Volleyball Bears Open CUSA Play with FIU at Home

Missouri State vs. FIU
Location	Springfield, Mo.
Site	Hammons Student Center
Match 1	Friday, Sept. 25, 6 p.m. ESPN+ \| Live Stats \| Tickets Dolly Parton Night
Match 2	Saturday, Sept. 26, 1 p.m. Live Stats \| Tickets Hammons Student Center 50th Birthday
Program	Roster Card
Missouri State	Game Notes Volleyball Home Page Media Guide
Opponent	Volleyball Home Page
Follow the Bears	Twitter \| Instagram \| Facebook #GoBears \| #NoStateLikeMoState
Bears Mobile App	App Store (Apple Devices) Google Play Store (Android Devices)

Storylines for the FIU Series
1) Missouri State (9-3) begins Conference USA play at Hammons Student Center this weekend with matches against FIU (9-4) at 6 p.m. Friday and 1 p.m. Saturday.
The Bears' nine wins entering league play equal the 2021, 2016, 2015 and 2007 clubs for the most at this point in the season since 1990.

2) The Bears are 0-3 against the Panthers, losing all three meetings last season. Mo State began its CUSA tenure with a Sept. 26-27 series in Miami, then returned to south Florida and fell to FIU in the semifinal round of the CUSA Tournament.

3) Sophomore and Preseason all-CUSA selection Hannah Gardner is one of two Division I players this season with at least 120 kills, 220 assists and 110 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 26th in program history with 1,029. She won CUSA Defensive Player of the Week honors on Sept. 7 and ranks fourth in CUSA with 4.14 digs per set this season.

5) The Bears lead CUSA with 13.68 kills per set and rank second with a .248 hitting efficiency while topping the .200 mark in all but one match this season.

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 16th nationally with 15.91 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 678 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, 875), Western Kentucky (Travis Hudson, 2nd, 813) and Sam Houston (Brenda Gray, 3rd, 796). Additionally, New Mexico State (Mike Jordan, 13th, 605) and Wichita State (Chris Lamb, 20th, 548) 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 50-16 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 turns 50 this year, with its official opening on Sept. 17, 1976. Missouri State has posted 45 winning seasons in 49 years in the facility while winning 75 percent of its matches at HSC.

Volleyball Bears Open CUSA Play with FIU at Home

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Players Mentioned

Brooke Eslinger

Hannah Gardner

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