FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 26, 2007

Lions get crucial MIAA win with senior night sweep of Fort Hays State

Box Score

Joplin, Mo. -- Ashley Wright had 17 kills and hit .500 as the Missouri Southern Lions picked up a crucial MIAA win tonight, sweeping Fort Hays State on Senior Night at Young Gymnasium. Individual game scores were 30-26, 30-19, 34-32.

Southern (15-14, 2-9 MIAA) led from start to finish in game one and the game was tied just twice in game two after the Lions hit a blistering .462 in the second frame.

Fort Hays (15-16, 2-10 MIAA) lost its fifth match in a row and have now dropped 15 straight games.

Trailing 28-26 in game three, Southern picked up a kill from Wright and Jeanna Feldman, forcing a Hays timeout. On the ensuing play, the Lady Tigers looked as if they had went ahead on a kill from Kellyn Thaut, but the block from Feldman and Ashlee Russell was ruled in, giving Southern the point. Both teams traded points but with the game tied at 32, the Lions got back-to-back kills from Sarah Hoffmeister and Amelia Judge to win the match.

The Lions were led by Wright's 17  kills on the night. She also picked up two aces and three blocks and went over 1,000 kills in her career at Southern. Hoffmeister had 16 kills and 11 digs, while hitting .324. Russell finished with 11 kills, while Kari Hammerbacher had a match-high 24 digs. Sarah Joles and Erin Mitchem had 41 and 15 assists, respectively.

Thaut led the Lady Tigers with 23 kills and 12 digs, hitting .404.

The Lions will be back in action tomorrow afternoon as they play host to fifth ranked Washburn at 2 pm in Young Gym.