FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 19, 2007

Lions fall at home to 21st ranked Emporia State in three games

Box Score

Joplin, Mo. -- The Missouri Southern volleyball team won game one tonight against 21st ranked Emporia State, but the Hornets rallied to defeat the Lions three games to one at Young Gymnasium. Individual game scores were 28-30, 30-23, 30-23, and 30-26.

Southern (13-14, 1-9 MIAA) trailed 12-9 in game one, and again at 14-12, before an Emporia error tied the game at 16. The game would be tied again at 18, 19, 24, 25, 26, and 27 before the Lions went ahead and eventually won on a kill from Cherie Baugh.

ESU (21-6, 7-2 MIAA) came out swinging in game two and hit .459 as a team with 23 kills and just six errors. The Hornets' lead was six at 15-9, and seven at 25-18 in the game.

Southern led midway through game three 18-14, but a 5-1 run from the Hornets tied the game at 19 forcing a Lions timeout. Southern got two points out of the time out after a kill from Sarah Hoffmeister and blocks from Ashley Wright and Sarah Joles. The Hornets tied the game at 22 and went on an 8-1 run to end the game.

Game four featured 10 ties and six lead changes. ESU led 23-17 after an ace from Jenna Snook, but a kill from Jeanna Feldman late in the match got the Lions to within two at 28-26. Two straight errors from the Lions, however, gave Emporia the match.

Hoffmeister hit .349 in the match with 18 kills and six digs. Ashlee Russell had 15 kills, hitting .316, while Sara Joles had 53 assists. Brittany Vavao-Huggins had 10 kills, while Kari Hammerbacher had a team high 18 digs.

The Lions will be back in action tomorrow afternoon playing host to Southeastern Oklahoma State at 2 pm in Young Gymnasium.