Lincoln Memorial University Athletics

AIKEN, S.C. -- The Lady Railsplitters (8-8) played their cleanest match of the season - committing a season-low eight attack errors - but came up against an absolute buzzsaw in a straight-set loss to the USC Aiken Pacers (15-3) in the Peach Belt/South Atlantic Conference Challenge finale on Saturday in Aiken, S.C. Lincoln Memorial lost the match by set scores of 25-18, 25-21 and 25-19, completing the weekend with a 1-2 record.
 
Lincoln Memorial produced 38 kills on a .242 attack percentage while making just eight mistakes in the attack. That was the Lady Railsplitters' third-most efficient offensive performance of the season and their fewest miscues in a match since a three-set win (5) over Coker in 2013.
 
That's an effort that would normally be represented positively in the win-loss column, but Saturday's match was an exception, as the Pacers put on a show offensively. USC Aiken compiled a ridiculous 58 kills in the three-set match on a .318 attack percentage. They accomplished that in spite of the Lady Railsplitters' 10 block assists and two solo blocks.
 
Liz Brock (Lima, Ohio) led the Lady Railsplitters with an error-free 10 kills on a .385 attack percentage. She added four digs and a block assists. Brooke Fleeman (Nashville, Tenn.) had eight kills on a .304 attack percentage with four digs. Casey Mense (Littleton, Colo.) and Jazzy Oates (Franklin, Tenn.) had five kills apiece, while Mense also contributed 12 digs. Abby Cash (New Carlisle, Ohio) put up 21 assists and eight digs, while Bristol Snider (Chattanooga, Tenn.) registered 12 assists and eight digs. Erica Whiteaker (Kingston Springs, Tenn.) posted a team-leading 14 digs.
 
Six kills and a service ace comprised a 7-1 run for the Pacers to open the first set. The home team built off of that early lead and continued to assert its will as the set waned on, pulling in front 14-5 on a kill by Aly Johnson. A kill by Danielle Ged (Smyrna, Tenn.) and an Aiken attack error helped the Lady Railsplitters trim the deficit to seven points at 19-11, but the Pacers used a 3-0 flurry late in the set fueled by kills from Ashley Lind and Taylor Stratton to take a 23-13 lead. Johnson capped Aiken's 25-18 win with a kill. A microcosm of the match as a whole, 20 of the Pacers' 25 points in the set came via the kill.
 
The Lady Railsplitters couldn't have asked for a better effort in the second set, accounting for 15 kills, a .295 attack percentage and only two errors, but the Pacers offset that by collecting 19 kills. A kill by Oates put Lincoln Memorial in front 9-8 early in the frame, but two kills and a service ace gave USC Aiken an 11-9 edge. The Lady Railsplitters dominated the next passage of play though, building a 20-17 advantage following a kill from Mense and a Stratton attack error. LMU would get just one point the rest of the way, however, as the Pacers ended the set on an 8-1 run carried by six kills to win the frame 25-21.
 
The Lady Railsplitters once again held a 9-8 advantage in the third set but found themselves trailing 14-11 after a kill by Johnson. Brock cut the deficit to two points with a kill, but the Pacers won eight of the next nine rallies to build a commanding 22-13 cushion. USC Aiken went on to claim the match with a 25-19 victory.
 
Aly Johnson, Shawn Hotson and Ashley Diedrich compiled 11 kills apiece to lead the USC Aiken attack. Johnson reached that mark on only 16 attempts, finishing with a .688 attack percentage. Taylor Stratton added nine kills, while Ashley Lind had eight. Emily Teelon produced a match-high 31 assists to go along with 12 digs. Katie Toman was one of four Pacers with double-digit digs, leading all players with 21.
 
The Lady Railsplitters slipped to 3-3 in the all-time series against USC Aiken and lost the second straight-set match to the Pacers this season.
 
Next on tap, Lincoln Memorial heads to Brevard, N.C. on Friday, October 16 for a South Atlantic Conference battle against the Brevard Tornados, set for a 7 p.m. first serve.