FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 29, 2008

Lions sweep Northwest Missouri in volleyball action

Box Score

Joplin, Mo. -- The Missouri Southern volleyball team led throughout the match tonight, never trailed and never tied, defeating Northwest Missouri by the score of 3-0. Individual set scores were 25-23, 25-14 and 25-16.

Southern (7-18, 2-11 MIAA) started the first set strong, opening up a 6-1 lead. The lead was 8-3 before a Northwest Missouri timeout. The Lions would lead 23-16, before the Bearcats made it interesting, reeling off a 7-1 run to cut the Southern lead to 24-23, but the Lions answered with a kill from Stefanie Williams to take the first set.

Northwest (8-19, 5-9 MIAA) has had no luck in Young Gymnasium in recent past as the Bearcats have yet to win a single set this season. Northwest was swept in each of its four matches at the Southern Invitational earlier in the season and tonight's setback makes it 18 sets in a row, the Bearcats have dropped at Southern dating back to the 2006 season.

The Lions hit .333 as a team in the second set, with the Bearcats getting as close as 7-5, but Southern finished on a 18-9 run. The Lions opened the final set on a 5-0 run and led by as many as 12 points (19-7) cruising to the three set win.

Williams picked up the double-double tonight with 11 kills and 12 digs, hitting .250. Jeanna Feldman had nine kills and seven digs, while Kari Hammerbacher recorded 10 digs. Elin Skei and Sarah Joles had 18 and 11 assists, respectively. 

The Lions will be back in action this Friday when they travel to 11th ranked Truman State for a 7 pm match.