Southern volleyball falls to Northwest Missouri in four sets

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

Maryville, Mo. -- The Missouri Southern volleyball team got double-figure kills from both Bailey Rexford and Janelle Brehm, but fell in four sets today at Northwest Missouri. Individual set scores were 14-25, 17-25, 25-18, and 18-25.

The Lions (9-9, 2-3 MIAA) were led by Rexford's 14 kills and a .400 attack average as she added three digs and two blocks. Brehm had 11 kills and eight digs, while Alicia Pickett had nine kills, six digs and three blocks.

Morgan Nash had a double-double with 32 assists and 18 digs. Teryn Scott and Whitney Harrison had 18 and 10 digs, respectively, while Kat Gries added nine digs of her own.

Northwest Missouri (9-8, 3-2 MIAA) was led by Maddy Bruder's 21 kills and 17 digs, while Sofia Schleppenbach had 14 kills, as well.

The first two sets were won by Northwest as set one featured two ties and two lead changes, while set two saw just one tie and a lead change. Set three saw five ties and two lead changes. With the set tied at 15, back-to-back kills from Rexford and Brehm put the Lions up 17-15 and the team never looked back.

The fourth set was all Northwest as the Bearcats led 7-6, but pulled away for the match clincher.

The Lions will be back in action next week as Southern travels to Lindenwood and Central Missouri on Friday and Saturday.

MSSU football drops Homecoming contest to Nebraska-Kearney 16-6

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

The Missouri Southern football team fell just short in a defensive struggle as the Lions dropped a homecoming game to visiting Nebraska-Kearney, 16-6 in front of more than 5,000 fans at Fred G. Hughes Stadium inside the Robert W. Plaster Sports Complex.

The Lions (0-5, 0-5 MIAA) split their quarterbacks today as Dante Vandeven got the start and went 12-20 for 126 yards, while TJ Fleeton came in and went 10-21 for 94 yards. Fleeton added 11 yards on the ground and a rushing touchdown.

Shemar Coleman had eight carries for 30 yards, and caught three passes for 53 yards in the game. Josiah Bennett had six receptions for 53 yards, while Carson Daycaught five passes for 29 yards. Kene Anigbogu had a catch for 33 yards, while nine different Lions caught a pass today. Josh Hadley ran the ball three times for 23 yards and Nicholas Roller had four carries for nine yards.

Defensively, Akel Beard had 15 tackles in the game with one tackle for a loss. Angelo Sumler had 13 stops including a sack and one and a half tackle for a loss. Roc Robbins had 11 tackles and a fumble recovery, while Brayden Scott had a forced fumble. Keith Beverly had four pass break ups in the game.

The Lopers (2-3, 2-3 MIAA) were led by Thomas Russell with 39 carries for 178 yards and two rushing touchdowns.

UNK got on the board first with a 21-yard field goal from Brendan Wentling with 4:43 left in the first. Russell had a pair of rushing touchdowns, one in the second with 4:04 left in the second and another with 9:14 left in the fourth.

The Lions got on the board with a five-yard rushing score from Fleeton. That play capped off a 13-play, 69-yard scoring drive for the Lions.

Southern will be back in action next weekend as the Lions travel to Washburn University. Kickoff is slated for 1 pm.

MSSU soccer loses 5-2 to Missouri Western

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

St. Joseph, Mo. – Despite coming back in the second period to tie it at 2-2, the Missouri Southern soccer team would eventually fall short by giving up three unanswered goals to the No. 24-ranked Missouri Western State Griffons in a 5-2 loss inside Craig Field at Spratt Memorial Stadium Friday night.

MSSU's (0-6-2, 0-2) Jessica Edwards knotted it up with a shot towards the top of the net as it seemed as the momentum was switching towards MSSU's push,
but two seconds later Griffon's Cassidy Menke took a shot from ten yards out that found the left side of the goal to put MWSU back on top. Bridget Blessie and Sara Collins each added a header for the fourth and fifth goal of the night to secure the victory for the Griffons, who improve to 8-1 overall and 2-0 in MIAA conference play.

Freshman Centre midfielder Carina Calderon scored the first goal of her career in the 35th minute on a free kick to send the Lions into halftime only down by one (2-1). The Lion's defense was able to shut down the Griffon's rapid scoring attack by keeping them off balance for the last 38 minutes of the first period.

MWSU's Ashley Mathis scored the first goal of the game in the third opening minute off a pass from Sydney Cluck that found Mathis splitting two defenders and driving towards the goal as the goalkeeper came out to defend. Then a corner kick by Madeline Cowell deflected off a Lions' player, causing the ball to roll past everyone into the goal to give the No. 24 ranked team in the country an early 2-0 lead.

Goalkeeper Luz Galindo played in all 90 minutes, allowing five goals on 15 shots faced in her second start between the posts for Southern.

The Lions look to rebound on Sunday as they take on the North West Missouri Bearcats at 12:30 pm inside Bearcat Pitch.