HARROGATE, Tenn. -- As the end of the year approaches, the Lincoln Memorial University athletics department is counting down the top 20 moments of 2015. Coming in at No. 13 is a monumental win for the Lady Railsplitter volleyball team in one of the more memorable nights at Mary Mars Gymnasium in recent memory.
 
The Lady Railsplitters welcomed arch-rival Carson-Newman to Harrogate on October 27 looking to pick up any little bit of momentum. On paper, it didn't look like it would happen on that night, though, as Lincoln Memorial entered the match at 10-11 on the season with losses in five of its last seven matches, while Carson-Newman was riding a seven-match winning streak with a 21-3 overall record. 
 
But sports aren't played on paper.
 
With fresh memories still lingering from the Lady Railsplitters' heartbreaking five-set loss at Carson-Newman a little more than a month earlier, Lincoln Memorial rallied behind an absolutely raucous crowd of more than 900 spectators to pound the Eagles in straight sets by scores of 25-12, 25-20 and 25-17.
 
Following the match, LMU head volleyball coach Jenny Michael had this to say: "We've had great weekday crowds all season and tonight was no exception. It was a great night to be a college student-athlete. This is what these girls came here for: to be a part of this type of environment. As coaches, we get caught up in the wins and losses, but it's really more about the experience, and tonight was a great experience."
 
That win was noteworthy for a number of reasons, as it marked Carson-Newman's first South Atlantic Conference road loss since the 2013 season and snapped LMU's three-match losing streak against the Eagles. The Lady Railsplitters also recorded their highest single-match hitting percentage since the 2013 campaign, amassing 42 kills and just eight errors for a .358 attack percentage. That was the most efficient offensive output a Carson-Newman team has allowed to any opponent since 2010, as the Lady Railsplitters swept the Eagles for the first time in two seasons.
 
Kiera Holland (Columbia, S.C.) led all players with 15 kills on a .500 attack percentage.
 
The Lady Railsplitters would go on to win five of their next seven matches before falling in a five-set thriller to 10-time defending South Atlantic Conference tournament champions Wingate in the semifinal round of the league championship.
 
Carson-Newman went on to win the 2015 NCAA Division II Southeast Regional and become the second SAC program to make an appearance in the NCAA Elite Eight, where their season ended in a four-set loss to Wayne State.


 
The top 20 moments of 2015 countdown continues on Friday with moment No. 12.

Relive the top 20 moments of 2015
No. 20 - Senior Day Surprise
No. 19 - Doubles Dominance
No. 18 - SAC Cross Country Championship Comes to Town
No. 17 - Elliott Shines in SAC Track and Field Championship
No. 16 - Baseball Takes Two from Carson-Newman in Dramatic Fashion
No. 15 - Vasilyeva Wins 10th Straight Singles Match
No. 14 - 4x400 Relay Team Takes Second in SAC Championship