Joplin, Mo. -- CC Pollard had 20 kills and hit .415 and both Janelle Brehm and Sophie Mader recorded double-doubles as the Missouri Southern volleyball team nearly took out 24th-ranked Central Missouri, falling to the Jennies in a five-set thriller tonight. 

Individual set scores were 25-22, 18-25, 19-25, 25-22 and 15-13. 

The Lions (3-7, 3-2 MIAA) were paced by Pollard's performance as she hit .415 over the match with 20 kills and just three errors. Brehm had 14 kills and 17 digs, while Mader dished out 44 assists and had 12 digs. Abbie Casper had 28 digs, while Brooklynn McCain had 11 ov her own. Alyssa Diaz had 13 kills and two blocks, while Kierson Madew had seven blocks on the night. 

Central (8-1, 8-0 MIAA) was led by Hannah Engleken with 19 kills. 

Southern opened the match with steam and won the first set 25-22, leading from the first point on. The second set saw the Jennies come out strong and limit the Lions to a .000 attack average en route to the 25-18 win. Set three saw two ties and one lead change and the Lions threatened late, but fell 25-19. 

The Lions rushed out to a 12-7 lead in the fourth set and forced a UCM timeout. UCM got within one (21-20) late, but hte Lions got a kill from Pollard and an ace from Maydew on the next two points to go up 23-20 and eventually win the set 25-22 after another kill from Pollard.

Set five saw the Lions lead 8-5 at the turn and 9-5 after a kill from Brehm. UCM, went on a 5-0 run to go up 10-9, but the Lions tied it at ten on the next point. The Jennies were up 13-10, but Southern fought back to within one point at 14-13, but a kill from the Jennies gave Central the match. 

The Lions will be back in action this weekend as Southern plays both Nebraska-Kearney and Fort Hays State in a nuetral-site matchup in Topeka at Washburn.