Bears Open Valley Play at Valpo and UIC

Missouri State at Valpo/UIC
Valparaiso (8-5, 0-0)	Sept. 22, 6 p.m. ARC Valparaiso, Ind. Live Stats \| ESPN+
UIC (9-4, 0-0)	Sept. 23, 3 p.m. Credit Union 1 Arena Chicago, Ill. Live Stats
Missouri State	Match Notes Volleyball Home Page
Valparaiso	Volleyball Home Page
UIC	Volleyball Home Page

Storylines for the Weekend
1) Missouri State (6-6) begins its 32nd Missouri Valley Conference season this week with matches at Valparaiso at 6 p.m. Friday and UIC at 3 p.m. Saturday. The Bears own a .668 all-time winning percentage in Valley matches and a 19-12 mark in league openers.

2) 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 1.79 aces per set this year, which exceeds the averages from the previous three seasons and ranks 77th nationally.
   The 2023 MSU roster has served a combined 348 aces in the Maroon and White, and the Bears have served double-digit ace totals 18 times in the last three-plus seasons, including four in 2023. This year, the Bears are a net plus-32 points at the service line over the opposition.

3) The Bears lead the MVC and rank 67th nationally in opponent hitting percentage (.172), holding three separate opponents to .066 or lower. MoState also ranks 22nd nationally in dig average at 16.43 per set.

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 fifth in school history with 511 total blocks and 11th with a 1.05 per set average. Among active Division I players, Green sits fourth in sets played (486), sixth in blocks (511) and 10th in matches (126).

5) Senior Teagan Polcovich became the 26th MSU player with 1,000 career digs on Sept. 8 and now ranks 18th on the school's list with 1,120. Her 3.80 career average ranks sixth on the Bears' career list, and she sits 13th nationally in total digs and 25th in average in 2023.

6) Junior Maddy Bushnell set MSU's freshman record with a .343 hitting percentage in 2021, and currently ranks ninth in school history with a .295 attack efficiency for her career.

7) Head coach Steven McRoberts is in his fourth season in Springfield and 27th overall as a head coach with 634 victories to his credit, good for 12th among active Division I coaches.

8) The Bears will play half 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.

Series Histories
Missouri State is 10-4 all-time versus Valpo and 8-4 since the Beacons joined the MVC in 2017.The Bears are 2-2 against VU on the road, last winning at the ARC in 2018.
   The Bears are 7-4-1 against UIC, resuming the series after a 34-year hiatus in 2022 when the Flames joined the league. UIC won that match in Springfield by a 3-2 final, and the teams haven't played in Chicago since a 3-0 MSU win on Sept. 9, 1988.

Last Week
The Bears went 2-1 at the Bear Invitational to close the non-conference season.
   On Thursday, Breanah Rives tallied the first of her three consecutive double-doubles with 14 kills and 11 digs for a 3-1 win over Lindenwood.
   Friday, Maddy Bushnell hit .435 with 23 kills in a five-set victory against Western Illinois.
   On Saturday, Rives went for 19 kills and 14 digs, but the Bears hit .092 as a team in a 3-1 setback to Arkansas State.
   Rives earned MVC Freshman of the Week honors for her efforts.

Bears Open Valley Play at Valpo and UIC

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Players Mentioned

Maddy Bushnell

Azyah Green

Teagan Polcovich

Breanah Rives

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