Storylines for the WKU Series
1) Missouri State (5-8, 0-2 Conference USA) takes on preseason conference favorite Western Kentucky (11-4, 2-0) at home this weekend with matches at 6 p.m. Friday and 1 p.m. Saturday. WKU's Travis Hudson (3rd - 791) and MSU's
Steven McRoberts (9th - 662) both rank among the top 10 active Division I coaches in career wins.
2) The Hilltoppers lead the Bears 2-1 in the all-time series. WKU swept in its only trip to Springfield in 2014, MoState won 3-2 in Bowling Green the next year, and the Tops won 3-1 in 2018 in Charleston, S.C.
3) The Bears join Conference USA in 2025 after a 33-season run in the Missouri Valley Conference. MoState enjoyed much success in the MVC, posting a .652 winning percentage during its tenure.
4) Missouri State has a young roster in 2025 with seven freshmen and six sophomores among the 18 members of the squad. Additionally, all seven Missouri natives on the squad are from within 75 miles of the MSU campus.
5) Freshmen have accounted for 49 percent of Missouri State's kills this season.
Peyton McKee is second on the team with 121 kills on a 2.95 per set average, and won CUSA Freshman of the Week honors on Sept. 8.
Hannah Gardner has 78 kills, 221 assists and 118 digs, and became the first freshman in school history with a triple-double (13 kills, 22 assists, 10 digs) on Sept. 5 versus UTSA.
6) The Bears rank second in CUSA and 44th nationally with 2.53 blocks per set.
Grace Smith (2nd - 1.33) and
Lizanyela Lopez (5th - 1.18) both rank among the league's individual leaders, and each have a match with 11 blocks this season. As a team, MoState had six matches with 10-plus stuffs this year.
7) MSU has ranked in the top 32 nationally in total digs in four of the last five seasons, finishing 10th in 2020-21, 11th in 2023, 32nd in 2022, and fourth in 2024.Â
  The Bears are second in CUSA and 51st nationally with 15.28 digs per set in 2025.
8) MoState has notched the top five ace averages since the 25-point scoring era began in the last five seasons, with at least 1.24 per set in each season under Coach McRoberts, including 1.50 so far in 2025.
9) Head coach
Steven McRoberts is in his sixth season in Springfield and 29th overall as a head coach with 662 victories to his credit, good for 9th among active Division I coaches.
  Coach Mac is no stranger to Conference USA, with a 44-8 career record in league matches. As Tulsa's head coach from 2011-13, McRoberts won two regular season titles, one tournament championship and the 2011 CUSA Coach of the Year award
10) First-year Missouri State assistant coach
Lori Endicott-Vandersnick helped Team USA to a bronze medal in volleyball at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics and was named the best setter at the '92 Games.
