Storylines for the Missouri Challenge
1) Missouri State (4-4) heads to St. Louis this week for the first edition of the Missouri Challenge, with four schools from the Show-Me State meeting at Chaifetz Pavilion. The Bears take on SLU at 6 p.m. Thursday, SEMO at 4 p.m. Friday and Kansas City at 12 p.m. Saturday. MoState is 153-16-3 all-time against fellow in-state programs, including a win over Lindenwood earlier this season.
2) The Bears lead Saint Louis 21-3 all-time, but have lost the last two meetings with the Billikens, 3-1 in 2022 and 2024 in a home-and-home series.
  MoState holds a 20-2 lead over SEMO, including a 3-2 win last year. The Bears have won 11 in a row in the series dating to 2000.
  MSU is 23-1-1 all-time against Kansas City, with the Roos claiming their first victory in the last meeting, 3-2 in Springfield in 2023.
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 54 percent of Missouri State's kills this season.
Peyton McKee leads the team with 77 kills and a 3.35 per set average, and won CUSA Freshman of the Week honors on Sept. 8.
Hannah Gardner has 48 kills and 141 assists, and became the first freshman in school history with a triple-double (13 kills, 22 assists, 10 digs) on Sept. 5 versus UTSA.
6) 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. The Bears also ranked 13th in dig average in 2024.
7) 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 1.80 so far in 2025.
8) Head coach
Steven McRoberts is in his sixth season in Springfield and 29th overall as a head coach with 661 victories to his credit, good for 9th among active Division I coaches.
  Coach Mac is no stranger to Conference USA, going 44-6 in the league with two regular season titles, one tournament championship, and one CUSA Coach of the Year award (2011) while serving as head coach at Tulsa from 2011-13.
9) 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.
