MSSU soccer loses 2-1 to Central Missouri in home finale

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

The Missouri Southern women's soccer team held a 1-0 advantage after shutting out the No. 4 Central Missouri Jennies in the first period, but the Jennies came back with two goals in the second period towards the win inside Fred G. Hughes Stadium Friday evening.

Junior midfielder Sarah Tatum collected the ball off a turnover by UCM, ran down the field, and launched a shot from around the 30-yard line that went off the cross bar and over the goalkeeper's head in the 26th minute as the Lions (3-13-1, 2-7-1 MIAA) held a one-goal advantage at halftime.

UCM (14-1-1, 8-0-1 MIAA) scored the first on a rebound and then secured the victory on a shot from the right-side of the field in the final the five minutes.

Sophomore forward Bailey Belcher recorded a team-leading four shots while senior forward Jessica Edwards and junior midfielder Carina Calderon each had two shot attempts.

Senior goalkeeper Luz Galindo went the distance, registering 12 saves on 14 shots faces in the entire 90 minutes of play in-between the posts.

Missouri Southern closes out the 2019 regular season at Northwest Missouri State at 1:00 pm on Sunday.

Nash records sixth triple-double this season, but MSSU volleyball falls to Missouri Western

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

The Missouri Southern volleyball team won sets threeand four to force the fifth set, but couldn't complete the comeback as the Lions fell three sets to two against Missouri Western on Senior Night inside Robert Ellis Young Gymnasium. Individual set scores were 30-32, 20-25, 27-25, 27-25 and 12-15.

Morgan Nash led the way for the Lions (13-13, 6-10 MIAA) as she recorded her sixth triple-double of the season, with 20 kills 13 assists and 12 digs. Janelle Brehm had 14 kills and a match-high 24 digs, while Shaylon Sharp had 11 kills. CC Pollard had 12 digs, while Brooklynn McCain added 11 digs of her own. Makenzie Fa'amausili-Cacoulidis had 35 assists in the match, while Alicia Pickett added seven blocks.

Western (13-10, 7-8 MIAA) had three players with double-figure kills, led by 23 from Ali Tauchen.

In a match that saw 43 tied scores and 14 lead changes, three of the five sets went to extra points.

Southern led set one 13-9 and 22-20 forcing Western timeouts at each point, but the Griffons fought back and tied the set at 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29 and 30 before scoring the final two points.

The Lions led 10-7 in set two before three straight points for the Griffons tied it up. The Lions then scored three of the next four points to lead 13-11, but a 7-3 run from Western gave the Griffons an 18-16 lead and forced a Southern timeout. The Lions got within four (24-20), but Western finished it off.

Set three saw 12 ties and five lead changes. The Lions trailed 18-16 late in the set and trailed again 23-22, but score two-straight points to lead 24-23 and force a Western timeout. The Griffons tied it up at 25, but back-to-back kills from Nash and Kierson Maydew gave the Lions the set win.

The Lions forced Western to timeouts twice in set four, leading 17-11 before the second timeout. Western came back, however, and tied the set at 21 and again at 23, 24 and 25 before Southern scored two-straight points to take the set.

Set five saw the two team jockey for position until the Griffons posted some separation, leading 5-3. Western led 8-5 at the turn to force a Lions' timeout. The Griffons led again 12-6 to force a Lions' timeout, but Southern came right back and got within three (12-9) to force a Western timeout. The Lions got within two (14-12), but a kill from Tauchen finished off the match.

Southern will be back in action next week when the Lions travel to Emporia State and Washburn.

MSSU's Jamie Burnham named MIAA Men's Cross Country Coach of the Year

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

Missouri Southern Head Distance Coach Jamie Burnham has been named the MIAA Men's Cross Country Coach of the Year the league announced today.

Burnam and the Lions repeated as MIAA Cross Country Champs last Saturday as the Lions took the team crown with 35 points, 21 points better than the next team. Missouri Southern had the individual champion from Gidieon Kimuati and four runners finish in the top 10. Burnham has been named the Association's Coach of the Year for the second straight time and third time in the last four seasons.

Pittsburg State's Russ Jewett was named the Women's Coach of the Year.

The Lions will be back in action on November 9 when Southern plays host to the NCAA Division II Central Region Championships.