Storylines for the A-State Invitational
1) Missouri State begins the 2021 campaign in Jonesboro, Ark., taking on former Missouri Valley Conference rival Wichita State at 10 a.m. Friday, host Arkansas State at 7 p.m. Friday, and UT Martin at noon on Saturday in the A-State Invitational.
2) The Bears are predicted to finish fourth in a closely-contested preseason Missouri Valley Conference poll. MSU received one first-place vote and 71 total points, just eight behind favorite Illinois State. The top six teams in this year's poll are separated by 11 points.
3) Outside hitters
Amelia Flynn and
Brooklyn Cink each earned first-team all-MVC honors last year, making this the first season since 2010 that the Bears return two all-Valley first-teamers from the year before. The 2010 team won 21 matches and earned an at-large NCAA Tournament bid.
4) Last season's club served 1.61 aces per set for the best figure since 1995 and best in the rally scoring era. The Bears reached double figures at the service line on seven occasions. Of MSU's 148 aces last season, 147 return to the roster this fall.
5) In addition to returning all but one ace from last season, the Bears also bring back 91 percent of kills, 99.8 percent of assists, 99.4 percent of digs, 86.2 percent of blocks and 91.1 percent of total points to this year's club.
6) Missouri State has posted an overall winning record, both overall and in MVC play, 21 times in the last 22 seasons.
7) Missouri State second-year head coach
Steven McRoberts became the 19th active Division I head coach with 600 career wins with MSU's 3-1 triumph against Bradley on March 22, 2021. He enters this fall ranked ranked 18th among active Division I coaches in total victories and 25th in winning percentage.
Series Histories
Missouri State leads Wichita State 46-32 in the all-time series and were in the Gateway and Missouri Valley conferences together from 1983-2016. The Shockers defeated the Bears 3-2 in Springfield last season in the first non-conference meeting since WSU joined the American Athletic Conference.
   The Bears own a 4-2 series lead against Arkansas State. MSU won the only meeting in Jonesboro, 3-1 in 2016.
   Missouri State is 3-0 against Tennessee-Martin with straight-set wins in 1975, 1976 and 1999.
