Volleyball Home for Sunday-Monday Series with Valpo

Missouri State (6-1, 2-0) vs. Valparaiso (2-1, 1-1)
Dates and Times	Sunday, Feb. 7, 2 p.m. Monday, Feb. 8, 3 p.m.
Location	Springfield, Mo.
Site	Hammons Student Center
Fan Info	Capacity for 2021 home matches is 1,250 and fans are required to wear masks inside Hammons Student Center
Program	Digital match program
ESPN+	Sunday \| Monday
Live Stats	Sidearm Stats
Missouri State	Match Notes \| Volleyball Home Page
Valpo	Volleyball Home Page

Storylines for the Valpo Series
1) Missouri State (6-1, 2-0 Missouri Valley Conference) concludes its three-match home stand with two matches against Valparaiso (2-1, 1-1) at Hammons Student Center, taking on the Crusaders at 2 p.m. Sunday and 3 p.m. Monday.

2) MSU is 6-1 overall for the first time since 2013 and just the sixth time in the last 31 seasons. The Bears are also 2-0 in Valley play for the first time since 2017, when the team completed an unbeaten run through both regular season and tournament play.

3) The Bears rank 18th nationally with 2.03 aces per set, on pace for the best figure since 1987 and well ahead of the 2003 club's 1.47 average that ranks as the best in the rally scoring era. Missouri State has three matches with 10-plus aces already this year, something not done in a full season at MSU since 2007 (four that year).

4) MSU has served 28 more aces than the opposition with 20 fewer service errors, resulting in a 48-point difference that equals nearly two full sets worth of scoring.

5) Missouri State has won 79 percent of its matches at Hammons Student Center since the year 2000 and posted a winning home record in 21 consecutive seasons. The Bears are 5-1 at HSC this season.

6) The Bears have a new head coach on the sideline this season after Steven McRoberts was hired on Jan. 30, 2020. McRoberts is in his 24th season as a collegiate head coach and 16th at the Division I level, and owns a 593-246 (.707) overall record with 21 winning seasons and 19 years with 20 or more victories. He ranks 19th among active Division I coaches in total victories and 24th in winning percentage.

The Opponent
Valparaiso is 2-1 overall and 1-1 in MVC play, splitting its home-and-home series with Loyola and beating Butler. The Crusaders are picked to finish seventh in the MVC this season and return 14 players from their 2019 MVC Tournament semifinal club. Headlining that group are 2019 MVC Libero of the Year Rylee Cookerly, the NCAA active career leader in total digs, and first-team all-MVC selection Peyton McCarthy, who led Valpo in kills and blocks last season.

Series History
Missouri State owns a 6-3 lead in the series with Valparaiso, including a 4-3 mark since the Crusaders joined the MVC for the 2017 season. MSU has a 4-2 series lead at Hammons Student Center.

Volleyball Home for Sunday-Monday Series with Valpo

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