Midwestern State at St. Edward's
Saturday, Oct. 30 – 1 p.m.
Recreation & Convocation Center Austin, Texas)
All-Time Series: SEU leads 10-5
Video | Live Stats
 
AUSTIN, Texas -- Midwestern State (3-18, 1-12 LSC) looks to end their weekend on a high note in the face-off against St. Edward's (5-7, 10-9 LSC). The Lone Star Conference match is set for a 1 p.m. start time at Recreation & Convocation Center.
 

FIVE STORY LINES

1 |  Lauryn Bourne continues to lead the Mustangs offensively, smashing 195 total kills with an average of 2.71 in 638 attack attempts. Bourne launched 54 attempts at Texas A&M International (9/17) for a season-high and her best performance in kills was in the first match of the season against Colorado Christian (9/03) with 19 put downs. The outside hitter notched 221 points (3.08 ppg) with 14 service aces and 21 blocks, gaining a season-high three stops at Texas Woman's (10/02) and three service aces against No. 18 UT Tyler (10/09).. On the defensive side, Bourne is second behind Amy DeWalt with 214 digs (2.97/set). In the 2020 season, the Cypress, Texas native notched 148 kills for a 2.85 average and added 3.12 digs per set.
 
2 |  Lissette Lefforge tops Midwestern State on the blocking front with a Lone Star Conference 15th best 51 total blocks, split into ten solos and 43 block assists. Her average of 0.82 stops per set sits 18th in the LSC while she saw eight shutdowns against Seattle Pacific (9/04) as her best performance thus far. On the attacking front, the middle blocker put down 151 kills in 385 attempts to average 2.32 kills and 2.99 points. Lefforge completed 21 smack downs against Texas Woman's (10/02) for a career-high. The senior put up a 0.221 hitting percent for the season and added 12 service aces. In 2020, the Otis, Colo. native had 162 kills and averaged 2.28 pet set with 53 total block stops.
 
3|  Autumn Roach holds the 11th highest assists in the Lone Star Conference with 385 on the 2021 season. Her average of 5.36 gains a conference rank of 13th. The sophomore accumulated ten matches with 20+ assists in her 20 appearances. Roach collected a season-high 38 landed at Texas A&M International (9/17). The setter completed seven aces, gaining two at Texas A&M-Kingsville (9/18). In 2020, she collected 365 helpers (5.14 average) along with 30 service aces. Reagan Willms is the main counterpart in the setting position with 280 total assists and a 4.00 average. Willms leads MSU with 20 service aces, landing five aces against Texas A&M International (9/17) and four versus Eastern New Mexico (9/10).
 
4 |  As a team, Midwestern State has covered 2,793 attack attempts to sit seventh in the Lone Star Conference. This outweighs with the opposition tallying 2,670 tries at the net. The match at Texas Woman's (10/02) saw the Mustangs gather 214 attempts for the high of the season. MSU landed 1,091 digs versus the opposition's 1,128. DeWalt possesses 294 passes, gaining 11th in the LSC while her average of 3.77 passes per set sits 15th. The freshman completed 26 at Texas Woman's (10/02) while the team best came at Texas Woman's with 103. In addition, the Mustangs registered 835 assists to punch eighth in the conference and 902 kills on the season. On defense, Midwestern State sees 32 solo blocks and 166 block assists. Together, the Mustangs landed 83 aces on the year, serving up nine against No. 18 UT Tyler (10/09). 

5 |  The Mustangs currently ride an twelve-match losing streak that began after the team's 3-2 win at Texas A&M International (9/17). The last time MSU had a streak that was 12 games or longer was in the 2018 season when the squad dropped 13 straight matches. That year, Midwestern State went 5-23 overall for a 0.179 winning percent. The Mustangs gained a 3-17 Lone Star Conference record to land tenth in the conference standings. This was the year before the LSC merged with the Heartland Conference.
 
 
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 seasons, Armstrong has obtained a 26-69 record (.274). 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 HILLTOPPERS
The Saturday match between Midwestern State and St. Edward's marks the first conference battle between the two teams. Though MSU and SEU have faced off 15 times since 1987, they have never been in the same conference until the Heartland Conference's merge with the Lone Star Conference. The two LSC squads fought to the Hilltoppers holding a 10-5 advantage over the Mustangs, including going 4-2 when playing in Austin, Texas. Of their five victories against St. Edward's, Midwestern State secured two in the last meetings in 2016 and 2017. The Mustangs took a 3-0 sweep in Wichita Falls, Texas, while completing the 3-1 win in Austin, Texas.