Midwestern State vs No. 2 Angelo State
Friday, Sept 24 – 6 p.m.
D.L. Ligon Coliseum (Wichita Falls, Texas)
All-Time Series: ASU leads 38-11
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WICHITA FALLS, Texas -- Midwestern State (3-7) takes on No. 2 Angelo State (9-2) in a Friday night, Lone Star Conference match-up. The battle commences in D.L. Ligon Coliseum at 6 p.m.

FIVE STORY LINES

1 | Lauryn Bourne is the Mustangs' biggest offensive threat this season as she leads the team with a conference fourth best 107 kills. The outside hitter has tallied 107 total points on the season to average 3.16 per set, good for 21st in the Lone Star Conference. On the attack, Bourne has the third-highest attempts in the LSC with 339. She also registered 2.89 kills per set, which lands her 15th in the conference with a season-high 19 kills in the first game of the season against Colorado Christian (9/3). On the defensive side, the sophomore is second on the team with 93 digs, tallying a career-high 29 digs against Texas A&M International (9/17). In the 2020 season, Bourne notched 148 kills for a 2.85 average and added 3.12 digs per set.

For Angelo State, Kailyn Gilbreath leads with 98 total kills and an average of 2.80 per set. The senior notches 3.24 points per set for the Belles and inked a season-high 24 against Lynn (9/10).

2 | Lissette Lefforge continues her presence on the net as she tops the Mustangs with 33 blocks, a Lone Star Conference fifth place sitting. For her average, the senior amassed her 0.75 blocks per set from last year with 0.89 in 2021. This stands ninth in the LSC. Her best performance came against Seattle Pacific (9/4) when she registered eight blocks on the match - all as block assists. The middle blocker now has five games with four or more blocks. In addition, Lefforge averages 2.90 points per game and has tallied 76 kills and a .209 attack percent. In 2020, Lefforge had 162 kills and averaged 2.28 pet set.

Baleigh Allen is ASU's top blocker with 39 on the season. The senior averages 1.15 stops per set and claimed nine against Lynn on Sept. 10 of this year.

3|  With 205 assists thus far, Autumn Roach commands MSU's setting spot and earns ninth best in the Lone Star Conference. Her average sits at 5.54 per set, up from 5.14 from 2020. Also in the previous season, Roach collected 365 helpers along with 30 service aces on the year. This season, the sophomore has six 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). Against Texas A&M-Kingsville (9/18), Roach collected two service aces in three sets.

Gilbreath also holds the most assists for Angelo State. In total she has 280 to average 8 per set. The right side hitter collected 41 helpers against Anderson (S.C.) on Sept. 4, 2021.

4 |  Reagan Willms is the top server for Midwestern State in her freshman year. The setter has 13 aces with an average 0.42 per set to hit seventh in the Lone Star Conference. She landed five aces against Texas A&M International (9/17) and four versus Eastern New Mexico (9/10). Willms has created at least one service ace in the last four matches for the Mustangs, starting on Sept. 10.

Delaney Fuller has locked in 12 service aces for the visiting ASU. Her average lands at 0.34 thanks to her four ace performance against Lynn (9/10).

5 |  Midwestern State as a team sits in the top ten in the LSC in three different categories. MSU has collected 396 assists throughout the year with a season-high 63 against TAMIU (9/17). This earns the team seventh in the conference. The conference eighth highest kills has racked up to 429 for MSU with the highest coming against Texas A&M International (9/17) with 67. The Mustangs' total attacks for the year sits at 1,260 with 204 gathered at International (9/17), coming in ninth in the LSC.

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 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 BELLES
Friday's match is set as the 49th meeting between Midwestern State and Angelo State on the volleyball court. ASU has won 38 of the battles while MSU holds 11 victories. In conference play, the Belles have a 24-5 advantage over the Mustangs and took the win in 14 of the 21 meetings at D.L. Ligon Coliseum. Midwestern State's 2020 LSC postseason run was stomped by Angelo State in the 0-3 loss in San Angelo. The last time MSU completed a win over ASU was in 2008 when the team grabbed a 3-2 victory at home. Since then, the Belles have claimed 23 straight matches against the Mustangs.