HARROGATE, Tenn. – Four players registered double-digit kills for the Lady Railsplitters in a 3-1 win over the Anderson Trojans in South Atlantic Conference volleyball action on Saturday afternoon at Mary Mars Gymnasium. Lincoln Memorial (18-4, 12-2 SAC) defeated Anderson (13-11, 10-6 SAC), who entered Saturday's match having won four of its last five, by scores of 25-17, 25-23, 23-25 and 25-21.
The Lady Railsplitters bounced back from Friday night's heartbreaking loss to Newberry behind an efficient and balanced offensive attack. Lincoln Memorial hit .250 in the contest while racking up 61 kills. That was substantially better than the effort put forth by Anderson, who accounted for 53 kills on a .160 clip.
Samantha Cash (New Carlisle, Ohio) led the way for Lincoln Memorial, finishing just three assists and two digs away from a triple-double, as she racked up 13 kills on a .379 clip with seven assists and eight scoops.
Kiera Holland (Columbia, S.C.) also produced 13 kills with a pair of digs, while
Liz Brock (Lima, Ohio) tallied 12 kills and seven digs.
Tone Gill (Nashville, Tenn.) also finished in double figures with 11 kills on just 17 attempts for a .588 percent mark. She also contributed a game-leading six block assists.
Jamie Jehne (Hollywood, Fla.) pitched in seven kills.
Setter
Abby Cash (New Carlisle, Ohio) racked up 43 assists and 11 digs, while
Erica Whiteaker (Kingston Springs, Tenn.) led the way with 18 digs.
Marissa Mitter was the lone Anderson player to put up double-digit kills, amassing a game-high 17 to go along with nine digs. Kathryn Hughes chipped in nine kills, while Serena Jackson tallied seven. Emily Conlin posted 38 assists and 11 digs, while Emily Conard led all players in the match with 24 digs.
The Lady Railsplitters held sway early in the first set, establishing a 10-6 lead following an Emily Conlin attack error. A Conlin service ace closed the gap to 10-8, but Lincoln Memorial won eight of the next 11 points to push ahead 18-11 on a Whiteaker ace. The Lady Railsplitters' lead held at seven points later in the set, as Jehne made it 21-14 with a kill. LMU ended the frame on a 4-0 run, capped by a solo block from Gill.
The same section of the second set proved to be a turning point for the Lady Railsplitters again in set two, as LMU used a 5-1 flurry to build a 13-9 edge on a kill from Gill. Lincoln Memorial was still firmly in control of the set with a 21-16 lead following a Holland kill, but the Trojans ripped off five unanswered points over the next passage to draw it even at 21 apiece. After trading points, the two teams were tied at 23-23 until a kill by Gill and an Anderson attack error clinched the 25-23 win for LMU.
The third frame was all knotted up at 13-13 immediately after a kill by Brock, however, the Trojans captured six of the next seven points to establish a commanding 19-14 lead on kills from Mitter and Jackson. The Lady Railsplitters fought back and cut it to 19-18 on an ace by
Abby Cash, but Anderson never relinquished the lead. LMU closed to within one point three times down the stretch, but Jackson forced a fourth set with a kill that completed the Trojans' 25-23 win.
The Trojans carried that momentum into the fourth frame, using a 10-0 run on the serve of Jackson to push out to a 14-6 lead. However, the Lady Railsplitters kept up the fight, making it 14-10 with a quick 4-0 spurt. The Trojans answered with a 4-0 run of their own, increasing the lead to 18-10 in the process, but the Lady Railsplitters closed out the set with a dominant 15-3 run. Sam Cash had four kills and Brock had three over that span, which provided the Lady Railsplitters with a stunning 25-21 match-clinching victory.
The Lady Railsplitters return to action on Tuesday, October 25 when they head over to Mars Hill, N.C. to battle the Mars Hill Lions for a SAC match beginning at 7 p.m.
