Midwestern State at UT Permian Basin
Thursday, Oct. 14 – 7 p.m.
Falcon Dome (Odessa, Texas)
All-Time Series: MSU leads 12-7
Video | Live Stats
 
ODESSA, Texas -- Midwestern State (3-12, 1-6 LSC) continues Lone Star Conference play with a road trip to UT Permian Basin (10-5, 5-2 LSC) in Odessa, Texas. The match kicks off at 7 p.m. on Oct. 14. in Falcon Dome.

FIVE STORY LINES

1 |  Lauryn Bourne has had quite the year for the Mustangs and in Lone Star Conference play. The sophomore ranks second in the LSC with 547 attacks and gained a sixth highest 164 kills on the year. Her average sits at 2.69 per set, 19th best in the conference. The outside hitter leads MSU with 186 points in 16 matches, for 3.05 points per set. Bourne launched 54 attempts at Texas A&M International (9/17) for a season-high. Her best performance in kills was in the first match of the season against Colorado Christian (9/03) with 19 put downs. She adds 12 service aces on the season. On the defensive side, Bourne is second behind Amy DeWalt with 176 digs (4.02/set) and has 17 blocks (three solo, 14 assists). In the 2020 season, the Cypress, Texas native notched 148 kills for a 2.85 average and added 3.12 digs per set.

Aquincia Strambler is the head of UT Permian Basin with 185 kills to average 3.56 per set. The senior totaled 196.5 points on the season and a 0.271 hitting percent.

2 |  Lissette Lefforge leads the blocking front for Midwestern State. The senior has a Lone Star Conference fourth highest 51 blocks to average the 16th best 0.84 per set. Lefforge saw eight shutdowns against Seattle Pacific (9/04) as her best performance thus far. Lefforge collected 141 kills on the year with a 2.31 average per set. The middle blocker completed 21 smack downs against Texas Woman's (10/02) for a career-high. In addition, Lefforge notched a .215 attack percent and three service aces. In 2020, the Otis, Colo. native had 162 kills and averaged 2.28 pet set with 53 total block stops.

Taurie Magee is the top blocker for the Falcons with 47 total stops. The senior collected 0.84 blocks per set along with 2.23 average kills.

3|  Autumn Roach gains a Lone Star Conference eighth highest 326 assists on the year from Midwestern State's setting spot. The sophomore's average of 5.34 helpers per set earns 14th in the conference. Roach has accumulated nine matches with 20+ assists, with a season-high 38 landed at Texas A&M International (9/17). To add to her stats, the setter has seven aces, gaining two at Texas A&M-Kingsville (9/18). Roach holds 23 kills for 30 points. In 2020, she collected 365 helpers (5.14 average) along with 30 service aces.

Analise Lucio is the top setter for UTPB with 472 total heleprs. The senior averages 8.43 sets and has landed 44 kills. In addition, she has 12 kills on the season.

4 |  Reagan Willms is this year's top server for Midwestern State. In her freshman year, she notched 17 aces  in 56 sets to average 0.30. The setter landed five aces against Texas A&M International (9/17) and four versus Eastern New Mexico (9/10). Willms also owns the Mustangs' second highest assists with 225 total. The Dallas, Texas native holds a 4.02 assists per set average and 84 digs.

Isela Murillo holds 18 service aces for UT Permian Basin. The graduate student averages 2.29 kills and 3.11 digs per set.

5 |  Midwestern State as a team sits in the top ten in the LSC in four different categories. Roach and Willms combine for 551 of the team's 654 helpers, which earn fifth in the Lone Star Conference. In 2020, MSU accounted 802 total assists. Midwestern State collected 710 team kills for a sixth ranking in the conference with the highest (68) coming against Texas A&M International (9/17). Sixth sitting in the LSC for the Mustangs comes in their 2,155 attacks on the season. The match at Texas Woman's (10/02) saw the team gather 214 attempts. In the final category, DeWalt has 241 of MSU's 809 digs to earn tenth in the Lone Star Conference. The Mustangs registered 103 passes at Texas Woman's (10/02).


HEAD COACH VALERIE ARMSTRONG enters her fourth season at the helm of the Midwestern State volleyball program. In the shortened 2020 season, the team amounted a 10-7 overall record, the best winning percentage since 2008. Another feat from last year was the program's first Lone Star Conference postseason win that came against DBU (3/23). Over three season, Armstrong has obtained a 26-60 record. Before coming to Midwestern State in 2018, she had experience at all levels of collegiate volleyball. In Division I, Armstrong was assistant coach at Binghamton and Alabama State. She saw time as a head coach at two junior colleges including Vernon College and Colby Community College. Her first coaching job was the assistant at NAIA University of the Southwest in 2007 after graduating from Oklahoma Panhandle State. There she earned OPSU Female Athlete of the Year honors after leading the Aggies with 2.50 kills and 0.47 blocks per set as a senior in 2006.

SERIES WITH THE FALCONS
From 1995 to 2005, Midwestern State collected five straight wins to push to their current 12-7 record over UT Permian Basin. In Lone Star Conference play, the Mustangs hold a 4-3 advantage against the Falcons. Since 2018, MSU has lost three in a row to UTPB by 0-3 with the last coming on Oct. 11, 2019. When playing on the road Midwestern State goes 3-2 in Odessa, Texas.