Match 7 – Midwestern State (3-3) at Arkansas Tech (2-2)
Friday, Sept. 11, 2015 | 11 a.m.
Tucker Coliseum | Russellville, Ark.
Live Stats: Statbroadcast.com
Live Video: ArkansasTechSports.com

Match 8 – Midwestern State (3-3) vs. Missouri Southern (0-4)
Friday, Sept. 11, 2015 | 3 p.m.
Tucker Coliseum | Russellville, Ark.
Live Stats: Statbroadcast.com
Live Video: ArkansasTechSports.com

Match 9 – Midwestern State (3-3) vs. Newman (2-3)
Saturday, Sept. 12, 2015 | 9 a.m.
Tucker Coliseum | Russellville, Ark.
Live Stats: Statbroadcast.com  
Live Video: ArkansasTechSports.com

Match 10 – Midwestern State (3-3) vs. Ouachita Baptist (3-1)
Saturday, Sept. 12, 2015 | 1 p.m.
Tucker Coliseum | Russellville, Ark.
Live Stats: Statbroadcast.com
Live Video: ArkansasTechSports.com
 
FOR STARTERS
Midwestern State will compete in its second tourney of the young season this weekend with the Arkansas Tech Tournament set to take place Friday and Saturday at Tucker Coliseum in Russellville.

Midwestern will open up against host Arkansas Tech at 11 a.m. Friday before taking on Missouri Southern at 3 p.m. The following day, Rawson will look to lead MSU to a win over her former team, Newman (Kan.), in a 9 a.m. match. Midwestern then concludes the weekend with a 1 p.m. contest against Ouachita Baptist (Ark.).

The Mustangs went 2-0 in their home opener Wednesday, defeating Southwestern Oklahoma State, 3-1, and sweeping Texas Wesleyan, 3-0, to improve to 3-3 on the season.

Through six matches, sophomore outside hitter Meghan Bettis leads the Mustangs with 63 kills, averaging 2.86 per set. Freshman setter Hayden Blair has made five starts on the season, dishing out 178 assists for an average of 8.09 per set. On the defensive side, freshman defensive specialist Matti Dix has totaled 75 digs (3.41/set) to lead MSU, while junior defensive specialist Madelyn Johnson is close behind with 74 digs (3.36/set). Johnson ranks first in the Lone Star Conference with 15 service aces (0.68/set) this season.
 
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

SCOUTING THE GOLDEN SUNS
- Arkansas Tech is coming off a 2-2 weekend at the Texas Woman's Tournament, defeating Texas A&M International and Texas A&M-Commerce while falling to Cameron and TWU
- Freshman outside hitter Hunter Eshnaur leads the Golden Suns with 46 kills (3.54/set) on a .164 clip
- Defensively, sophomore libero Madison Nagel averaged 5.92 digs per set through the first weekend of play to earn Great American Conference (GAC) Defensive Player of the Week honors
- The Golden Suns were a unanimous pick in the GAC Preseason Poll with three returning all-conference selections in Nagel, junior right side hitter Kaylee Konsella and senior middle blocker Katie Huff
- Head coach Kristy Bayer is in her 12th season leading the Arkansas Tech volleyball program, compiling a 284-118 record with the Golden Suns
 
INSIDE THE SERIES
- Midwestern is 1-3 in the all-time series against Arkansas Tech
- This will be the first time the Mustangs have faced the Golden Suns as the visiting team, playing three times at a neutral site and once in Wichita Falls
- The Mustangs dropped a 3-2 decision last season to Arkansas Tech at the MSU/Hampton Inn-vitational
- MSU earned a 3-2 win over the Golden Suns back in 2007 in Denton
 
SCOUTING THE LIONS
- Missouri Southern looks to pick up its first victory of the season this weekend after dropping four matches at the Washburn Invitational in Topeka, Kan., last week
- The Lions were swept in three of their four matches and went to five sets against South Dakota Mines
- Freshman outside hitter Bridgette Jaeger leads the Lions with 2.79 kills per set while sophomore libero Katie Wiele is the top defensive player for the Lions with an average of 4.29 digs per set
- Head coach John Napier is in his second season in charge of the Lions volleyball program
 
INSIDE THE SERIES
- The Mustangs hold a 3-2 lead in the series against Missouri Southern with a 2-1 advantage in neutral site contests
- The two squads last faced each other in 2011 with MSU winning 3-1 at the Dallas Baptist Invitational and 3-0 at the Pitt State Classic in Pittsburg, Kan.
 
SCOUTING THE JETS
- Newman enters the weekend with a 2-3 record
- The Jets picked up one win at the Angelo State Invitational before sweeping Bacone College in their home opener Tuesday
- Senior middle hitter Ashley Gonzalez has been the Jets' top offensive threat with an average of 3.35 kills per set and an attack percentage of .322
- Senior setter Alexus Litts is recording 9.28 assists per set in leading the Newman offense
- Sophomore libero Anna Burton leads the Jets with 5.17 digs per set
- Destiny Clark took over for Rawson as the head coach of the Jets program
 
INSIDE THE SERIES
- Midwestern is 1-0 all-time against Newman, earning a 3-0 victory at the Pitt State Classic in 2011
 
SCOUTING THE TIGERS
- Ouachita Baptist went 3-1 at the Alabama-Huntsville Tournament last week
-The Tigers recorded wins over Trevecca Nazarene, Stillman College and William Jewell College while falling to the host school
- Junior middle hitter Stephanie Pollnow hit .381 during opening weekend with an average of 3.00 kills per set
- Freshman setter Stormi Leonard is dishing out 10.91 assists per set, totaling 120 in the first four matches
 
INSIDE THE SERIES
- Midwestern is 4-1 all-time against Ouachita Baptist with a 3-1 record in neutral site matches
- The teams last squared off in 2007 with MSU picking up a 3-2 victory at the Texas Woman's Tournament in Denton
 
LOOKING AHEAD
- Midwestern begins Lone Star Conference play next Friday with a road trip to Texas A&M-Kingsville for a 2 p.m. contest at the Steinke Center