Volleyball Opens 2024 Campaign in North Carolina

Friday, August 30

Greensboro, N.C.

9:00 a.m.

Missouri State University

USC Upstate

Volleyball Opens 2024 Campaign in North Carolina

August 29, 2024 | Women's Volleyball

Live Stats Watch (UNCG)Watch (USC Upstate/Robert Morris)Game Notes

By: MSU Athletics Communications

Missouri State at Spartan Classic
Location	Greensboro, N.C.
Site	Fleming Gymnasium
vs. USC Upstate	Friday, Aug. 30, 9 a.m. CT Watch (FloVolleyball) Live Stats
at UNCG	Friday, Aug. 30, 6 p.m. CT Watch (ESPN+) \| Live Stats
vs. Robert Morris	Saturday, Aug. 31, 10 a.m. CT Watch (FloVolleyball) Live Stats
Missouri State	Game Notes Volleyball Home Page
USC Upstate	Volleyball Home Page
UNC Greensboro	Volleyball Home Page
Robert Morris	Volleyball Home Page

Storylines for the Opening Weekend
1) Missouri State begins the 2024 campaign with a trip to North Carolina to face South Carolina Upstate, UNC Greensboro and Robert Morris at the Spartan Classic in Greensboro. The Bears are 32-20 all-time in season openers and 3-1 under head coach Steven McRoberts.

2) The Bears are 1-0 all-time against UNCG, sweeping the Spartans in Greensboro on Sept. 7, 2008. MoState is meeting USC Upstate and Robert Morris for the first time.

3) MSU has five seniors on the roster, with three of those - Maddy Bushnell, Kate Owen and Morgan Sprague - fourth-year players from the same recruiting class who have already stamped their names on the record book.
    Bushnell set MSU's freshman record with a .343 hitting percentage in 2021, and currently ranks 12th in school history with a .289 attack efficiency for her career.
    Owen ranks 24th at MSU with 1,027 career digs, while her 40 aces in 2023 were the third-most by a Bear in the 25-point scoring era (since 2008).
    Sprague enters her senior season ranked fifth in MSU history with 2,938 career assists and will likely become the fourth Bear to surpass 3,000.

4) The Bears have 11 new faces on their 19-player roster this season, with eight freshmen and three transfers joining the club.

5) MSU has ranked in the top 32 nationally in total digs in three of the last four seasons, finishing 10th in 2020-21, 11th in 2023 and 32nd in 2022.

6) MoState has notched the top four ace averages since the 25-point scoring era began in the last four seasons, with at least 1.38 per set in each season under Coach McRoberts.
    The Bears have served double-digit ace totals 19 times in the last four seasons.

7) Missouri State is in its final Missouri Valley Conference season, with a move to Conference USA scheduled for July 1, 2025. The Bears have played volleyball in the MVC since 1992.

8) Head coach Steven McRoberts is in his fifth season in Springfield and 28th overall as a head coach with 644 victories to his credit, good for 10th among active Division I coaches.