Midwestern State vs Texas A&M-Commerce
Friday, Oct. 8 – 6 p.m.
D.L. Ligon Coliseum (Wichita Falls, Texas)
All-Time Series: TAMUC leads 27-15
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WICHITA FALLS, Texas -- D.L. Ligon Coliseum welcomes the Lone Star Conference battle between Midwestern State (3-11, 1-5 LSC) and Texas A&M-Commerce (4-7, 3-3 LSC) on Friday, Oct. 8. The first serve commences at 6 p.m. for the two teams.

FIVE STORY LINES

1 |  Lauyrn Bourne is the top for the Mustangs in multiple offensive categories while making a splash in the Lone Star Conference. She has a LSC fifth best 149 total kills, which sits at an average of 2.81 per set. The sophomore leads MSU with 166.5 points with a 3.14 average and is third in the conference with 480 total attacks. 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. The outside hitter is second behind Amy DeWalt with 153 digs on the year and a 2.89 average per set. She adds 16 total blocks (three solo, 13 assists) to her 2021 stats. In the 2020 season, Bourne notched 148 kills for a 2.85 average and added 3.12 digs per set.

Nicki Gonelli has 107 kills for TAMUC to average 3.06 per set. The redshirt junior has 111.5 points and a .246 attack percent. 

2 |  On the blocking front, Lissttee Lefforge heeds Midwestern State on the season. The senior's 46 total blocks earns fourth in the Lone Star Conference while her average of 0.87 is 14th. Lefforge saw eight shutdowns against Seattle Pacific (9/04) as her best performance thus far. The middle blocker is second on the squad with 121 kills and a 2.28 kills per set average from 309 attacks. Lefforge adds nine services aces to earn 157.5 points. In 2020, the Otis, Colo. native had 162 kills and averaged 2.28 pet set with 53 total block stops.

Maiya Dickie tops the Lions with 36 blocks, split into four solo and 32 block assists. The redshirt sophomore records 2.07 kills per set and 2.60 points per set.

3|  With a Lone Star Conference eighth highest 284 assists on the year, Autumn Roach holds down Midwestern State's setting spot. The sophomore averages 5.36 helpers per set for the Mustangs and 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). In addition, the setter notched six service aces and 20 kills for 26 points. In the previous season, Roach collected 365 helpers (5.14 average) along with 30 service aces.

For Texas A&M-Commerce, Celeste Vela totaled 431 assists for a 10.02 average. The junior adds 12 service aces and 41 kills on the year.

4 |  Reagan Willms owns the top server title for the Mustangs in her freshman year. The setter has accumulated a Lone Star Conference sixth highest 17 aces to average 0.36 pet set, good for eighth in the conference. 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 189 and an average of 3.94. In addition, she also has 72 digs and three kills on the year.

Lyric Herbert leads TAMUC with 13 perfect serves for a 0.30 service ace per set average. The junior also heeds with 185 digs and a 4.30 average.

5 |  Midwestern State as a team sits in the top ten in the LSC in four different categories. Roach and Willms combine for 473 of the team's 567 helpers, which earn seventh in the Lone Star Conference. In 2020, MSU accounted 802 total assists. Midwestern State collected 616 team kills for a seventh ranking in the conference with the highest (68) coming against Texas A&M International (9/17). Another seventh sitting in the LSC for the Mustangs comes in their 1,853 attacks on the season. The match at Texas Woman's (10/02) saw the team gather 214 attempts. In the final category, DeWalt has 203 of MSU's 736 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 LIONS
Established in 1989, the series between Midwestern State and Texas A&M-Commerce sees the Lions ahead of the Mustangs by 27-15. MSU will attempt to break a six-match win streak for TAMUC with the Friday game at D.L. Ligon Coliseum. When playing at home, Midwestern State is 9-11 against Texas A&M-Commerce. The last time that the Mustangs claimed a win versus the Lions in Wichita Falls, Texas, was back in 2016 with a 3-2 victory. When playing in Lone Star Conference matches, TAMUC holds the 24-14 advantage over MSU.