Joplin, Mo. -- The Missouri Southern volleyball team went punch-for-punch with Missouri Western, but the Griffons came-from-behind and forced a fifth set and won a thriller in Young Gymnasium tonight, three sets to two over the Lions. Individual set scores were 25-14, 19-25, 25-21, 13-25 and 14-16. 

The Lions (3-19, 0-12 MIAA) were led by Armyni Perales and Sophie Mader as Perales had a team-high 13 kills and five blocks, while Mader posted a double-double with 40 assists and ten digs and was just two kills from a triple-double. Josey Goldberg, Emily-Kate Lonergan and Amelia Neels had eight kills each, while Lonergan had 13 digs. Brooklynn McCain added three aces and 24 digs. 

Western (13-9, 5-8 MIAA) had a pair of players record 13 kills with Jessica Hendrix and Karly Tharp leading the way offensively for the Griffons. 

The Lions started the match on fire as set one as all Southern. A kill by Goldberg gave the Lions a 5-1 lead to start the set and a block by Mader and Kierson Maydew made the score 15-9 and forced a Western timeout. The score was 19-10 and after another timeout from the Griffons, a kill from Perales pushed the lead to 20-10 with the Lions never letting off the gas. 

Set two saw four ties and one lead change. The Griffons opened up a 10-5 lead early on to force a Lions' timeout and after a Western block made the score 18-12, the Lions were forced to call timeout again. Southern got within five (24-19) after a kill from Perales, but couldn't complete the comeback. 

Set three was back-and-forth with five ties and three lead changes. the Lions trailed 10-6, but went on a 5-1 run to tie the set and force a Western timeout. Western led 18-15 late and forced a Southern timeout, but the Lions came out of the timeout and scored five-straight to force the Griffons into their own timeout. Southern would score five of the final eight points to take the set. 

The Griffons had set three all to themselves with just one tie and never relinquishing the lead as Western forced a fifth and deciding set. 

In the finale, the Lions trailed 4-3 early on, but scored three-straight points, capped by a kill from Perales to force a Western timeout at 7-4. Southern took the 8-6 lead at the turn, but the Griffons took an 11-10 lead late to force a Lions' timeout. Southern returned the favor and scored three of the next four points to lead 13-12 and force a Griffons' timeout, but Western scored four of the final five points to take the set and the match. 

The Lions will be back in action tomorrow afternoon when Southern plays host to sixth-ranked Northwest Missouri. First-serve from Young Gymnasium is set for 3 pm.