Joplin, Mo. – The Missouri Southern volleyball team is set to play host to a pair of MIAA matches this weekend as the Lions take on Missouri Western on Friday and Central Missouri on Saturday.
First serve on Friday is set for 6 pm inside the Leggett & Platt Athletic Center, while Saturday's match is set for 2 pm.
The Lions (5-6, 0-2 MIAA) are coming off a mid-week loss at Southwest Baptist. The Lions come into the meeting ranking in the top-25 nationally in Division II in four different offensive and defensive categories. Southern ranks 20th nationally in total attacks, while the Lions rank 23rd in digs, 24th in kills and 25th in assists. Southern ranks third in the MIAA in each of those categories, while ranking fourth in blocks.
Individually,
Abbie Casper ranks fifth nationally and second in the MIAA in total digs, while ranking 13th nationally and third in the league in digs per set.
Amelia Neels ranks 33rd nationally in hitting percentage, while ranking third in the MIAA in that category.
Casper has 257 total digs this year, averaging 5.47 per set. Neels is hitting a team-high .385, while posting 2.47 kills per set and 26 total blocks.
Sophie Mader has 378 total assists to average 8.04 per set, while serving up a team-high 16 aces.
Fernanda Canedo is averaging 2.91 kills per set and 3.62 digs per set, while
Irina Alekseeva is averaging 2.43 kills per set.
Western (3-7, 0-2 MIAA) lost both of its opening MIAA matches, but to nationally-ranked Northwest Missouri and Central Missouri.
The Griffons are hitting .137 as a team and are led offensively by Daniele Moje with 2.45 kills per set. Nessa Johnson (5.86 assists per set) and Zari Montgomery (4.38 assists per set) share the setting duties, while Jessica Sachen has a team-high 4.09 digs per set. Lily Kurz has a team-high 34 blocks, while Moje has 32 of her own.
Central (6-4, 2-0 MIAA) is ranked 16
th in the latest Division II AVCA national poll. The Jennies won over Northwest Missouri and Missouri Western, while taking a non-conference match from Rockhurst last week.
Central hits .202 as a team and is led at the net by Kersti Nix with 3.24 kills per set. Chandler Vaughan (6.79 a/s) and Olivia Olson (6.18 a/s) share the setting duties, as well, while Rylie Barnum leads the team with 5.38 digs per set. Jenna Schulte has 59 blocks, averaging 1.55 per set, while Grace Southern has 37 of her own.
Live stats and video will be available for each match and links to both can be found in the story links section above.
After this, the Lions will head to Pittsburg State next Friday and then host Northwest Missouri on Saturday.
