Joplin, Mo. – The Missouri Southern volleyball team will open up MIAA volleyball play this weekend as the Lions travel to Newman on Friday and Central Oklahoma on Saturday.
 
First serve from Newman is set for 6 pm on Friday, while the match with Central Oklahoma is set for a 2 pm start.
 
Kalie Mader's Lions are off to a 5-3 start so far this season after going 3-1 in their opening weekend tournament at home and 2-2 this past weekend in Texas.
 
Southern has played five, five-set matches so far this season compared to just one in all of last year. The Lions are 3-2 in those matches. Southern ranks 13^th nationally in assists, kills and total attacks, while ranking third in the MIAA in each of those categories. The Lions also rank 16^th nationally in digs, while ranking third in the MIAA in that category, as well as blocks.
 
Individually Abbie Casper ranks fifth nationally in digs and third in the MIAA, while ranking 19^th nationally in digs per set and fourth in the MIAA. Fernanda Canedo ranks 11^th nationally in total attacks, while ranking third in the MIAA and Amelia Neels ranks 36^th nationally in attack average and third in the MIAA.
 
Neels is hitting .398 this season, while posting 22 blocks on the season. Casper has 194 digs to average 5.39 per set, while Canedo averages 3.06 kills and 3.22 digs per set. Sophie Mader has 287 assists to average 7.97 assists per set, while posting a team-high 12 service aces.
 
Newman is under the direction of first-year coach Marisa Compton. The Jets are 5-4 this season to open the year after going 3-1 at the Southern Invite to start the season. Newman is led by Riley Daugherty who averages 3.32 kills per set, while Salome Romp posts 2.86 per set. McKinze Weaver leads the team with 10.97 assists per set, while Natalie Morales is averaging 5.43 digs per set.
 
UCO is off to a 10-0 start under long-time head coach Edgar Miraku. The Bronchos are led by Sydney Huck who is averaging 4.26 kills per set and hitting at a .299 average. Lindsey Houran averages 10.89 assists per set, while Jenna Karp has a team-best 25 blocks on the season.
 
Live video and stats will be available for each match and can be found by clicking on the story links section above.
 
After this, the Lions will come back home next weekend to take on Missouri Western on Friday and Central Missouri on Saturday.