The Missouri State volleyball team (5-2) heads to Tennessee this weekend for four matches, beginning with the Comfort Inns and Suites Challenge in Chattanooga, Tenn. The Bears will play UNC-Asheville, Tennessee Tech and Tennessee-Chattanooga at the event before driving to Murfreesboro, Tenn., for a clash against 25th-ranked Middle Tennessee on Sunday afternoon.

Live stats will be available at www.missouristatebears.com. Just click "Live Stats" on the left side of the home page and select the appropriate match.

Chattanooga will be offering live video for the three Missouri State matches at its tournament that can be accessed for a small fee at www.gomocs.com.

COACH MELISSA STOKES Missouri State head coach Melissa Stokes (San Diego State, 1991) is 250-116 (.683) in her 12th season at Missouri State. A native of El Cajon, Calif., Stokes has guided Missouri State to an overall record of 179-59 (.752) and 101-23 (.815) in the Missouri Valley Conference since 2000. In 2003, the Bears were the MVC regular-season champions and advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1993. MSU made a return trip to the NCAAs in 2005 after winning the MVC Tournament, and advanced to the second round for the first time in program history in 2006, defeating Arkansas before falling to No. 13 Oklahoma in the second round.

Stokes came to Missouri State from the University of Idaho, where she helped the Vandals to four straight NCAA Tournament berths. As a setter at San Diego State, Stokes played four seasons and helped the Aztecs to three NCAA appearances. She recorded her 100th career victory in the Bears’ five-game win over Manhattan College, Sept. 1, 2001 and coached the 250th victory of her Missouri State career against Florida State, Aug. 31, 2007. Stokes ranked 37th among active Division I coaches in win percentage entering 2007.

THE OPPONENTS UNC-Asheville is 1-5 on the year after earning its first victory of the season against USC Upstate on Saturday. The Bulldogs and Bears have both played Florida State this season, with MSU beating the Seminoles in five games and UNCA losing by scores of 30-11, 30-23 and 30-22.

Tennessee Tech has fallen to 2-4 this year after winning its first two matches, but has only been swept once in the four-match losing streak. Leah Meffert and Amanda Lindgren have been the catalysts offensively, averaging 4.28 and 3.76 kills per game, respectively.

Chattanooga is 1-3 this season with its lone win coming against Georgia State. Leslee Ball is averaging 4.59 kills on .396 hitting for the Mocs, and libero Lara Newberry has an impressive 134 digs in 17 games thus far.

Middle Tennessee is an undefeated 7-0 and ranked 25th in the AVCA Coaches Poll.The Blue Raiders have earned notable victories this season against No. 21 Oklahoma and Creighton and have excelled offensively with a .246 team hitting percentage.

THE SERIES Friday will mark the first meeting between Missouri State and UNC-Asheville, while the Bears will be facing the other two opponents in the Comfort Inns and Suites Challenge for the second time.

MSU defeated Tennessee Tech 2-0 in 1978, and swept Chattanooga 3-0 in 1998.

The Bears and Middle Tennessee have met three times, most recently in 2004 when Missouri State captured a 3-0 win in Springfield.

LAST WEEK Missouri State spent the season’s second weekend in East Lansing, Mich., going 1-2 at the Spartan Invitational.

MSU opened the event against host Michigan State, dropping a 3-0 match despite 12 kills on .526 hitting from Sara Thomas.

The Bears bounced back that evening, taking a 2-0 lead on Florida State and eventually winning five to avoid back-to-back losses.

On Saturday, Missouri State was facing a 2-0 deficit against Kansas before winning game three and taking the fourth game to a 30-30 tie before the Jayhawks prevailed.

Missouri State has not lost back-to-back matches since Sept. 2-3 of the 2005 season, meaning the Bears have won their last 16 matches immediately following a loss.

Head coach Melissa Stokes is climbing up the all-time MVC coaching lists in a number of categories. Listed below is the 12th-year coach’s ranking in a number of categories. Lists are compiled based on statistics at Valley schools only.

Sixth in total victories with 250

Fifth in win percentage overall (.683) and second among active MVC coaches

Sixth in win percentage in MVC matches only (.717)

Third in MVC victories (142)

Stokes earned her 250th career victory when the Bears defeated Florida State on Aug. 31.

Katelyn Panzau is now 10th in school history with 1,780 assists. She is 258 shy of breaking the school record for a two-year player.

MSU is 28-1 the last two seasons when winning game two

Jamie Adams has reached at least 10 kills in 12 of her last 14 matches

Missouri State received two votes in the Aug. 27 version of the AVCA Coaches poll for a No. 41 national ranking

1,000th WIN Missouri State became the second volleyball program in NCAA history to reach 1,000 victories with a sweep on Indiana State on Nov. 17. The Bears trail only UCLA (1,041) on the all-time wins list.

HOMECOMING Missouri State has been dominant at home since 2000, compiling a home record of 92-13 for an .876 winning percentage at Hammons Student Center. The Bears have completed seven consecutive years with three or fewer losses in a home season and are 4-0 in 2007.

NATIONAL PRAISE Missouri State is the reigning College Volleyball Update Overall Defensive Team of the Year in 2006. The Bears ranked second nationally last season by holding opponents to a .119 attack efficiency and 27th with 3.11 blocks per game.

TOUGH COMPETITION The Bears have seven matches lined up this season against teams that began the year receiving votes in the AVCA coaches poll. MSU plays Northern Iowa and Wichita State two times each, and also has matches against Middle Tennessee, Michigan State and Sacramento State. The Bears are 1-1 against that competition this season.

PANZAU CHASING A RECORD Senior setter Katelyn Panzau is in just her second season on the floor for the Bears, but is in line to finish as one of the top setters in school history. She recorded 1,502 assists in 2006, and a repeat of that will put her in third place on MSU’s all-time list. She now occupies 10th place on the career list with 1,780.

Just a pair of two-year players appear in the career top 10, with Jessica Brester (2,027) and Lani Kim (1,838) occupying the eighth and ninth spots, respectively.

PLAYERS OF THE WEEK Sara Thomas and Shayla Patrick brought home MVC awards in the first week of the season. Thomas was the league’s player of the week after averaging 3.79 kills, 4.07 digs, 1.07 blocks and hitting .357 on the way to becoming the Dr. Mary Jo Wynn Invitational MVP.

Patrick was the freshman of the week after leading MSU in hitting efficiency (.377) and blocking (1.29/game). She was named to the all-tournament team in her first collegiate action.

MVC TOURNAMENT The State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Tournament returns to Springfield for the first time since 2003 on Thanksgiving weekend. The top six teams in the regular season standings will come to Hammons Student Center November 23 and 24 to vie for the league’s automatic NCAA Tournament berth.

PRESEASON POLL Coming off back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances in 2005 and 2006, the Bears are picked to finish fourth in the Missouri Valley Conference in 2007 by the league’s coaches. UNI is the preseason choice to repeat as league champions, while Wichita State was picked second and Creighton a close third.

TAILGATE ON SEPT. 14 A volleyball tailgate will be held Sept. 14 from 5:45-6:45 p.m. in the south parking lot of Hammons Student Center, prior the MSU’s match with UNI. The event is open to the public, and those in attendance can purchase a meal of a hot dog or steak sandwich, chips, a drink and Andy’s frozen custard for five dollars, and may add an MSU volleyball t-shirt for $10 dollars more.

VOLLEYBALL LUNCHEONS Four dates remain for Missouri State volleyball luncheons this fall. Luncheons will be on alternate Wednesdays at Ebbets Field, 1027 East Walnut, and feature Bears’ head coach Melissa Stokes. Luncheons begin at noon and remaining dates are Sept. 12, Sept. 26, Oct. 10, Oct. 24, Nov. 7 and Nov. 21.