After playing 16 of its 28 regular-season matches on the road, the Missouri Southern State University volleyball team will open the home portion of its 2025 schedule with a pair of matches this weekend at Robert Ellis Young Gymnasium.

The Lions — 6-10 overall and 0-5 in the MIAA under interim head coach Joshua Moore — will face the Newman University Jets (2-14, 0-5) Friday, with the Pink Game match scheduled to begin at 6 p.m.

The Lions hold a five-game win streak against the Jets and are 11-6 all-time against Newman.

Saturday will be a border rivalry match with the Pittsburg State University Gorillas (8-7, 2-3) that will begin at 3 p.m.

Southern is 13-19 all-time against Pittsburg State and went 1-1 against the Gorillas in their two matches last season.

MSSU started its season 6-1 but enters Friday’s match with Newman on a nine-game skid. Southern’s last win was Sept. 30, when it went 3-1 (25-10, 25-16, 22-25, 25-14) over Southwest Baptist Sept. 13 at Bolivar.

Graduate student Alana Moesch leads the Lion offense so far this season with 194 kills. Senior Fernanda Merancio has 142 kills and sophomore Addysen Alvis has 141.

Senior Hannah Allick leads Southern with 302 assists, while senior Mataiya Barber has chipped in with 153.

Moesch has 23 services aces, Allick has 20 and freshman Reagan Ashby has 12.

Defensively, senior Tori Hamilton has logged 220 digs, Moesch 120 and Allick 103.

Junior Hanna Lauterbach leads the team in blocks with 35. Merancio has 30 and sophomore Ella Breazeale has blocked the ball 21 times.

After the Lions two-match homestand this weekend they will hit the road again for three straight matches. Southern returns home Oct. 24 for a match against Central Missouri. That match kicks off an extended five-match homestand for the Lions.

Their final two matches of the regular season will be on the road against PSU and Newman.