HARROGATE, Tenn. -- The Lady Railsplitters (7-5, 3-1 SAC) take to the road for the fourth-consecutive weekend, traveling into the Tar Heel State for South Atlantic Conference duels against the Lenoir-Rhyne Bears (8-3, 2-2 SAC) and the Brevard Tornados (8-3, 2-2 SAC). Lincoln Memorial squares off against Lenoir-Rhyne Friday at 7 p.m. in Hickory, N.C. before wrapping up the weekend on 2 p.m. Saturday in Brevard.
 
The Lady Railsplitters will be looking to begin a new winning streak as their previous six-match flurry was struck down by the Tusculum Pioneers Tuesday evening in Mary Mars Gymnasium. It was a resilient effort for Lincoln Memorial in that match-up as they rallied from an 18-13 deficit in the fourth set to capture a thrilling 25-23 victory, which squared the match at 2-2. The Lady Railsplitters were ultimately overcome in the decisive fifth frame, though, as the Pioneers nabbed the point in four of the last six rallies in route to a 15-12 win.
 
An increase in productivity and efficiency continues to be a theme for the Lady Railsplitters' attack, which surpassed the .200 hitting percentage mark for the second-consecutive match Tuesday. Lincoln Memorial is hitting .173 as a team with an elevated .208 clip in its past six appearances. Errors have also posed problems, though, as the Lady Railsplitters have committed 65 reception errors this season with nine in that match-up against Tusculum. The Lady Railsplitters uniquely lead the conference in kills with 575 while ranking second in attack errors with 272.
 
Freshman Kiera Holland (Columbia, S.C.) enters the weekend having amassed 14 or more kills in five-consecutive matches, including 19 in Tuesday's loss to Tusculum. During that same span, the Columbia, S.C. native has added 10 or more digs to rack up five-straight double-doubles. Holland continues to lead the league in kills with 147 while her 3.20 kills per set is the fifth-highest number among SAC student-athletes. Sophomore Brooke Fleeman (Nashville, Tenn.) is also riding a streak of five-consecutive matches with 10 or more kills as she piled up 11 versus the Pioneers. Fleeman is averaging 2.46 kills per set with 113 total, while no other Lady Railsplitter has more than 70 kills.
 
The Lenoir-Rhyne Bears host the Lady Railsplitters Friday with hopes of getting back on track. The Bears had won seven-consecutive matches before dropping back-to-back straight-set decisions to Wingate and Anderson to fall even at 2-2 in SAC play. L-R is one of the elite defensive squads in the league, ranking first in digs per set (18.12) and solo blocks (20) while sitting in fourth with 83 total blocks. The offensive attack is producing 12.2 kills per set on a .190 attack percentage, the fifth-highest mark in the league.
 
Outside hitters Haley Rhyne and Ashley Wells front that offensive unit as Rhyne is contributing 2.58 kills per set on a cumulative .305 attack percentage. Rhyne is also the Bears' most productive blocker as she has accumulated 37 total blocks with 0.92 per set, the fourth-highest number in the SAC this season. Wells, meanwhile, is adding 2.38 kills per frame. Sophomore middle blocker Brooke Redmond has chipped in 2.25 kills and 2.50 digs per set. Junior setter Briana Gottberg has positioned herself as one of the most effective setters in the conference as she ranks third with 9.58 assists per set and second with 383 total. Gottberg has also contributed 2.90 digs per frame. Outside hitter Morgan Bunker leads the Bears with 3.80 digs a set.
 
The Lady Railsplitters hold a 10-8 edge in the all-time series with the Bears, but Lenoir-Rhyne won both regular-season matches in 2013. Lincoln Memorial dropped a five-set decision to L-R in Hickory, N.C. on October 12.
 
Brevard is trending in the opposite direction of Lenoir-Rhyne, as the Tornados started 0-2 in SAC play with straight-set losses to Anderson and Wingate before ripping off 3-0 wins over Coker and Newberry in back-to-back outings. With 11 freshmen on the roster, Brevard has averaged 12.29 kills per set with a .212 attack percentage, the fourth-highest mark in the league this season. The Tornados have accounted for the lowest number of block assists and total blocks in the SAC, but they are holding opponents to only a .108 attacking clip. 
 
Seven different players have compiled 20 or more kills this season for the Tornados, highlighted by freshmen Rachel Ruble and Whitney DeMoss. Ruble is contributing 2.74 kills per set, while DeMoss has added 2.33 a frame. Sophomore defensive specialist Aleksandra Vrvilo ranks fourth in the SAC with 4.92 digs per set and freshman Erin Barr has accounted for the fourth-most assists per set in the conference with an average of 9.20 to go along with 2.74 digs per frame.
 
The Lady Railsplitters have never lost to Brevard, carrying a 17-0 record since the two programs initially met in 2000. LMU has won nine of those 17 matches in straight sets. Lincoln Memorial needed all five sets last season to keep that unbeaten record alive as the Lady Railsplitters rallied from a 2-0 deficit to top the Tornados 3-2 on November 15 in Mary Mars Gymnasium.
 
Lincoln Memorial opens the weekend at 7 p.m. Friday against the Lenoir-Rhyne Bears in Hickory, N.C. The Lady Railsplitters head to Brevard, N.C. Saturday for a 2 p.m. tilt with the Tornados. Live stats will be provided for both of those matches, while Lenoir-Rhyne will have a video broadcast available for Friday's contest.  

Friday vs. Lenoir-Rhyne
Live Stats
Video
Saturday vs. Brevard
Live Stats