ITTA BENA, Miss. – A busy first weekend awaits the Mississippi Valley State volleyball with five matches in five days. The Devilettes will play three matches at Mississippi State's StarkVegas Classic, then return home for a Sunday matinee with North Dakota and a Tuesday night showdown with Crowley's Ridge.
SCOUTING THE OPPONENTS: Western Illinois and Mississippi State are in their second year of rebuilding efforts with coaches Ben Shaupe and Julie Darty, respectively. The Leathernecks put up solid numbers offensively with 10.3 kills and 9.6 assists per set, but struggled on defense, allowing 13.3 kills a set and a .237 killing percentage. The Bulldogs had a similar story, racking up 11.2 kills while conceding 13.7. Chattanooga and North Dakota had double digit win seasons a year ago, but both sides ended with worse records than in 2017. Chattanooga offers a balanced attack that struggled in stretches in 2018, while North Dakota might offer the most dynamic offense seen by Valley this week. The Fighting Hawks averaged 12.3 kills and two blocks per set last season.
LAST TIME OUT VERSUS THESE SQUADS: This weekend represents Valley and Western Illinois' first ever meeting, while the other three teams defeated the Devilettes 3-0 in their previous encounters. Valley faced Chattanooga and Mississippi State in 2016, and North Dakota in 2014.
FIVE FRESH FACES IN ITTA BENA: Five true freshman join the Mississippi Valley squad in preparation for the 2019 season. The list includes Zion Hardy (Winterville, N.C.), Aria Rayburn (Matterson, Ill.), Jaziah Anderson (Wesley Chapel, Fla.), Yaisa Khek (Fort Worth, Tex.), and Victoria Mallard (Galveston, Tex.).
2018 IN REVIEW: MVSU went 6-27 in 2018, with a 3-15 record that placed 10th in the SWAC, leaving the Devilettes out of the conference championship. Valley averaged 8.83 kills per set, 8.31 assists per set, 1.3 aces, 14.6 digs, and 0.88 blocks. Tyler Caliste led with 272 kills, Jessica Bell supplied 417 digs, and Destini Banks added 44 blocks. Ariana Austin emerged as the setter later in the year, but the team will have to make up for the loss of Taylor Selfridge, who delivered 244 kills and a team best 29 aces.
MVSU PICKED 10th in PRESEASON SWAC POLL: Mississippi Valley State women's volleyball team has been picked to finish in tenth place as part of the 2019 All-SWAC Preseason selection. The Devilettes earned 30 points from the poll, which was voted on by the conference's coaches and sports information directors. Alabama State was selected to win the conference, with Alabama A&M and Texas Southern rounding out the top three.
