Match 20 – Midwestern State (5-14, 0-5 LSC) at Angelo State (15-4, 4-1 LSC)
Friday, Oct. 9, 2015 | 7 p.m.
Junell Center | San Angelo, Texas
Live Stats: AngeloSports.com
Live Video: AngeloSports.com

Match 21 – Midwestern State (5-14, 0-5 LSC) at Tarleton State (14-3, 4-1 LSC)
Saturday, Oct. 10, 2015 | 2 p.m.
Wisdom Volleyball Gym | Stephenville, Texas
Live Stats: TarletonSports.com
Live Video: TarletonSports.com
 
FOR STARTERS
After snapping a 10-match losing skid Tuesday, the Mustangs will hit the road for two matches this weekend against two of the Lone Star Conference's top teams in Angelo State and Tarleton State.

Midwestern State will first travel to San Angelo to face the Rambelles, a team receiving 23 votes in this week's American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) poll, Friday at 7 p.m. at the Junell Center. The Mustangs will conclude the weekend road swing Saturday at 2 p.m. against Tarleton, another team collecting votes in the national poll, at Wisdom Volleyball Gym in Stephenville.

Midwestern State picked up a 3-2 home win Tuesday over Southern Nazarene (Okla.), claiming wins in the second and third sets before recording a 15-12 victory in the deciding fifth set.

Senior outside hitter Hunter Porter totaled a career-best 16 kills while freshman setter Hayden Blair matched a career-high 41 assists to lead the Mustangs.

SCOUTING THE RAMBELLES
– Angelo State enters Friday's match with a 15-4 overall record and 4-1 mark in the LSC, coming off its first conference defeat to Texas A&M-Kingsville on the road, 3-1
– The Rambelles have recorded nine sweeps this season with six straight until their loss to the Javelinas
– ASU received votes in this week's AVCA poll, three spots out of the top 25
– ASU has put together a potent offense in 2015, ranking first nationally with 971 kills and 915 assists and second with 1,290 digs
– The Rambelles are seventh nationally with 14.28 kills and 13.46 assists per set
– Junior outside hitter Mallory Blauser is the top offensive threat for ASU, ranking 11th nationally with 259 kills on the season while coming in 30th with 3.98 per set
– Sophomore outside hitter Brianna Sotello joins Blauser in creating a dynamic duo for the Rambelles offense, adding 232 kills this season for 19th in the nation
– Senior setter Maggi Jo Keffury leads the country with 761 assists this season and ranks 10th with 11.53 per set
– The Rambelles are also strong on the defensive end with senior libero Katie MacLeay ranking fourth in the nation with 383 digs
– Head coach Chuck Waddington has compiled a 179-75 record in eight seasons at ASU
 
INSIDE THE SERIES
– Midwestern State is 11-25 in the all-time series against Angelo State with a 3-12 mark on the road
– The Mustangs last posted a win over the Rambelles on Oct. 30, 2008 with a 3-2 victory in Ligon Coliseum
 
SCOUTING THE TEXANNS
– Tarleton State comes into the weekend at 14-3 with a 4-1 record in the LSC
– The TexAnns also received votes (8) in the AVCA national poll this week
– Tarleton sports a veteran roster in 2015 with seven seniors and 11 upperclassmen on the 18-player roster
– TSU has gotten off to a strong start to the season behind the play of one of the nation's top offensive players in sophomore outside hitter Hailey Roberts
– Roberts leads the nation with 365 kills, 6.08 kills per set and 6.94 points per set
– Roberts has also helped the TexAnns at the service line, coming in seventh nationally with 32 aces
– Sophomore setter Chandler Gow also cracks the top 10 in the individual rankings, leading the TSU offense with 691 assists for fourth in the nation
– TSU is second nationally with 863 assists and 14.15 assists per set while coming in third with 906 kills and 14.85 kills per set
– The TexAnns' play at the net has also been dominant with 150 blocks this season for 10th in the country
– The TexAnns are led by head coach Mary Schindler, who has totaled a 194-137 record in 11 seasons
 
INSIDE THE SERIES
– Tarleton State holds a narrow 25-23 advantage in the series against Midwestern State with a 12-7 mark in Stephenville
– The Mustangs last picked up a win over the TexAnns on Oct. 25, 2013 with a 3-2 win in Wichita Falls
 
RAWSON ERA BEGINS
– Former Midwestern State assistant coach Natalie Rawson was tabbed the eighth head volleyball coach in program history back on Mar. 24, 2015
– Rawson spent the last two seasons as the head coach at Newman (Kan.), leading the Jets to a 30-26 record and their first Heartland Conference postseason appearance in four years in 2014
– Rawson spent three seasons as an assistant coach at MSU from 2010-12
 
MUSTANGS SPORT YOUTHFUL ROSTER IN 2015
– Rawson returns to a young roster in her first season back at Midwestern
– The Mustangs' roster features nine newcomers with eight true freshmen and one junior college transfer on the 17-member roster
– Midwestern's roster includes one lone senior and just four upperclassmen
– With a couple of injuries to the Mustangs upperclassmen, the newcomers have seen a considerable amount of court time this season
– The Mustangs have started at least three freshmen in all but three matches this season with five appearing in the starting lineup against Lubbock Christian (Sept. 26), Texas A&M-Commerce (Oct. 3) and Dallas Baptist (Oct. 3)
 
ACE YOUR FACE
– Junior defensive specialist Madelyn Johnson has helped bring some momentum to the Mustangs with her play at the service line this season
– Through 72 sets, the Alvin native is second in the LSC and in the top 40 nationally with 29 aces on the season
 
DISHING IT OUT
– True freshman setter Hayden Blair has had to adjust to the college game pretty quickly, appearing in 71 sets and making 18 starts to lead the Mustangs offense
– The McKinney product has posted a season-best 41 assists three times in wins over Pace (N.Y.), Southwestern Oklahoma State and Southern Nazarene (Okla.) and has totaled a team-best 10 double-doubles
 
PORTER PACING MUSTANGS
– Following a career-high 16 kills in Midwestern State's win over Southern Nazarene, senior outside hitter Hunter Porter became the Mustangs' kills leader with 169 on the season
– Porter is averaging 2.56 kills per set on a .168 hitting percentage in 66 sets
– In her first season playing for the Mustangs in 2014, the Red Oak native tallied a team-best 2.48 kills per set for 223 on the year
  
LOOKING AHEAD
– Midwestern State continues its road trip Friday, Oct. 16 against West Texas A&M in Canyon before taking on Eastern New Mexico the following day in Portales