Lions look to fend off avengers as it opens MIAA home slate
Sep. 20—The Missouri Southern volleyball team gained a reputation last season as giant killers, despite A 13-17 finish.
This weekend, the Lions (8-3, 1-1 MIAA) will have a chance to prove those wins were no fluke — that those upsets were evidence of a program on the rise.
I believe the Southern women are up to that task as they host the No. 13 Washburn Ichabods at 6 p.m. Friday at Leggett & Platt and follow up at 7 p.m. Saturday with a match against a talented Emporia State team.
The Ichabods will surely have revenge on their minds Friday after falling to the Lions in both their meetings last year. In their first match on Sept. 30, MSSU claimed a 3-1 win over the then No. 8 Ichabods (22-25, 25-20, 25-21, 27-25) on their home court at Leggett & Platt.
Southern followed that up with a 3-2 win over Washburn (ranked No. 14 at the time) on Oct. 27 in Topeka. The Ichabods dominated the first set, with a 25-14 win, but MSSU rallied 25-22, 28-26, 15-25 and 15-7 to claim the sweep.
And while Washburn may have revenge on its minds, the Lions come into this year's first match against the Ichabods with plenty of firepower and an impressive defense.
MSSU is currently second in the conference as a team in service aces — behind only Washburn — and lead the MIAA in digs with 19.9 per set.
Senior Fernanda Canedo is third in the conference in kills, with 3.49 per set and sophomore Tori Hamilton is third in the MIAA in digs, with 4.66 a set. Canedo also is third in the MIAA in points with 3.9 per set.
The Ichabods (8-1, 2-0) come into Friday's matchup with plenty of talent of their own. Sophomore Bella Limbeck is second in the MIAA in hitting percentage (.393) and classmate Corinna McMullen is third in the conference in service aces at .5/set.
The Ichabods have logged impressive wins of their own this season, besting No. 6 Barry University (Florida) 3-0, No. 25 Harding (Arkansas) 3-0, and No. 7 Nebraska-Kearney 3-0.
Last season's wins over the Ichabods were not the only wins over nationally-ranked teams that the Lions enjoyed. MSSU celebrated senior night last year with an impressive 3-0 sweep (25-13, 25-23, 25-15) of No. 19 Central Oklahoma on Oct. 18.
The Lions also dispatched then No. 24 Central Missouri 3-1 (25-22, 19-25, 25-21, 26-24) on Nov. 1 at MSSU.
Having once been the "hunter," I don't think it's unfair to say that the Lions are quickly becoming the "hunted." Emporia State (7-3, 1-1) comes into Leggett & Platt on Saturday and they, too, have a reason to have a chip on their shoulders after being swept 3-2 twice by the Lions last year.
MSSU took care of the Hornets 3-2 (25-17, 21-25, 24-26, 25-16, 21-19) in a marathon match last year at home. The Lions logged their season sweep of ESU on Oct. 26 in Emporia with a 3-1 win (25-21, 15-25, 25-21, 25-22).
The Hornets are led by MIAA points leader Sandora Sasaki, who is logging 4.56 points per set this season. Sasaki also tops the league in kills with 4.18/set. The Hornets hitting percentage also is impressive, with Lillian Zeigler (.379) and McKenya Sorrells (.358) currently ranked third and fourth in the MIAA. Their lone MIAA loss so far this year came at the hands of No. 7 Nebraska-Kearney last Saturday in a 3-0 match.
Southern's lone conference loss came at the hands of Missouri Western (7-3, 1-1) in a 3-1 match (25-27, 20-25, 27-25, 22-25) last Saturday in St. Jospeh.
All these stats can be tossed out the window this weekend though, as fans will get to see a Lion team that so far this season has tasted victory more than not and is surely hungry for more. Those hungry Lions will have to get past two squads that also have a certain kind of taste in their mouths — the bitter tang of two losses each last year at the hands of the Lions.
