Missouri State at Appalachian State | North Carolina State Tournament
Dates and Times	Aug. 25, 11 a.m. at Appalachian State Aug. 26, 9:30 a.m. vs. #8 Kansas Aug. 26, 2:30 p.m. at NC State
Locations	Boone, N.C. | Raleigh, N.C.
Sites	Holmes Center | Reynolds Coliseum
Live Video	Appalachian State | NC State
Live Stats	Appalachian State | Kansas/NC State
Missouri State	Game Notes | Volleyball Home Page
Appalachian State	Volleyball Home Page
Kansas	Volleyball Home Page
NC State	Volleyball Home Page

The Missouri State volleyball team begins the 2017 season this week with three matches in North Carolina, starting with an 11 a.m. Friday contest at Appalachian State. The Bears, who are coming off their ninth NCAA Tournament appearance since 2003 and seventeenth 20-win season in the last 18 years, then head to Raleigh to take on No. 8 Kansas at 9:30 a.m. Saturday and North Carolina State and 2:30 that afternoon.
    Missouri State is the near unanimous favorite to repeat as Missouri Valley Conference champions in 2017, and faces a rigorous non-conference schedule that includes trips to Ohio State from Sept. 1-2 and Pepperdine (Sept. 8-9) before opening the home slate with the annual Dr. Mary Jo Wynn Invitational Sept. 14-16.

The Opponents
Appalachian State is picked to finish fifth in the Sun Belt East Division this year, with sophomore outside hitter Emma Longley earning preseason all-conference honors after averaging 3.24 kills and 2.54 digs per set in 2016. The Mountaineers went 4-25 overall and 2-14 in Sun Belt play last season.
    Kansas is ranked eighth in the preseason AVCA poll after going 27-3 a year ago. The defending Big 12 champions are picked to finish second in that league this year, with setter Ainise Havili and outside hitter Madison Rigdon earning preseason all-Big 12 honors, and right side hitter Kelsie Payne being tabbed the conference's preseason player of the year.
    North Carolina State went 20-12 last season and won a school-record 13 Atlantic Coast Conference matches on the way to a final rating of 64th in the NCAA RPI. The Wolfpack return their top five point scorers from last year and are picked to finish fifth in the ACC, with senior outside hitters Julia Brown and Bree Bailey picking up preseason all-conference honors.

Series Histories
Friday's match will be the first meeting between MSU and Appalachian State in volleyball.
    The Bears own a 28-7-1 series lead over Kansas, though the Jayhawks won matches in 2007 and 2015 as the only meetings in the series since 1994.
    Missouri State has played North Carolina State once, winning in five sets on Aug. 31, 1996, in Evanston, Ill., for Melissa Stokes' first victory at MSU.