Midwestern State (3-19, 1-13 LSC) vs Oklahoma Christian (7-17, 3-10 LSC)
Friday, Nov. 5 – 6 p.m.
D.L. Ligon Coliseum (Wichita Falls, Texas)
All-Time Series: MSU leads 3-1
 
WICHITA FALLS, Texas -- Midwestern State concludes the season with a three match homestand beginning Friday night against Oklahoma Christian at D.L. Ligon Coliseum. First serve is set for 6 p.m.
 

FIVE STORY LINES

1 |  Lauryn Bourne keeps the swings coming as she sits eighth in the Lone Star Conference and paces the Mustangs with 670 attack attempts. Her average of 8.93 per set earns an 11th rank in the LSC. 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 sophomore also tops MSU with 204 kills for a 2.72 average and 230.5 points for 3.07 per set. In 75 sets and 20 matches, Bourne accounted 17 assists and the second-most 14 service aces with three against No. 18 UT Tyler (10/09). On defense, the outside hitter is just behind Amy DeWalt with 223 digs for a 2.97 average. Bourne adds 17 block assists and four solo for 21 stops at the net. In the 2020 season, the Cypress, Texas native notched 148 kills for a 2.85 average and added 3.12 digs per set.
 
Morgan Demuth tops Oklahoma Christian with 176 kills to average 1.93 per set. The freshman posts 10 aces and 67 blocks (0.74 blocks per set).
 
2 |  With the 11th highest assists in the Lone Star Conference, Autumn Roach has quite the hold in MSU's setting spot. The sophomore posts 404 helpers on the season with a LSC 14th ranked 5.39 average. Roach accumulated 10 matches with 20-plus assists in her 21 appearances. The setter collected a season-high 38 landed at Texas A&M International (9/17). In addition, Roach completed seven service aces with two at Texas A&M-Kingsville (9/18). In 2020, she collected 365 assists (5.14 set assists per set) along with 30 service aces. Regan Willms grabbed the most aces for the Mustangs with 20 on the season. The freshman posted five aces against Texas A&M International (9/17) and four versus Eastern New Mexico (9/10). Willms follows Roach with 294 assists and a 4.03 average.
 
Kyla Chavez is the top setter with 362 assists while Spence Plato's 6.58 average is the highest for the Eagles. Chavez owns 2.23 digs per set and Plato completed 19 aces.

 
3 |  Amy DeWalt possesses 307 of the team's 1,145 total passes on the year for 11th in the Lone Star Conference. The freshman leads the squad with 3.79 digs in 81 sets to rank 14th in the LSC. DeWalt completed 26 at Texas Woman's (10/02) and posted 25 in the following match against Texas A&M-Commerce (10/08). The team's best dig performance came at TWU with 103. The defensive specialist holds 68 assists (0.84 per set) and 6 service aces.
 
Brylie Berryman amassed 360 digs for a 4.74 digs per set average. The freshman registered 57 assists and 10 aces in 76 sets for OC.
 
4 |  Lissette Lefforge continues her reign as MSU's top blocker in the 2021 season. She earned 54 blocks with 44 assists and 10 solo. The senior's 0.79 average ranks 21st in the Lone Star Conference. Lefforge saw eight blocks against Seattle Pacific (9/04) as her best performance thus far. On the offensive side, the middle hitter ranks second on the team with 155 kills. Lefforge sees 2.28 kills and 2.93 points per set in 18 matches. She completed 21 kills against Texas Woman's (10/02) for a career-high. Lefforge adds 12 service aces, gaining three against Seattle Pacific. In 2020, the Otis, Colo. native had 162 kills and averaged 2.28 per set with 53 total blocks.

5 |  The Mustangs ride a 13-match losing streak which dates back to a five-set win at Texas A&M International on Sept. 17. MSU also lost 13 consecutive in 2018, which is one match shy of the longest skid in program history set from Sept. 30-Nov. 3, 2000.


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). 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 EAGLES

With Oklahoma Christian only in their second year as a program, the two teams have limited contact. Midwestern State currently owns a 3-1 advantage with all four matches coming in the 2020 season. The Mustangs took the first two games in Jan. 2021 by 3-1 and 3-2 in Oklahoma City, Okla. The Eagles found their first win of the series in Wichita Falls, Texas, on Feb. 23. MSU rebounded with a sweep over OC in late February to put the home series at 1-1.