Volleyball Begins Four-Match Road Trip at Kennesaw State

Missouri State at Kennesaw State
Location	Kennesaw, Ga.
Site	VyStar Arena
Match 1	Friday, Oct. 16, 6 p.m. CT ESPN+ \| Live Stats
Match 2	Saturday, Oct. 17, 1 p.m. CT ESPN+ \| Live Stats
Missouri State	Game Notes Volleyball Home Page Media Guide
Opponent	Volleyball Home Page
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Storylines for the Kennesaw State Series
1) Missouri State (13-5, 4-2 Conference USA) begins a four-match road swing this weekend with a pair of matches at Kennesaw State (9-9, 3-3). The Bears and Owls play at 6 p.m. Central on Friday and 1 p.m. Central on Saturday.
Mo State has already surpassed last season's win total, doing so with an Oct. 10 win over Sam Houston.

2) Friday marks the first meeting between Missouri State and Kennesaw State in volleyball.

3) Sophomore and Preseason all-CUSA selection Hannah Gardner is one of two Division I players this season with at least 160 kills, 340 assists and 160 digs.
The CUSA Setter of the Week on Sept. 14, Gardner already has three triple-doubles this season and five in her career, tying for the most at MSU in the rally scoring era (since 2001).

4) Senior Brooke Eslinger surpassed 1,000 career digs on Sept. 17 and now ranks 20th in program history with 1,134. She won CUSA Defensive Player of the Week honors on Sept. 7 and ranks second in CUSA with 4.35 digs per set this season.

5) The Bears rank among CUSA leaders in kills per set (3rd - 13.41), assists per set (3rd - 12.45) and hitting percentage (4th - .237). Mo State has hit .200 or better in 15 of 18 matches, and the current .237 efficiency is on pace for the highest since a .247 mark in 2017.

6) MSU has ranked in the top 32 nationally in total digs in four of the last six seasons, finishing 10th in 2020-21, 11th in 2023, 32nd in 2022, and fourth in 2024. The Bears lead CUSA and rank 26th nationally with 15.92 digs per set in 2026.

7) Head coach Steven McRoberts is in his seventh season in Springfield and 30th overall as a head coach with 682 victories to his credit, good for 5th among active Division I coaches.
The Bears play the top three coaches in active wins this season, facing Stephen F. Austin (Debbie Humphreys, 1st, 880), Western Kentucky (Travis Hudson, 2nd, 819) and Sam Houston (Brenda Gray, 3rd, 799). Additionally, New Mexico State (Mike Jordan, 13th, 607) and Wichita State (Chris Lamb, 19th, 549) are also on the 2026 slate.

8) Though it's only year two for Missouri State in CUSA, Coach McRoberts is entering his fifth season in the conference after spending 2011-13 as the head coach at Tulsa. McRoberts owns a career 54-18 record in CUSA contests.

9) Second-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.

10) Hammons Student Center turned 50 this year, with its official opening on Sept. 17, 1976. Missouri State has posted 46 winning seasons in 50 years in the facility, starting with a 10-0-2 record in 1976, and has won 75 percent of its matches at HSC. The Bears own a 7-0 home mark this season.

Volleyball Begins Four-Match Road Trip at Kennesaw State

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Players Mentioned

Brooke Eslinger

Hannah Gardner

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