FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 28, 2008

Lions lose five set heartbreaker to St. Mary's in season opener

Box Score

San Antonio, Texas -- The Missouri Southern volleyball team bested host St. Mary's in four different offensive categories, but seven team blocks for the Rattlers helped lift them over the Lions in a five set thriller tonight in the opener of the St. Mary's Invitational in San Antonio. Individual set scores were 15-25, 25-23, 25-20, 18-25 and 15-12.

Southern (0-1) got off to a hot start, hitting .400 in the first set and quickly disposed of St. Mary's in the match opener. The Lions led just 11-10 midway through the set, but a kill from Amelia Judge sparked a 14-5 run to end the set.

St. Mary's (1-0) won sets two and three, but the Lions tied the match at two sets a piece with a 25-18 win in the fourth set. The set was tied four times, the last at eight all, but the Lions went on a 6-1 run to go up 14-9. The Rattlers got as close as three points on six different occasions before a kill from Brittany Vavao-Huggins made the score 22-18 and the sophomore would serve out the set.

The fifth set was all St. Mary's to open up as two Southern errors right before the turn forced a timeout for the Lions. Southern stormed back and cut the lead to one at 12-11, but a 3-1 Rattler run ended the match.

Sarah Joles sparked the Lions offense with 51 assists and nine digs. She sits just 105 assists from second-place all-time in Southern history. Jeanna Feldman had 16 kills and 11 digs for her first double-double of the season, while Vavao-Huggins added 16 kills of her own and hit .297. Judge hit .625 with 11 kills, while Keri Hammerbacher recorded 21 digs. Ashley Hill had 17 digs and eight kills.

The Lions had higher numbers in kills, attack percentage, assists and digs, but couldn't overcome the defense at the net for the Rattlers as St. Mary's had seven team blocks in the match.

Southern continues the tournament tomorrow with matches against Rollins and Augustana.