HARROGATE, Tenn. -- Trying for their first win in Mars Hill, N.C. since the 2011 campaign, the Lady Railsplitters (13-9, 9-5 SAC) travel to the Tar Heel State Tuesday for a 7 p.m. South Atlantic Conference draw against the Mars Hill Lions (7-14, 6-8 SAC).
 
Lincoln Memorial is 19-8 all-time against the Lions, which includes a 3-1 win in the home opener of the 2014 campaign back on September 26, but Mars Hill has knocked off the Lady Railsplitters in back-to-back seasons at Stanford Arena. The Lions snagged a 3-1 victory in 2013 to build off of a straight-set triumph in 2012.
 
The Lady Railsplitters have gone 3-0 since the start of the second round of South Atlantic Conference play, topping Tusculum and Catawba in straight sets while holding on for a 3-2 win over Queens. Behind that mini flurry, Lincoln Memorial has moved into a tie for fourth in the SAC standings, just one game out of third place.
 
A revitalized offensive attack paired with a stingier defensive unit has been at the root of the Lady Railsplitters' turnaround. LMU has hit at a better than .200 rate in four of its last five matches, including a season-high .317 mark in Saturday's win over Queens. Over that same span, the Lady Railsplitters have allowed only one opponent to cross the .200 threshold. Since allowing Lenoir-Rhyne to rack up a .356 mark on September 26, the Lady Railsplitters have surrendered a .170 hitting percentage or better only twice. The Lady Railsplitters have committed 20 or more errors in a match just twice in their last 10 appearances, while seven different opponents have done just that during that stretch.
 
The Lady Railsplitters boast five players averaging at least 1.50 kills per set with freshman Kiera Holland (Columbia, S.C.) and sophomore Brooke Fleeman (Nashville, Tenn.) leading the way. Holland has racked up 2.98 kills per frame while Fleeman is contributing 2.56. Graduate student MaRanda Boddie (Springfield, Ohio) and senior Allison Beavers (Tomball, Texas) are adding 1.65 and 1.64 kills per set, respectively, while junior Jazzy Oates (Franklin, Tenn.) has pitched in 1.55 a frame. Oates' resurgence has been vital to the Lady Railsplitters as the Franklin, Tenn. native has collected double-digit kills in three of her last five appearances after doing so only twice through the first 17 matches of the season.
 
Belying their record, the Mars Hill Lions are a dangerous unit that has been plagued by the up-and-down play of underclassmen in significant roles. With a squad featuring two freshman outside hitters, a sophomore/freshman setting duo and another sophomore pin player, the Lions have swept Newberry already this season while taking second-place Carson-Newman to five sets. Efficiency in the attack has handcuffed Mars Hills, though, as its offensive unit is hitting .129 (second-worst in the SAC) with 489 total errors, trailing only Newberry for the league lead in that category.
 
Freshman Rebecca Butler leads the Lions with 2.83 kills per set and 232 total kills while also contributing the second-most digs among the team with an average of 3.13 per set. Butler has collected at least 13 kills in four consecutive matches. Sophomore Mary Kate Griffin is contributing 2.77 kills per frame with 224 total. Griffin has two 20-plus kill matches in her last three appearances. Freshman Lauren Hochstetler is also factoring in at least two kills per set with 2.44. She sits at an even 200 total kills for the season. Sophomore Andie Russell has accumulated 9.32 assists per set, while freshman Sara Fahrenbrook has pitched in 6.83 per frame. The only veteran playing a leading role for the Lions is libero Christen Nicholson, who buoys the defense with 4.43 digs per set.
 
The Lady Railsplitters and Lions are scheduled to get underway at 7 p.m. Tuesday in Mars Hill, N.C. The Mars Hill Sports Information Department will be providing both live stats and a video broadcast of that contest.

Live Stats
Video