Joplin, Mo. – The Missouri Southern Volleyball team picked up a pair of five-set wins today in day two of the 2022 Missouri Southern Invite, defeating Truman State in the opener and then taking out Northwestern Oklahoma in the team's second match of the day.
 
Individual set scores against Truman were 16-25, 25-23, 20-25, 25-16 and 15-10. Scores against Northwest Oklahoma were 25-20, 20-25, 23-25, 25-21 and 15-12.
 
Against Truman (0-2), the Lions (3-0) got 16 kills and 18 digs from Fernanda Canedo, while Amelia Neels had 11 kills and three blocks. Sophie Mader dished out 42 assists, while Abbie Casper had 18 digs. Jaryn Benning had 12 digs, while Kierson Maydew and Amerika Jones had three and two blocks, respectively.
 
The match saw 20 tied scores and nine lead changes. After dropping the opener, the Lions came back and won set two by a pair of points but dropped set three to go down 2-1. The Lions dominated the fourth set to win by nine, before taking the finale 15-10.
 
In the second match of the day, the Lions got 24 kills and 12 digs from Canedo, while Casper had at match-high 25 digs. Irina Alekseeva had 14 kills and hit .357, while Maydew had ten kills and hit .643 with four blocks. Mader dished out 33 assists, while Hannah Allick had 23 of her own.
 
Much like the first match, this one saw 31 tied scores and 13 lead changes. The Lions won the opener, but the two teams went back and fourth until the Lions took set four and carried momentum into the finale. Southern held out and picked up a three-point win in the fifth and final set to remain unbeaten on the year.
 
The Lions hit .273 as a team and had 13 team blocks.
 
Southern will be back at it tomorrow as the Lions close out the tournament with a 4 pm match with William Jewell.