NEWBERRY, S.C. -- The Lady Railsplitters (13-13, 10-10 SAC) suffered a 23-25, 21-25, 25-27 setback to the Newberry Wolves (10-15, 6-13 SAC) in South Atlantic Conference volleyball action on Saturday in Newberry, S.C.
 
Statistically, the match was played to a virtual stalemate, but the Wolves were incrementally better. And that made all of the difference in a match that was decided by only eight total points over three sets.
 
Lincoln Memorial finished with 44 kills, 17 attack errors and a .243 attack percentage while Newberry also had 44 kills but committed only 12 errors and hit .281. The Lady Railsplitters also gave away 15 points in service with nine service errors and six reception miscues. The Wolves only surrendered 10 such points with six serving errors and four receiving errors. The Lady Railsplitters out-dug (48-44) and out-blocked (6-5) the Wolves, though.
 
Danielle Ged (Smyrna, Tenn.) and Liz Brock (Lima, Ohio) led Lincoln Memorial offensively with nine kills apiece. Ged accumulated her nine kills without an error on just 18 attempts for a .500 hitting percentage while also matching her career-high with four block assists. Brock hit .200 to go along with 10 digs and three aces. Brooke Fleeman (Nashville, Tenn.) contributed seven kills and a pair of block assists while Kiera Holland (Columbia, S.C.) and Jazzy Oates (Franklin, Tenn.) had six kills apiece. Abby Cash (New Carlisle, Ohio) had 35 assists and seven digs, and Erica Whiteaker (Kingston Springs, Tenn.) led the Lady Railsplitters with a match-high 15 digs to go along with five assists.
 
The first set featured 12 ties and five lead changes as the Lady Railsplitters and Wolves battled back and forth, but Newberry outdueled Lincoln Memorial down the stretch to grab an early 1-0 lead.
 
A kill by Holland put the Lady Railsplitters out to an early 8-6 lead in that set, but Newberry authored an 7-2 run over the next passage of play, capped by an LMU attack error, to take a 13-10 lead. Three kills and a service ace fueled a 5-0 run for the Lady Railsplitters, who regained a 15-13 advantage, but Newberry would fight back and pull ahead 22-19 on an ace by Mary Siebert. Kills by Brock, Fleeman and Ged helped Lincoln Memorial knot the set at 22 apiece before the Wolves won three of the last four points to nab set one 25-23. The Lady Railsplitters outhit Newberry 17-12 in the set, but Lincoln Memorial committed five more attack errors (6-1).
 
The Lady Railsplitters jumped out to a 9-7 lead in set two after back-to-back Newberry attack errors, and their lead grew to three points at 13-10 on a Kensley Jordan service error. However, the Wolves would use four kills from Samantha De Jong to pace a 9-2 run to catapult in front 19-15. Lincoln Memorial clawed back within one at 22-21 after two straight Newberry attack miscues, but the Wolves finished the set on a 3-0 run to win it 25-21.
 
The third set was another back-and-forth affair that included 12 ties and six lead changes, but Newberry would get the better of the Lady Railsplitters late once again to claim the straight-set victory.
 
Neither team led by more than three points in the set as the Lady Railsplitters and Wolves met in a 20-20 stalemate following a kill by Casey Mense (Littleton, Colo.). Mense then put another ball away in the following possession to give LMU a brief 21-20 lead, but Newberry won the next two points to grab a 22-21 edge. The Lady Railsplitters would never lead again in the set as they fought off match point on two separate occasions before a kill by Alexis Bryant and an LMU attack error ended the set 27-25 in Newberry's favor.
 
De Jong led all players with 12 kills and a .556 attack percentage while Logan Hayward had eight kills and 10 digs and Bryant contributed eight kills. Siebert added seven kills, three aces and nine digs. Rachel Moran (20) and Maggie Marsh (15) combined for 35 assists while Jordan led the Wolves with 12 digs.
 
The Lady Railsplitters return to Mary Mars Gymnasium on Tuesday to face Tusculum in the 2015 home finale. First serve is set for 7 p.m., but Lincoln Memorial will celebrate Senior Day before that with a pre-match ceremony.
 
Quick Hits
Lincoln Memorial lost, Catawba won and Queens stood pat on Saturday, slipping the Lady Railsplitters into sole possession of sixth place in the South Atlantic Conference standings with two matches remaining in the regular season...The Lady Railsplitters lost in straight sets to Newberry for the first time in 23 all-time meetings with the Wolves - LMU also lost in Newberry, S.C. for the first time since October 4, 2008, snapping a six-match road winning streak in the series