 option putting down 2.53 kills per set with a solid .234 hitting percentage.
- Freshman defensive specialist Brett Zaccardo leads back row efforts at 4.88 digs per set, while Faison pitches in 3.17.
- The Javelinas boast a strong net game ranking third in the LSC with 2.58 blocks per set paced by senior middle blockers Ashley Tipps (1.12 bps) and Stephanie Johns (1.05 bps).
- Texas A&M-Kingsville boasts the league's second-best team attack with a .229 team hitting percentage.
 
ABOUT THE SERIES
- Midwestern State meets Texas A&M-Kingsville for the 27th time on the floor Friday night at Steinke Center.
- TAMUK leads the all-time series by a 15-11 margin.
- MSU swept the series last season and had won seven of the last 10 matchups dating back to the 2007 season before the Javelinas claimed a five-set victory earlier this season in Wichita Falls.
- Texas A&M-Kingsville owns a 6-3 edge against the Mustangs in matches played in Kingsville.
 
MUSTANGS NOTEBOOK
- Midwestern State claimed wins in two of three matches last week including victories of non-conference foes Southern Nazarene and Southwestern Oklahoma State.
- MSU snapped a 10-match road losing streak with a 3-1 win over Southwestern Oklahoma Monday in Weatherford. It was their first road victory since rallying for a five-set win at Dallas Baptist on Sept. 9.
- The Mustangs equaled a school record with their 11th five-set match of the season rallying from a two-set deficit to claim a 3-2 win over Southern Nazarene Thursday night in Wichita Falls.
- MSU last competed in 11 five-set matches in 1992 and is 4-7 when extending matches to the limit this season.
- Sophomore Sarah Garfield (Wichita Falls, Texas / Holliday HS) averaged 3.62 kills per set for the week including a career-best 22-kill effort in MSU's five set win over Southern Nazarene.
- Garfield followed with her ninth 10-kill performance of the season with 18 Friday night at Cameron.
- Garfield notched three solo blocks to move past Molly Truelove (32 in 1995) and Lauren Bayer (32 in 2010) into eighth place on MSU's single-season solo blocks chart with 34.
- Senior defensive specialist Casey Fletcher (Eddy, Texas / Moody HS) notched 5.08 digs per set while delivering her 13th and 14th matches with at least 20 digs finishing with 20 against Cameron and 30 at Southwestern Oklahoma.
- Fletcher moved past former standout setter Allison Schreiber (1,432 digs from 2005-08) into sixth on the school's all-time digs list with 1,440 and needs 21 pass Ashley Godwin (1,460 from 2003-06).
- With 66 total digs last week, Fletcher upped her season total to 560 -- only Kiara Jordan (twice) and Shay Velasquez (three times) have had more digs in a single season for MSU.
- Senior Kat Molloy (Seattle, Wash. / Graham (Wash.) Kapowsin HS (North Idaho)) erupted for her first two double-doubles of the season last week with 11 kills and 21 digs against Southern Nazarene then had 16 kills and 18 digs at Southwestern Oklahoma.
- Molloy closed the week averaging 2.54 kills, 4.38 digs and 0.54 blocks per set.
- Junior Hunter Porter (Red Oak, Texas / Red Oak HS (Emporia State)) rounded out a streak of four consecutive matches with 10-or-more kills finishing with 13 against  Southern Nazarene and 11 at Cameron.
- Freshman Leah Lychock (Las Vegas, Nev. / Bishop Gorman HS) put down a season-high 11 kills in MSU's four-set win over Southwestern Oklahoma Monday night in Weatherford.
 
MUSTANGS UNDER VENERA FLORES-STAFFORD
- Venera Flores-Stafford is in her 11th season at the helm at MSU posting a 179-170 record (.513).
- The Mustangs are 71-86 (.452) in Lone Star Conference play during the Flores-Stafford era.
 
NEXT UP
- With a win, Midwestern State's season will continue only if Texas A&M-Commerce loses to both Eastern New Mexico (Friday) and West Texas A&M (Saturday). If that happens, MSU advances to the Lone Star Conference Postseason Tournament as the No. 8 seed and would play top seed and host West Texas A&M in the opening round.
- If Texas A&M-Commerce win or MSU loses Friday night at Texas A&M-Kingsville, the Mustangs' season would end.