Joplin, Mo. -- The Missouri Southern volleyball team opened upt hte 2022 season with a thrilling five-set win over Southwestern Oklahoma to open up the Missouri Southern Invite inside the Leggett & Platt Athletic Center tonight.
The Lions (1-0) won the middle two sets and took the finale in thrilling fashion. Individual set scores were 18-25, 25-23, 27-25, 21-25 and 15-13.
Southern got an outstanding performance from
Fernanda Canedo in her first match as a Lion. The junior had 24 kills and 18 digs, amassing 24.5 points on the evening.
Irina Alekseeva had 15 kills and hit .367 while
Sophie Mader dished out 39 assists.
Amelia Neels had ten kills and three blocks, while
Abbie Casper had 29 digs on the evening.
SWOSU (0-1) had 23 kills and 21 digs from Lacy Mott.
The two teams traded points in the first set, but the Bulldogs came out winners in the opener. In set two, there were 13 tied scores and four lead changes as neither team's lead was more than two before a block from
Amerika Jones and
Kierson Maydew put the Lions up 19-16 late. Kills from Jones and
Josey Goldberg sealed the set for the Green and Gold.
Set three was much like the second. Twelve tied scores and five lead changes highlighted the set before the Lions used kills from Neels, Canedo, and Maydew to go up 22-18. The Bulldogs weren't done, as they went up 24-23, forcing set point. A kill from Canedo tied the set at 24, but SWOSU put another point across to lead 25-24. Three-straight points from the Lions, however, gave Southern the third set.
Set four was all Bulldogs as SWOSU led 13-4 to open the frame. The lead was ten (22-12) over the Lions, but Southern stormed back and got within six after a kill from Jones made the score 23-17. The Lions got within three (24-21) before the Bulldogs closed the set out.
The fifth and final set saw the Lions open up a 7-2 lead and Southern led 8-3 at the turn. SWOSU got within a point twice, but a Kill from Alekseeva sealed the match for Southern.
The Lions will be back in action tomorrow with a match against Truman at 11 am and Northwestern Oklahoma at 5 pm.
