Joplin, Mo. -- The Missouri Southern volleyball team got a come-from-behind victory tonight as the Lions defeated Emporia State 3-1 inside Young Gymnasium. Individual set scores were 14-25, 26-24, 25-22 and 25-18. 

Southern (4-23, 1-16 MIAA) picked up a big game from Amelia Neels as she had 15 kills and just one error, hitting .519 in the match, while blocking back four balls. Sophie Mader had 43 assists and 15 digs, while posting seven kills, just three from a triple-double. Kierson Maydew had 10 kills, while CC Pollard had nine kills and Josey Goldberg finished with eight of her own. Brooklynn McCain had 21 digs, while Emily-Kate Lonergan had 17. 

Emporia State (4-29, 2-15 MIAA) was led by 11 kills from Orianna Clements. 

ESU controlled the opening set, never relinquishing the lead. The Lions, however, bounced right back. The two teams went back-and-forth in the second set that featured 13 ties and eight lead changes. The Lions forced an ESU timeout after going ahead 17-15, but the Hornets came right back and led 22-21, forcing a Southern timeout. Both teams used their final two timeouts in the set before the Lions got a kill from Pollard to take the set and even the match. 

Set three saw eight ties and three lead changes, as the two teams battled for control. Neither team had more than a three point lead but a 5-3 run late for the Lions made the score 22-20, Southern and forced a Hornets' timeout. ESU tied it at 22 to return the favor, but the Lions scored three-straight points off of a blocks from Maydew and Goldberg, as well as a final block from Pollard and Lonergan sandwiched around a kill from Mader. 

Set four was all Lions. Southern jumped out to a 12-8 lead and led 16-10 just six points later as ESU used both its timeouts during the run. The Lions closed the set and match out to take home the win. 

The Lions will be back in action tomorrow night as the Lions play host to No. 3 ranked Washburn. First serve is set for 7 pm.