WICHITA FALLS, Texas – Midwestern State opens conference play on Friday night as Western New Mexico visits D.L. Ligon Coliseum for a 6 p.m. match. Sul Ross State faces the Mustangs on Saturday afternoon at 2 p.m.

Midwestern State (6-2) has a three-match winning streak after sweeping Texas A&M International and rallying to defeat Texas A&M-Kingsville, 3-2, in the Lone Star Conference Challenge at Steinke Center in Kingsville last weekend.

The Mustangs are leading the conference in digs with 19.1 digs per set, and they are among the top four programs in points, assists, kills and aces.

Sadie Christiansen is leading the team with 4.9 digs per set. Demi Stauffenberg and Trinity Vinzant are both averaging more than three digs per set for the Mustangs, who had a season-high 103 digs in a five-set loss to Augustana (S.D.) at the Tiger Classic in Hays, Kansas.

Midwestern State is third in the conference with 17.2 points per set. Vinzant and Isabella Dickens are both in the top 10 individually with nearly four points per set. Vinzant is fourth in the league with 3.9, and Dickens is averaging 3.7 points per set, which is 10th in the conference.

The Stangs are fourth among conference teams in both assists and kills. 

Alayna Guerrero is the assists leader in the LSC with 10.8 assists per set, and as a team the Mustangs are averaging 12.7 assists per game.

Vinzant, Dickens and Arrianna Fields lead the team in kills per set. Vinzant is seventh in the LSC with 3.2 kills per set, and Dickens is 11th in the league with 3.1. Fields averages 2.8 kills per set and is fifth in the LSC with a hitting percentage of .351. Dickens is hitting .281 for the Mustangs.

The Mustangs are hitting .221 as a team, while their opponents are only able to hit .165.

Midwestern State is third in the conference with two service aces per set, led by Vinzant and Jenna Redding. Vinzant is second in the LSC with 0.57 aces per set, and she is third in the conference with 17 total aces. Redding is 13th in the league with 0.40 aces per set and has a total of 12 aces through eight matches.

Western New Mexico 

Western New Mexico is 5-5 in non-conference play and lost its only true road match of the season, losing 3-0 at UC Colorado Springs in the Mountain Lion Classic. 

The Western Mustangs are coming off a 3-1 loss to Eastern New Mexico in the LSC Challenge at Silver City last weekend, snapping a three-match winning streak. WNMU posted straight set wins over Western Colorado, Millersville and Sul Ross State before falling to the Greyhounds. WNMU defeated Eastern New Mexico at the Mustang Volleyball Invitational earlier this month, 3-0. In that same event, Sul Ross State pulled out five-set victory over WNMU.

Daphne Posthumus and Brynlee Barris are both top-five in blocks per set in the LSC. Posthumus is second in the conference with 1.13 and Barris is fifth with 1.00.

The Western Mustangs are second in the league with 2.4 blocks per set and leads the conference in opposing hitting percentage at .140. WNMU is 10th in the league with a hitting percentage of .196.

Posthumus is hitting .348, which is the sixth-best percentage in the LSC, and Barris is hitting .291 for the Western Mustangs.

Midwestern State has lost three of its last four meetings with WNMU, including a five-set defeat in Silver City last season. WNMU leads the all-time series, 15-7, and has won two of its six visits to D.L. Ligon Coliseum.


Sul Ross State

Sul Ross State is 2-4 with a four-match losing streak as it enters LSC competition. The Lobos visit Lubbock Christian on Friday night before facing the Mustangs under the dome.

The Lobos were swept by Eastern New Mexico and Western New Mexico during the LSC Challenge at Silver City. 

Sul Ross State is averaging 8.7 kills per set and is hitting .102 as a team. Opponents are hitting .220 against the Lobos. 

Samantha Senak leads the team in kills with 42 (2.0 per set) and blocks with 10 (0.5 per set).

Eliana Mata leads Sul Ross State with 3.29 assists per set, and Breanna Quarles is averaging 3.65 digs per set.

Midwestern State has won its last four meetings with the Lobos, including a straight-set victory at D.L. Ligon Coliseum last year, and the Lobos have lost their last five trips to Wichita Falls. MSU is 5-1 when hosting the Lobos, who won their first visit in 1991, 3-0.

NEXT ON THE SCHEDULE

Midwestern State travels to Austin and San Antonio next week for matches against St. Edward's and St. Mary's on Friday and Saturday.