FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 26, 2007

Lions drop five game heartbreaker to Missouri Western

Box Score

Joplin, Mo. -- Both teams traded wins throughout the first four games, but Missouri Western won the deciding game five and defeated the Missouri Southern volleyball team tonight, three games to two. Individual game scores were 26-30, 30-25, 22-30, 30-24 and 16-14.

Southern (10-8, 1-5 MIAA) climbed its way out of a 21-12 deficit in game one, going on a 13-2 run to take a 25-23 lead and forcing Western to take at time out. The Lions wouldn't give up the lead and eventually won 30-26 on a kill from Sarah Hoffmeister.

Western (7-12, 1-4 MIAA) jumped out to a 19-8 lead in game two and eventually a 25-17 mark before Southern went on a 5-1 run to cut the lead to 26-22 and force a Griffon timeout. Southern would get as close as 27-24 in the game.

The Lions broke a 17 all tie on a kill from Brittany Vavao-Huggins, one of three in a row for her, and wouldn't look back, winning game three convincingly, 30-22. Once again, however, in game four, Southern would play from behind as the Griffons started on a 7-0 run forcing a Lions timeout. The Western lead would be as high as 20-9, before Southern went on an 11-5 run to cut the deficit to five at 25-20, but that's as close as the Lions would get.

Both teams jockeyed for the early points in game five, but Western struck first and led 8-5 at the turn. The lead would be 12-9 forcing a Southern timeout, but the Lions fought back and tied the game at 14. Western, however, scored the next two points on kills from Megan Voelz and Audra Ridolfi to put away the match.

Hoffmeister had 19 kills and 27 digs for her 16th double-double of the season. Vavao-Huggins had 11 kills and four blocks, while hitting .333 for the match. Ashley Wright had 17 kills and hit .316, while Erin Mitchem picked up 64 assists and 12 digs. Kari Hammerbacher had a match-high 29 digs, while Cherie Baugh added 13 kills.

Southern will be back in action this Saturday, September 29 when the Lions play host to Southwest Baptist in Young Gym at 2 pm.