Midwestern State vs Lubbock Christian
Friday, Oct. 1 – 6 p.m.
Burg Center (Dallas, Texas)
All-Time Series: MSU leads 38-20
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DALLAS, Texas -- In their second Lone Star Conference road trip of the season, Midwestern State (3-9, 1-3 LSC) takes on Dallas Baptist (4-1, 3-1 LSC) on Friday, Oct. 1. The match kicks off at 6 p.m. at the Burg Center in Dallas, Texas.

FIVE STORY LINES

1 |  Lauryn Bourne leads the Mustangs in multiple offensive categories for the season. She's completed a Lone Star Conference fifth best 126 kills to average 2.80 per set. The outside hitter tops MSU with 138.5 total points and averages 3.08 per set. Bourne owns the fourth spot for the conference in total attacks, sitting at 405 and averaging nine. The sophomore 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. On the defensive side, Bourne is second on the team with 127 digs and a 2.82 average. She adds 11 block assists and two solo blocks to her 2021 stats. In the 2020 season, Bourne notched 148 kills for a 2.85 average and added 3.12 digs per set.

Halee Van Poppel is the top hitter for the Lady Patriots with 93 total kills and 4.65 per set. The junior has 4.83 points per set and a .206 hitting percent

2 |  On the net, Lissette Lefforge heads MSU for blocks. The senior's 43 blocks sits fourth in the Lone Star Conference while her 0.96 blocks per set is sixth-best in the conference. Lefforge's top performance saw eight shutdowns against Seattle Pacific (9/04), all as block assists. The middle blocker registered six matches with four blocks or more. Lefforge is third on the team list for kills with 93 to average of 2.81 per set on 246 attacks. In 2020, Lefforge had 162 kills and averaged 2.28 pet set.

Alyssa Parks is the top blocker for DBU with 18 total stops, split into four solos and 14 assists. The senior made 1.65 points per set and 1.10 kills per set.

3|   With a Lone Star Conference tenth highest 243 assists on the year, Autumn Roach holds down Midwestern State's setting spot. The sophomore averages 5.40 helpers per set for the Mustangs and adds five service aces. In the previous season, Roach collected 365 helpers (5.14 average) along with 30 service aces on the year. This season, the sophomore 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).

Aryn Walton has 108 assists for Dallas Baptist. Her average sits at 5.40 per set and she adds 35 digs.

4 |  Reagan Willms is the top server for Midwestern State in her freshman year. The setter has 13 aces with an average 0.33 per set. 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 154 and an average of 3.85. In addition, she also has 52 digs on the year.

Walton also leads the Lady Patriots with nine aces. She averages 0.45 service aces per set.

5 |  Midwestern State as a team sits in the top ten in the LSC in three different categories. MSU has collected 480 assists throughout the year with a season-high 65 against TAMIU (9/17). This earns the team eighth in the conference. The LSC seventh highest kills has racked up to 519 for MSU with the highest coming against Texas A&M International (9/17) with 68. The Mustangs' total attacks for the year sits at 1,532 with 205 gathered at International (9/17), coming in seventh in the LSC.

Dallas Baptist collected 262 kills on the year in 767 attempts. The team accounted 244 assists and 372 digs.

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 LADY PATRIOTS
Midwestern State heads the series with Dallas Baptist with a 38-20 advantage over 34 years. From 1987 to 1989, MSU tallied eight straight wins over DBU and repeated the feat again from 1995 to 1998. The Mustangs hold a 13-11 record when playing on the road against the Lady Patriots. The last time the two teams met in Dallas, Texas, DBU took away the 3-0 victory in 2019. In the March 2021 meeting, Midwestern State defeated Dallas Baptist 3-0 for their first Lone Star Conference postseason win.