Midwestern State vs Texas Woman's
Saturday, Oct. 2 – 2 p.m.
Kitty Magee Arena (Denton, Texas)
All-Time Series: TWU leads 16-34
Video | Live Stats 
 
DENTON, Texas -- In their second match of the weekend, Midwestern State (3-10, 1-4 LSC) faces Texas Woman's (6-9, 2-3 LSC) in a showdown at Kitty Magee Arena in Denton, Texas. The two Lone Star Conference foes duke it out for the 51st time at 2 p.m. 

FIVE STORY LINES

1 |  Lauryn Bourne leads the Mustangs in multiple offensive categories for the season. She's completed a Lone Star Conference fifth best 134 kills to average 2.79 per set. The outside hitter tops MSU with 147.5 total points and averages 3.07 per set. Bourne owns the fourth spot for the conference in total attacks, sitting at 431 and averaging nine. The sophomore 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. On the defensive side, Bourne is second on the team with 132 digs and a 2.75 average. She adds 11 block assists and two solo blocks to her 2021 stats. In the 2020 season, Bourne notched 148 kills for a 2.85 average and added 3.12 digs per set.

Elizabeth Ugbaja tops Texas Woman's with 91 kills for a 1.90 average per set. The senior has 265 attack attempts and 19 total blocks.

2 |  On the net, Lissette Lefforge heads MSU for blocks. The senior's 43 blocks sits fourth in the Lone Star Conference while her 0.92 blocks per set is sixth-best in the conference. Lefforge's top performance saw eight shutdowns against Seattle Pacific (9/04), all as block assists. The middle blocker registered six matches with four blocks or more. Lefforge is third on the team list for kills with 100 to average of 2.08 per set on 268 attacks. In 2020, Lefforge had 162 kills and averaged 2.28 pet set.

Monica Wood is highest blocker for TWU. The middle blocker has 39 total stops with a 0.76 per set average. In addition she contributed 87 kills for a 1.71 average.

3|   With a Lone Star Conference tenth highest 255 assists on the year, Autumn Roach holds down Midwestern State's setting spot. The sophomore averages 5.31 helpers per set for the Mustangs and adds five service aces. In the previous season, Roach collected 365 helpers (5.14 average) along with 30 service aces on the year. This season, the sophomore has seven matches with 20 or more assists. Her season-high 38 sets was gained in the five-set battle at Texas A&M International (9/17).

Lizzy Reed has the most sets for the Pioneers thus far. The freshman has accumulated 244 assists for 4.78 per set. She also sits at 100 digs for 1.96 per set.

4 |  Reagan Willms is the top server for Midwestern State in her freshman year. The setter has 14 aces with an average 0.33 per set. She landed five aces against Texas A&M International (9/17) and four versus Eastern New Mexico (9/10). Willms also amounted MSU's second highest assists number with 168 and an average of 3.91. In addition, she also has 62 digs on the year.

Reed is also the top server for Texas Woman's with 20 service aces on the year. It evens out to 0.39 on average.

5 |  Midwestern State as a team sits in the top ten in the LSC in three different categories. MSU has collected 512 assists throughout the year with a season-high 65 against TAMIU (9/17). This earns the team eighth in the conference. The LSC seventh highest kills has racked up to 555 for MSU with the highest coming against Texas A&M International (9/17) with 68. The Mustangs' total attacks for the year sits at 1,641 with 205 gathered at International (9/17), coming in seventh in the LSC.

TWU has amounted 600 kills in 1,929 attempts this season. The team has 507 assists and 796 digs.

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 PIONEERS
The match-up between Midwestern State and Texas Woman's began in 1987 when TWU brought home a 3-1 victory in Wichita Falls, Texas. Since then, the Pioneers have the advantage over the Mustangs, going 34-16. When on the road, MSU sits 5-19 and holds a 10-28 conference record against Texas Woman's. The two teams played twice in 2019, with the Pioneers gaining 3-0 sweeps at home and on the road. The last time the Mustangs pulled out a win in Denton, Texas, was Oct. 23, 2010.