Midwestern State vs Arkansas Tech
Midwestern State Hampton Inn-Vitational
Saturday, Sept 10 – 11:30 a.m.
D.L. Ligon Coliseum (Wichita Falls, Texas)
All-Time Series: Tech leads 4-1
Video | Live Stats
 
WICHITA FALLS, Texas -- Midwestern State wraps up the Hampton Inn-Vitational on Saturday with the final match taking place against Arkansas Tech. Tech swept Eastern New Mexico in their first game of the tournament while MSU went 1-1. First serve is set for 11:30 am at D.L. Ligon Coliseum.

FIVE STORY LINES

1 | Lauryn Bourne still leads the Mustangs on the net with 74 total kills, which is good for fifth in the Lone Star Conference and 68th in NCAA Division II. The sophomore also has 3.08 kills per set to land 14th on the LSC's list. Bourne connected a season-high 19 put downs in the Mustangs' first match of the year against Colorado Christian (9/3). The outside hitter has made 163 total attack attempts, second-highest in the conference and 62nd in DII. Bourne concluded the 2020 season with 2.85 kills per set average and 472 total attempts.

2 | Though she did not record a block against Colorado Mesa or Eastern New Mexico, Lissette Lefforge usually has a big presence up on the net. The senior leads Midwestern State with 22 blocks on the year and a 0.92 average per set. Her average ranks third in the Lone Star Conference and 51st in NCAA Division II while her total puts her at third in the conference and 23rd in the nation. Her best performance was against Seattle Pacific at the Oredigger Classic when she collected eight blocks against the Falcons. In 2020, Lefforge finished with 53 total denies.

3|  Autumn Roach leads the charge from the setting spot, recording 133 assists and averages 5.54 per set. The sophomore's average sits 13th in the LSC while her total is ninth. She completed a season-high 27 against Eastern New Mexico on Friday, almost beating her career-high record of 28 against Arkansas Forth Smith (2/3) in 2020. The setter also adds six cheeky kills to her stats and 41 digs.

4 | The Mustangs sit in the top five of the Lone Star Conference in four different categories this far into the 2021 season. The team is ranked fifth in assists (183), kills (200) and total attacks (586). MSU earns a 68th place ranking in NCAA Division II for their assists and attacks while a 70th rank lies for kills. In addition, Midwestern State is fourth in the LSC in total blocks (34).

5 | Arkansas Tech opened up the Hampton Inn-Vitational with a 3-0 (27-25, 25-22, 26-24) victory over Eastern New Mexico. The match was very close in all sets of the Golden Suns' third win of the season and second time beating the Greyhounds this year. The team also defeated Westminstere 3-0 and lost to No. 24 Wayne State. Thus far, Emily Ragsdale leads her team with 33 total kills and a 2.75 average. Junior Brianna Merkel registered 89 assists and ten service aces on the year. Kaitlynn Bradley tops the net with ten blocks while Madison Grantham has 36 digs to her name.

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. Over three season, Armstrong has obtained a 23-51 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 GOLDEN SUNS
The Saturday afternoon match will mark the sixth time that Midwestern State and Arkansas Tech will meet. The two teams have played in five different locations in their history dating back to 1991. The first competition was in Forth Worth, Texas, and the second took place in 1998 in Springfield, Mo. The 2007 and 2015 matches were in Denton, Texas, and Russellville, Ark. Saturday's match will be the first location duplication where they played in Wichita Falls, Texas, in 2014. MSU has dropped the last two meetings in 2014 and 2015 by 2-3 and 1-3 scores.