Joplin, Mo. -- The Missouri Southern Volleyball team nearly forced a deciding fifth set, but fell in four sets tonight to Lindenwood University. Individual set scores were 21-25, 16-25, 25-23, and 23-25. 

Southern (11-15, 4-13 MIAA) were led by Bailey Rexford with 14 kills. Janelle Brehm had 13 kills and nine digs, while Mikayla Monk had 11 kills. Kat Gries had 20 digs, while Morgan Nash had 46 assists and seven digs. Alicia Pickett had nine kills and four blocks. 

Lindenwood (20-12, 11-7 MIAA) was led by Emily Wylie as she had 19 kills and hit .395. 

Southern led 17-15 late in the first set to force a Lindenwood timeout. The lead was 19-17 before Lindenwood scored seven of the next eight points and a kill from Wylie finished off the set. 

Set two was all Lindenwood, In set three, the two teams traded points throughout the set. Lindenwood led 11-8 early on, but a kill from Brehm tied the set at 13. Lindenwood led 15-13and again 18-16, before a Southern timeout with the score 19-18, Lindenwood. Southern came out of the timeout and tied the set at 20, 21 and again at 22, before scoring three of the final four points to take the set. 

Set four was back-and-forth. Southern led 12-9 early on, but Lindenwood tied it at 13. The set would be tied again at 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, and 19, before Southern took a 21-19 lead. Lindenwood scored three-straight points to lead 22-21, forcing a Southern timeout, and after Southern tied the set at 22, Lindenwood scored three of the final four points to take the match. 

Southern will be back in action tomorrow evening as MSSU plays host to Central Missouri a 6 pm. The match will be senior night as Southern will honor the three seniors on the roster (Bailey Rexford, Alyx Gepford and Marija Milivojev) prior to the start of the match.