Midwestern State vs. Oklahoma Christian
Tuesday, Jan. 26 – 6 p.m.
Wednesday, Jan. 27 -- 6 p.m.
Payne Athletic Center | Oklahoma City, Okla.
Series: First match-up
Watch | Live Stats (Tuesday) | Live Stats (Wednesday)
 
OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. -- Midwestern State opens the 2020-21 season with a two-game set against Oklahoma Christian Tuesday and Wednesday at Payne Athletic Center.
 
PASS LIST ATTENDANCE
No admittance to Payne Athletic Center will be permitted for fans and other guests unless you are on a player/staff's pass list
 
EVENT COVERAGE
Both games stream live via pay per view on the Lone Star Conference Digital Network. The cost is $10 for a day pass. A free audio stream is also available on the Mustangs Digital Network.
 
SEASON OPENERS
Midwestern State is 16-17 all-time in season openers since the inaugural 1987 season. The Mustangs have triumphed two of their four regular season openers including a 3-2 comeback against Western State (Colo.) in the 2019 Gorilla Classic Tournament. Since the year 2000, MSU has the most success in season openers when playing at their home court or in Kansas, North Carolina, Florida, or Michigan. The last home opener came in 2014 in a 3-2 victory against Colorado State-Pueblo. The last time the Mustangs opened in Oklahoma was back in 2001, resulting in a 0-3 drop against Colorado Mines in Edmond. MSU also came up short in Oklahoma in 1998, 1994 and 1989 against Central Oklahoma, Southern Nazarene and Cameron, respectively. Overall, MSU is 12-16 when opening on the road. This is the latest start to the season as it usually opens up in early September.
 
ALL ABOARD WITH COACH ARMSTRONG
Valerie Armstrong begins her third season at the helm of the Midwestern State women's volleyball program. The Mustangs battled to an 8-21 mark in 2019-20 but closed out the regular season with a bid to the Lone Star Conference Postseason Tournament. Prior to MSU, Armstrong spent the last four seasons as the top assistant for Glenn Kiriyama at Binghamton (N.Y.). The Bearcats advanced to America East postseason play in each of her four seasons on staff reaching the finals last fall.

ABOUT THE MUSTANGS
Midwestern State returns six letter winners including senior right-side hitter Raven Presley. She punched out 1.67 kills per set in the 2019 season. Adding to the attack is junior outside hitter Taylor Anderson and sophomore middle blocker Savanna Dodson. Anderson put down 1.25 kills per set while Dodson added 1.05 kills per set and 0.55 blocks per set. Sophomore Kaitlyn Masseth returns as setter with 4.13 assists per set. The back row was held down by senior Jaycie Fuller with 2.34 digs per set and is joined by sophomore Savannah Jones with 0.51 digs per set.

MSU NEWCOMERS
The Mustangs tacked on eight new players to combine with the six returners, including a pair of transfers in senior middle blocker Lissette Lefforge (Colorado State-Pueblo) and sophomore middle blocker K.C. Ortega (North Central Texas). They are joined by two student-athletes coming off of redshirt campaigns in Kaitlynn Stoker and Alyssa Estrada-Hamby. Stoker hails from Alabama State as an outside hitter while Estrada-Hamby ranks in with the middle blockers.
 
BLOCK PARTY
In the 2019 season, Midwestern State gained a total of 217 blocks, split into 79 solo blocks and 276 block assists. This earned the team eighth in the Lone Star Conference stats list for blocks. For returners, Savannah Dodson led the team in block attacks with 40 while Raven Presley was on top with seven solo blocks. The Mustangs ended the season with 1.97 average blocks per set. As for their opponents, MSU volleyball held them at 1.81 average blocks per set.
 
ABOUT THE EAGLES
Oklahoma Christian is picked to finish 16^th in the 2020-21 Lone Star Conference Preseason Poll with this being their inaugural season in the conference and as a program. The Eagles started off the season at Southwestern Oklahoma State on Jan. 24. Oklahoma Christian pushed the Bulldogs to five sets and pulling out the 3-2 win. They were led in attack by freshman middle hitter from Mansfield, Texas, Morgan Demuth with 12 kills and six blocks. Kelsie Schiefelbein, a junior middle hitter from Peoria, Ariz., and Kyla Chavez, a junior defensive specialist from Surprise, Ariz., each added 10 kills and four blocks as well. On the defensive end, Alexandra Aponte Torres, a freshman defensive specialist from Coral Springs, Fla., had 28 digs for the Eagles and Jessica Souza, a redshirt freshman setter from Choctoaw, Okla., added 19. Head coach, Barry Wheeler was picked to revive Oklahoma Christian's volleyball program after three seasons as head coach at Crowley's Ridge (Ark.).
 
UP NEXT
Midwestern State opens the home slate with a pair of games against Arkansas-Fort Smith on Feb. 2 and 3 at D.L. Ligon Coliseum.