Joplin, Mo. – The Missouri Southern volleyball program picked up a double-double from Fernanda Canedo and the Lions defeated No. 24 Central Missouri three sets to one tonight inside the Leggett & Platt Athletic Center.
 
With the win, Southern (13-14, 8-10 MIAA) secures a spot in the MIAA Volleyball Tournament to be played in two weeks. The win is the first for the Lions over Central Missouri since the 1995 season. It's also the first time the Lions have defeated UCM, Emporia State and Washburn in the same season since that same 1995 campaign.
 
Canedo led the effort with 23 kills and 13 digs, while hitting .364 in the match. Jaryn Benning had 17 kills and hit .317, while Sophie Mader dished out 56 assists and Abbie Casper had 31 digs.
 
With the 56 assists, Mader goes over 1,000 assists this season with 1,035 to date. Casper's 31 digs gives her 613 on the season and moves her into second-place all-time in the single-season digs list, passing Amy Barnicle's 600 in 2004.
 
Kierson Maydew had seven blocks, while Irina Alekseeva and Benning added four each.
 
UCM (18-9, 13-5 MIAA) was led by 21 kills from Tiffany Little and 20 from Kersti Nix.
 
The Lions posted 11 blocks in the match and hit .278 as a team with 60 assists on 61 kills.
 
The two teams were back-and-forth in the opening set with 12 ties and four lead changes. Southern scores two quick points late to lead 21-19 and force a Central Missouri timeout. The Lions led again at 24-21 and the Jennies called another timeout, but Benning sealed the win with a kill.
 
Set two saw the Jennies lead 8-6 early, but the Lions stormed back and led 12-9 midway. UCM, however, went on a 9-2 run to lead 18-14 and never looked back.
 
With the set tied at 16 in the third frame, the Lions went on a 7-5 run to lead 23-21 and force a UCM timeout. A point for the Lions led to another timeout and a block from Alekseeva and Maydew gave the Lions the third set.
 
The Lions trailed 15-13 midway through set three and at 21-18 in set four, calling timeouts at each junction. Southern, however, tied the set at 21 and despite trailing 23-21, scored five of the final six points to take the match.
 
Up next for the Green and Gold will be a pair of matches this weekend as Southern travels to No. 12 Nebraska-Kearney on Friday and Fort Hays State on Saturday.