Midwestern State vs Southern Nazarene
Tuesday, Sept 7 – 6 p.m.
Sawyer Center (Bethany, Okla.)
All-Time Series: MSU leads 25-10
Video | Live Stats
 
BETHANY, Okla. -- After going 0-4 in the opening weekend of the 2021 season, Midwestern State heads to Southern Nazarene University to take on the Storm in a Tuesday match-up. First serve is set for 6 p.m. in Bethany, Okla., at the Sawyer Center.

FIVE STORY LINES

1 | Lauryn Bourne is the top attacker for Midwestern State after their first two competitions. The sophomore totaled 45 points on the season thus far to lead the team and is 12th in the Lone Star Conference. She currently averages 3.21 points per set and 2.93 kills per set. The outside hitter has 41 kills to her name already, earning 10th in the LSC. Bourne has also been a presence on the defensive side, recording MSU's highest number of digs with 28 to average two per set.

2 | It is a block party when Lissette Lefforge is on the net. The senior tallied 17 block assists in 14 sets played so far this season to average 1.18, which sits her eighth in the Lone Star Conference. Her best performance came in the team's four set match against Seattle Pacific where Lefforge notched eight block assists, earning a spot in the MSU records book. She hasn't recorded a block error in four matches while fellow senior Taylor Anderson follows close behind with 14 total blocks and averages one per set. 

3 | Newcomers to MSU made an immediate impact in the team's opening weekend of play. Freshman Alex Serna has knocked down 13 kills to average 1.44 over nine sets played. She earned 16 points for the Mustangs and registered a .129 attack percent. On the defensive side, the middle blocker has one solo block and four assists to her record. Regan Willms sits second on the team with 37 assists to gain 4.11 per set and adds 14 digs. Amy DeWalt contributes 27 digs to sit second behind Bourne on the list. She has notched a .966 receive percent in 13 sets.

4 |  Though Midwestern State had an impressive 2020 season, the one thing they really excelled at was service aces. The tough serving Mustang racked up 155 aces throughout 74 sets to average 2.09 per set. Their total aces secured the highest rank in NCAA Division II while aces per set topped at 16th. Autumn Roach led MSU with 30 aces on the year to earn first in the conference and eighth in the nation. Kaitlyn Masseth trailed only slightly with 28 to her name to earn second in the conference and 11th nationally. This season, Madison Becker and Lefforge both sit atop the Mustang's table with four apiece and Becker's average at 0.50 per set lands her 15th in the conference. Bourne, DeWalt and Delaney Torres follow with two aces each to give the team 14 total over four matches.

5 | Southern Nazarene sits 2-1 for the 2021 season thus far. In their opening match, the team dropped to No. 20 UT Tyler in three sets and went on to overtake New Mexico Highlands and Emporia State. Sunny Batschelett earned 12 kills in the last match to total 29, the highest for the Storm. Kaley Brubaker tops in assists with 63 and averages 5.25 per set. On the defensive side, Madeline Lynch has 53 digs and a .936 receive percent while Bailey Grimes guards the net with 11 blocks on the season.

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 STORM
Midwestern State and Southern Nazarene have a long playing history over 34 years and 35 meet ups. MSU has the advantage over SNU, wining 25 matches including two nine-game streaks. However, the most recent match ups have gone towards the Storm with them winning 3-1 in 2016 and 2019 in Wichita Falls, Texas. The Mustangs have a slightly better record at Ligon Coliseum where they've gone 12-5 versus 11-5 at the Sawyer Center. At neutral sites, MSU takes the cake with a 2-0 completion.