Joplin, Mo. – The Missouri Southern volleyball team will close out its home slate tomorrow night as the Lions will play host to No. 24 Central Missouri at 6 pm inside the Leggett & Platt Athletic Center.
 
The match will be the final home match of the season for the Lions (12-14, 7-10 MIAA) who are coming off a week where Southern swept both Emporia State and No. 14 Washburn on the road. It was the first time sweeping both teams in the same season since the 2001 campaign.
 
The Lions have won three of their last four matches and need just one win or a loss from Fort Hays State this week to clinch a spot in the MIAA Tournament. Southern ranks fourth nationally in total attacks and ninth in digs, while ranking 26^th in assists.
 
Fernanda Canedo averaged 4.11 kills per set and 2.22 digs per set this past week for the Lions. On the season, Canedo is averaging 3.16 kills per set. Amelia Neels leads the team with a .332 attack average, while Sophie Mader is dishing out 9.15 assists and is just 21 away from topping 1,000 on the season.
 
Abbie Casper has 582 digs on the year and averages 5.44 per set. Casper ranks fourth nationally in total digs and ninth nationally in digs per set, while ranking second in the MIAA in both categories. She needs just 19 digs to move into second-place in the MSSU single-season dig mark.
 
Kierson Maydew averaged 1.00 blocks per set last week and she leads the team with 88 total blocks this season, while Neels is second with 84.
 
Central Missouri (18-8, 13-4 MIAA) has won six matches in a row and the Jennies are ranked No. 24 in the latest American Volleyball Coaches Association Poll.
 
Kersti Nix leads the team with 3.85 kills per set, while Chandler Vaughan has a team-high 9.27 assists per set and 23 service aces. Rylie Barnum averages 4.39 digs per set, while Grace Winkelmann averages 3.72. Grace Southern (108) and Jenna Schulte (101) both have over 100 blocks on the season.
 
After this match, the Lions will head on the road for the final two matches of the year, taking on No. 12 Nebraska-Kearney this Friday and Fort Hays State on Saturday.