Joplin, Mo.  – The Missouri Southern volleyball team played some of its best volleyball all season and the Lions swept 19^th-ranked Central Oklahoma tonight on Senior Night inside the Leggett & Platt Athletic Center.
 
Individual set scores were 25-13, 25-23 and 25-15.
 
The Lions (10-13, 5-9 MIAA) hit .297 as a team in the match and had ten team blocks, while limiting Central Oklahoma (20-4, 10-4 MIAA) to just a .110 attack average and two team blocks.
 
Sophie Mader finished with a double-double, dishing out 36 assists and posting 14 digs. Amelia Neels, Jaryn Benning and Irina Alekseeva all finished with nine kills each, while Neels added six blocks. Fernanda Canedo had eight kills and 12 digs, while Abbie Casper had a team-high 16 digs.
 
The Lions dominated set two, as after UCO had opened up a 4-1 advantage early on, Southern raced back to go on an 8-1 run and lead 9-5, to force a Bronchos' timeout. The run reached 13-2 and Southern had a 14-6 lead to force a second UCO timeout and the Lions didn't quit. Southern finished off the set on a 24-9 run to take the opener.
 
Set two saw eight tied scores and neither team led by more than three points with the largest lead being 17-14, Lions. The set was tied at 20, 21 and 22, but the Lions scored three of the final four points to take the set.
 
The two teams traded points early on in set three, but a 6-0 Lions' run put Southern up 10-5 and forced a UCO timeout. Coming out of the timeout, the Lions didn't let off the gas. Southern pushed its lead to 17-8 after a kill from Kierson Maydew and back-to-back kills from Alekseeva late gave the Lions a 20-11 lead. A kill from Neels sealed the match.
 
Southern defeats its second ranked opponent this season having defeated No. 8 Washburn earlier at home.
 
The Lions will be back in action as Southern travels to Northwest Missouri on Friday. First serve from Maryville is set for 6 pm.