HARROGATE, Tenn. -- The Lady Railsplitters (5-4, 1-0 SAC) extended their season-long winning streak to four in the home and South Atlantic Conference opener on Tuesday at Mary Mars Gymnasium, topping the visiting Mars Hill Lions (1-7, 0-1 SAC) 3-1 in Harrogate, Tenn. Lincoln Memorial won by set scores of 27-25, 25-22, 23-25 and 25-23.
 
Freshman outside hitter Kiera Holland (Columbia, S.C.) collected a match-high 17 kills on 52 attempts to lead the Lady Railsplitter attack, adding 11 digs to record the double-double. For the fourth time in her last five matches, sophomore right side Brooke Fleeman (Nashville, Tenn.) logged double-figure kills, posting 11 with a .300 attack percentage. Graduate student MaRanda Boddie (Springfield, Ohio) was a force at the net, accumulating eight kills, two solo blocks and five block assists. Kendra Gephart (Morrow, Ohio) posted seven kills - four in the decisive fourth set - to go along with a team-leading 19 digs. The reigning South Atlantic Conference Specialist of the Week Abby Cash (New Carlisle, Ohio) turned in yet another double-double with 45 assists and 12 scoops. Casey Mense (Littleton, Colo.) and Bristol Snider (Chattanooga, Tenn.) contributed 18 and 13 digs, respectively.
 
Three-straight kills from Kiera Holland carried the Lady Railsplitters to an early 8-5 lead in the opening set, a lead which would eventually move to 13-8 on back-to-back Mars Hill attacking errors. The Lions closed the gap to 14-13 following kills by Mary Kate Griffin and Lauren Hochstetler, but the Lady Railsplitters ripped off a 5-1 run, capped with another Holland kill, to propel to a 19-14 advantage. Lincoln Memorial clung to a 23-21 lead late in the set before a Hochstetler kill and an LMU attacking error knotted the set at 23-23. The Lady Railsplitters and Lions traded points in each of the next four rallies, meeting in a 25-25 stalemate. But, a MaRanda Boddie kill and another Mars Hill attacking blunder ended the set in LMU's favor 27-25.
 
The Lions opened up a 9-6 lead early in set two following a Devon Felts kill and an LMU attack error. The Lady Railsplitters responded hastily, though, as four different players contributed kills and three Lion errors paced a 7-1 run that propped Lincoln Memorial to a 13-10 advantage. Mars Hill bounced back with a 4-0 run later in the set to regain the lead at 15-14, a cushion they extended to 19-17 with Sara Fahrenbrook's kill. The Lions undid themselves down the stretch, committing four various errors and allowing two service aces as the Lady Railsplitters fought back to take a 23-20 lead. Boddie finished off the 25-22 set victory with a kill.
 
In a near repeat of the second frame, the Lady Railsplitters found themselves facing a 9-6 deficit in set three following an attacking miscue. That deficit quickly vanished as Lincoln Memorial went on a 9-3 run, bookended by kills from Allison McKinnon (Missouri City, Texas) and Kara Solek (Denver, N.C.), to assume command at 15-12. The Lions worked back to tie the frame at 15 apiece, but the Lady Railsplitters kept them at arm's length, eventually extending the lead to 23-19 on a Hochstetler attack error. Lincoln Memorial was unable to close it out, though, as Mars Hill ended the frame on a 6-0 rally, paced by four LMU attacking errors, to capture the set 25-23.
 
The Lady Railsplitters moved on from that disappointing finish by taking the first four points of set three, eventually pressing out to a 9-5 lead on a kill by Solek. Three-consecutive Holland attacking miscues helped the Lions work back to tie the set at 11, but the Lady Railsplitters used a Holland kill and a Mars Hill attack error to regain their foothold 15-13. Mars Hill opened up a 4-1 rally over the ensuing passage of play to take a 17-16 lead, but the Lady Railsplitters earned some breathing room with a 5-0 rally in response. The Lions pulled to within one on four occasions down the stretch, making it a 24-23 contest on a Rebecca Butler kill. But, Fleeman finished off the Lions with a kill in the following possession.
 
Mary Kate Griffin led the Lions with 16 kills and 10 digs, while Lauren Hochstetler accounted for 12 kills and 14 digs and Rebecca Butler tallied 12 kills and a game-high 26 scoops. Setter Sara Fahrenbrook was one of four Lions with a double-double as she notched 40 assists and 17 digs.
 
The Lady Railsplitters collected 57 kills with 27 errors on 185 attempts for a .162 attack percentage, while the Lions racked up 53 kills, 26 errors, 173 attempts and a .156 attack percentage.
 
Lincoln Memorial hits the road this weekend for its first South Atlantic Conference trip, traveling to Catawba on Friday, September 19 before finishing up the week at Queens on Saturday. The Lady Railsplitters' match against the Catawba Indians is set for a 7 p.m. first serve in Salisbury, N.C.