JOPLIN, Mo. — Missouri Southern State (7-16, 2-9 Mid-America Intercollegiate) lost to Central Missouri (15-11, 6-4 Mid-America Intercollegiate) 3-0 on Tuesday. Missouri Southern matched the Jennies with 36 kills but hit .107 to the Jennies' .180 in set scores of 22-25, 25-27 and 21-25.
MSSU is 7-16 overall and 2-9 in Mid-America Intercollegiate play. The Jennies are 15-11 overall and 6-4 in Mid-America Intercollegiate play.
Kenzie Jones led the Lions with nine kills and 12.5 points while adding four total blocks.
Addysen Alvis finished with eight kills, nine digs and two solo blocks.
Kasey Goldberg recorded 16 digs, four service aces and three assists.
Brenna Weaver tallied 31 assists, six digs and one service ace.
Southern turned a 15-12 deficit into a 17-16 lead in the opening set, but the Jennies answered late and took the set 25-22. Earlier,
Grace Gardner and
Addysen Alvis recorded the first two Lions kills, and
Brenna Weaver assisted on five early kills as
Tiana Simmons contributed three during a start that put Missouri Southern ahead 9-5. After the Jennies moved in front, the Lions responded with kills by
Hanna Lauterbach, Alvis and Gardner, tied the set on a Jennies attack error and went ahead on
Kasey Goldberg's service ace.
Kenzie Jones' block later gave MSSU a 20-19 lead, but the Jennies scored the next three points and reached set point at 24-21 before finishing the set despite Lauterbach's late kill.
The Lions erased an early 7-2 deficit and twice reached set point, but the Jennies scored the final three points to take the second set, 27-25. Earlier,
Tiana Simmons stopped a 6-0 Jennies start with a kill, and
Kasey Goldberg served Southern through five straight points in a 6-0 answer that included kills from Gardner, Jones and
Addysen Alvis plus two Goldberg aces for an 8-7 lead. Missouri Southern later moved ahead 16-12 on a
Hanna Lauterbach kill and a
Brenna Weaver ace before the Jennies answered to go in front, but
Reagan Ashby's ace tied the set at 18-18 and Goldberg added another ace for a 21-20 edge. After falling behind 23-21, MSSU responded with a Gardner kill, a Jones kill and an Alvis block to move ahead 24-23, then got a Jennies service error for a 25-24 lead before the visitors closed the set.
The Lions made their main push after falling behind 17-12 in the third set, using kills from
Hanna Lauterbach and Gardner and a Jones block to get within 20-18. Earlier, Southern opened the set on a point helped by
Tiana Simmons' block and, after the Jennies went ahead 5-2, got
Kaelyn Kendrick kills and an
Epifania Salamasina ace to climb back to 7-6. Jones and Kendrick kept MSSU even through the middle of the set, with Kendrick tying it at 10-10 and Jones answering for an 11-11 tie before the Jennies built their 17-12 advantage. Jones added two late kills and
Addysen Alvis put down another after the deficit was reduced, but the Jennies reached set point at 24-20 and finished the set 25-21 on a Missouri Southern service error.
