Bears Begin Four-Match Road Swing in Hoosier State

Missouri State at Evansville/Indiana State
Evansville (8-15, 3-8)	Oct. 27, 5 p.m. Meeks family Fieldhouse Evansville, Ind. Live Stats \| ESPN+
Indiana State (3-18, 1-10)	Oct. 28, 4 p.m. ISU Arena Terre Haute, Ind. Live Stats \| ESPN+
Missouri State	Match Notes Volleyball Home Page
Evansville	Volleyball Home Page
Indiana State	Volleyball Home Page

Storylines for the Weekend
1) Missouri State (10-13, 4-7 Missouri Valley Conference) embarks on a four-match road swing this week with two matches in the Hoosier State. The Bears visit Evansvile (8-15, 3-8) at 5 p.m. Friday and Indiana State (3-18, 1-10) at 4 p.m. Central on Saturday. MoState beat both teams last month in Springfield.

2) The Bears rank sixth nationally in total digs (1,481) and 19th in average (16.64/set). The high dig numbers continue a trend that saw the Bears rank 10th nationally in 2020-21 and 32nd in 2022 in total digs.

3) Senior Teagan Polcovich became the 26th MSU player with 1,000 career digs on Sept. 8 and now ranks eighth on the school's list with 1,325. Her 3.93 career average ranks fourth on the Bears' career list, and she sits 16th nationally in total digs (436) and 29th in average (4.90/set) in 2023.

4) Fifth-year senior Azyah Green has recorded at least 100 blocks in each of her first four seasons and is the first player since the 1980s to lead the Bears in that category in four consecutive years.
   Green ranks fourth in school history with 550 total blocks and 11th with a 1.04 per set average. Her block total is the highest of any MSU player since 1988.
   Among active Division I players, Green is first in sets played (528), sixth in blocks (550) and seventh in matches (137).

5) Junior Maddy Bushnell set MSU's freshman record with a .343 hitting percentage in 2021, and currently ranks 12th in school history with a .281 attack efficiency for her career.

6) Breanah Rives leads the Bears in kill average (2.68) and could become just the fourth rookie since 1986 to lead MSU in kills, joining Christine McCartney (2010), Lily Johnson (2014) and Amelia Flynn (2018). Rives is currently one of two MVC freshmen, along with Indiana State's Kira Holland, to lead their team in kills per set.

7) MoState has notched the top three ace averages since the 25-point scoring era began in the last three seasons, and ranked 39th nationally in 2022 with 195 total aces. The Bears average 1.40 aces per set this year, near the 1.61 figures posted in 2020 and 2022.
   The 2023 MSU roster has served a combined 389 aces in the Maroon and White, and the Bears have served double-digit ace totals 18 times in the last four seasons, including four in 2023.

8) Head coach Steven McRoberts is in his fourth season in Springfield and 27th overall as a head coach with 637 victories to his credit, good for 12th among active Division I coaches.

9) The Bears play of their scheduled 30 matches at Hammons Student Center this season and host the MVC Tournament for the first time since 2018. Missouri State has hosted the conference meet 10 times previously, three as the Gateway Tournament and seven under the MVC heading. All told, Hammons will host 27 matches this season, including neutral-site contests. MoState is 8-5 at home this season.

Series Histories
The Bears are 52-8 versus Evansville with a 22-6 road mark. The Purple Aces are 5-4 against MoState in the last nine meetings, including three straight victories over the Bears at Meeks Family Fieldhouse.
   Missouri State is 73-4 all-time against Indiana State with a 35-3 road record against the Sycamores. ISU has won the last two meetings in Terre Haute.

Last Week
Missouri State split home matches with UIC and Valparaiso.
   Friday, the Bears won the first two sets before falling behind 10-5 in the fifth. From there, MoState ended the match on a 10-0 run for the 3-2 win. Maddy Bushnell led with 17 kills.
   Saturday, Valparaiso handed the Bears their first home sweep in two years. Azyah Green's 13 kills for MSU were the most in a three-set match in her career.

Bears Begin Four-Match Road Swing in Hoosier State

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Players Mentioned

Maddy Bushnell

Azyah Green

Teagan Polcovich

Breanah Rives

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