Joplin, Mo. – The Missouri Southern volleyball team had three with double-figure kills and took a set off No. 5 Nebraska-Kearney, but the Lions fell three sets to one to the Lopers tonight inside the Leggett & Platt Athletic Center.
 
Individual set scores were 19-25, 15-25, 25-15, and 21-25.
 
Southern (8-11, 3-7 MIAA) received 14 kills and two blocks from Irina Alekseeva, while Jaryn Benning posted 13 kills and eight digs. Fernanda Canedo had a double-double with 11 kills and 10 digs, while Sophie Mader dished out 46 assists and Abbie Casper had 14 digs.
 
Kierson Maydew had ten blocks, while Benning added six and Amelia Neels five as the Lions had 15 team blocks in the match.
 
UNK (19-2, 9-2 MIAA) had 11 kills from CeCe Beahm and Bailee Sterling.
 
After falling two sets down, the Lions sprung back and dominated the Lopers in the third set. Southern raced out to a 9-3 lead on an ace from Hannah Allick, forcing a Lopers' timeout. The lead was 16-10 after a block form Alekseeva and Maydew forcing another UNK timeout.
 
A kill from Neels pushed the lead to 20-11, while a block from Neels made the score 22-14. Kills from Neels and Benning closed the set for the Green and Gold
 
The fourth set saw six ties and three lead changes. The teams traded points, but an 8-3 run from the Lopers early on gave UNK a 12-7 lead and forced a Lion's timeout. Southern answered right back, and used an 8-3 run of their own to get within one at 16-15 and force an UNK timeout.
 
The Lions got a block from Mader and Maydew coming out of the timeout and tied the set at 16. Southern tied it again at 17, but a quick 5-0 run from the Lopers put UNK up 22-17 and the Lions couldn't get any closer.  
 
The Lions had a lead in kills (52-49), assists (49-45) and blocks (15-13).
 
Southern will be back in action on Tuesday night as the Lions will play host to Newman at 6 pm inside the Leggett & Platt Athletic Center. The match will serve as the team's Pink Night to raise awareness for breast cancer.