HARROGATE, Tenn. – The Lady Railsplitters (8-1, 5-0 SAC) hit the road for a pair of South Atlantic Conference matches this weekend, facing the 10-time defending SAC champions and undefeated Wingate Bulldogs (12-0, 4-0 SAC) on Friday night before turning around for a Saturday afternoon scuffle with the Coker Cobras (6-4, 0-4 SAC).
 
Schedule/Game Day Links
 
Friday, September 23 at Wingate (7pm) Live Stats / Video
Saturday, September 24 at Coker (2pm) Live Stats / Video
 
Notes on the Lady Railsplitters:
 
-Lincoln Memorial extended its winning streak to eight games – the longest since the 2011 team's nine-game winning streak – on Tuesday night with a 3-1 triumph over the Mars Hill Lions at Mary Mars Gymnasium. The Lady Railsplitters dominated sets one and two, winning 25-13 and 25-10, but the gritty Lions fought off three different match points in the third set to keep the match alive. LMU made quick work of the Lions in that fourth frame, though, winning 25-12 to remain unbeaten in SAC play.
-Liz Brock (Lima, Ohio) had a season-high 15 kills to go along with a match-high 21 digs against Mars Hill. It was Brock's most kills in a match since producing a career-high 17 kills against Newberry on October 3, 2015. The Lima, Ohio native is ranked third on the team behind Kiera Holland (Columbia, S.C.) and Samantha Cash (New Carlisle, Ohio) in kills per set with 2.10.
-The Lady Railsplitters have hit above .200 in all eight matches during this eight-game winning streak. Lincoln Memorial hasn't surpassed the .200 clip in that many consecutive matches since the 1999 team went above the .200 mark in nine straight from September 11-25. The Lady Railsplitters are currently ranked second in the SAC in kills per set (12.79) and attack percentage (.234).
-There are only two teams with unblemished South Atlantic Conference records left standing, and those two teams will meet on Friday night when the Lady Railsplitters invade Cuddy Arena to face the Bulldogs. Lincoln Memorial has won eight straight and is 5-0 in SAC play, while Wingate is on a 12-game winning streak to start the 2016 campaign. Queens and Anderson are the only other SAC teams with just one loss in league play.
-Senior setter Abby Cash (New Carlisle, Ohio), who was recently profiled on HeroSports.com, is leading the SAC in assists per set with 9.79. She has been even in better in SAC play, where she is dishing out 10.24 assists per frame. Cash is also ranked 17th in the league in digs per set (3.29) and fourth in aces per set (0.41).
 
Notes on the Bulldogs:
 
-Wingate has been the bully on the playground for the last decade, as the Bulldogs have won 10 consecutive SAC regular-season titles and are a combined 165-5 in league play since 2007. Even more eye-popping, Wingate has won 301 of its last 324 matches in total. Wingate, who has made 11 straight NCAA Tournament appearances, is off and running once again in 2016, as seven of their 12 wins have come in straight sets.
-The Bulldogs breezed by the Newberry Wolves on Tuesday night in straight sets, winning by scores of 25-20, 25-20 and 25-21. Wingate hit .333 in the match while allowing the Wolves a mere .158 attack percentage.
-Wingate is tops in the SAC in nearly every major statistical category: kills (560), kills per set (13.33), hitting percentage (.243), assists (527), assists per set (12.55), service aces (75), aces per set (1.79) and total blocks (100). The Bulldogs have been every scarier at home than those numbers suggest, racking up 14.25 kills per set on a .332 attack percentage in four appearances at Cuddy Arena.
-Four different players are averaging at least two kills per set for the Bulldogs. Senior middle blocker Abby Saehler is putting up 3.41 kills per set on a .295 attack percentage to go along with 2.10 digs and 0.61 blocks per frame. Junior outside hitter Katie Bludau (2.74 kills/set, .203, 1.10 digs/set), sophomore outside Oakley Attaway (2.35 kills/set, 1.38 digs/set) and senior middle blocker Tyler Smith (2.03 kills/set, .276) have also played a major role for the Wingate attack. Freshman setter Rachel Alles leads the team with 9.75 assists per set, while junior Kori Adams has a team-best 4.63 digs per frame.
-The Bulldogs haven't lost at Cuddy Arena since dropping a five-set decision to Carson-Newman on November 1, 2014. Since that, Wingate has reeled off 24 straight home victories. The 'Dogs finished 16-0 at Cuddy Arena last season and are off to a 4-0 start there this season.
 
Notes on the Cobras:
 
-Coker is on the complete opposite end of the spectrum from Wingate, as the Cobras are 0-4 in SAC play and enter the weekend riding a three-game losing streak. Since joining the SAC in 2013, Coker is a combined 2-64 in league play.
-The Cobras suffered a lopsided 3-0 loss at Catawba on Tuesday night, falling by scores of 25-13, 25-11 and 25-20. Coker mustered just 24 kills on a .062 attack percentage while the Indians pounded out 44 kills on a .304 mark. No Cobra finished with more than five kills in the contest.
-Offense has been the primary issue for the Cobras. In SAC play, Coker is averaging just 10.07 kills per set with a .133 attack percentage. To be fair, Coker's first four SAC matches have come against Anderson, Wingate, Queens and Catawba, a quartet with a combined 12-5 mark in the league.
-Coker has six players averaging over 1.60 kills per set. Bethany Prochnow leads that group with 1.97 kills per set on a .262 clip, while Madison Bingle is putting up 1.92 kills and 2.16 digs per set. Christen Bragg (1.87 kills/set, 2.61 digs/set), Megan Hardy (1.71 kills/set), Alexis Berles (1.70 kills/set, 1.19 digs/set) and Greysen Newberry (1.67 kills/set) are also a part of that balanced group of hitters. Bragg and Taylor du Bray split duties at setter, as Bragg is leading the way with 5.74 assists per set while Bray is adding 3.89. Kara Overholt leads the Cobras with 4.05 digs per set.
-Against SAC opponents, the Cobras are allowing 13.87 kills per set on a .263 attack percentage. Coker averages just 1.84 blocks per set, which is the sixth-best mark in the league.
 
Series History:
 
-The Lady Railsplitters have never beaten Wingate, who is 20-0 in the all-time series. But there have been a number of close calls, including the semifinals of the 2015 SAC Championship, when Lincoln Memorial went up two sets to none before ultimately succumbing to the Bulldogs in five sets. That was the fourth five-set match in the series. Unfortunately, none of those close encounters have occurred on the road, as Lincoln Memorial's last six trips to Wingate have lasted only three sets.
-In last season's meeting in Wingate, the Bulldogs hit a ridiculous .551, collecting 53 kills with just four errors to steamroll the Lady Railsplitters out of Cuddy Arena. Holland has eight kills to lead LMU, while Smith led the Bulldogs with 12 kills and a .706 attack percentage.
-In stark contrast, the Lady Railsplitters are 6-0 all-time against Coker and have only lost three sets total in the series. Lincoln Memorial won 3-1 in Hartsville last season, an effort led by Holland's 12 kills.