HARROGATE, Tenn. – A pair of regionally-ranked opponents awaits the Lady Railsplitters this weekend when they close out Mary Mars Gymnasium with South Atlantic Conference matches against Mars Hill and Lenoir-Rhyne. 
 
Lincoln Memorial (14-7, 10-5 SAC) had its five-match winning streak snapped on Saturday with a 3-2 setback against Anderson, but enters the weekend ranked sixth in the initial NCAA Division II Southeast Region poll. The Lady Railsplitters are alone in third place in the SAC standings.
 
Mars Hill (14-10, 8-7 SAC) is currently fifth in the SAC and ninth in the region poll, but heads to Harrogate hoping to halt a season-long five-match losing streak that dates back to October 13. The Lions have lost 15 consecutive sets since winning set two against Wingate in the first match of that losing streak. 
 
Lenoir-Rhyne (17-7, 11-6 SAC) is fourth in the SAC and fifth in the region, as the Bears ride into the week with a four-match winning streak. They cruised past Coker on Tuesday in straight sets in the third match of a five-game road trip. 
 
The Basics 
 
Friday, October 26 vs. Mars Hill – 7pm
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Saturday, October 27 vs. Lenoir-Rhyne – 2pm
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Quick Hits 
 
- The Lady Railsplitters had a 2-1 lead against Anderson, but the Trojans rallied with a 25-21 win in set four and a 15-11 victory in set five to steal a five-set win in Harrogate on Saturday. LMU was efficient with a .177 attack percentage, but Anderson was better with a .268 clip and 71 kills compared to the Lady Railsplitters' 53. 
 
- Rylee Storms led Lincoln Memorial in the loss to Anderson with 15 kills, while Lindsey Nartker had 12. Storms leads the team in both total kills (210) and kills per set (2.80). Nartker is second on the team in total kills with 140 and third in kills per set with 2.12. 
 
- The Lady Railsplitters will celebrate Senior Day before Friday's match against Mars Hill, honoring Tone Gill, Danielle Ged, Kai Wesemann, Erica Whiteaker and Danielle Stachura. 
 
- The initial NCAA Division II Southeast Region rankings – the official poll that determines seeding for the NCAA tournament – was released on Wednesday with the Lady Railsplitters slotted at No. 6. The top-eight teams from each region earn bids to the NCAA tournament, which LMU is hoping to make for the second time in three years. 
 
- The Lady Railsplitters are 10-2 at Mary Mars Gym this season. Only Wingate and Anderson have been able to beat LMU at home and those two teams have a combined 47-3 record. 
 
- LMU wraps up the regular season with four matches against teams ranked in the region poll. Along with this weekend, the Lady Railsplitters will travel to 10th-ranked Carson-Newman and top-ranked Wingate. 
 
- Whiteaker is second in the conference in digs per set with 6.71, which is on pace to shatter her own single-season program record of 6.46 from the 2017 season. She is fourth in the SAC in total digs with 503 and needs 175 more to tie her program record of 678.
 
Notes on Mars Hill 
 
- The Lions suffered their fourth consecutive straight-set loss on Tuesday at Wingate, falling by scores of 25-15, 25-18 and 25-20. Wingate racked up 53 kills on a .261 attack percentage, while Mars Hill mustered just 25 kills. 
 
- Mars Hill has fallen off the map offensively in October. After averaging well over 12 kills per set in August and September, the Lions are averaging just 10.83 in October on a .149 attack percentage. 
 
- The duo of Sally Anne Johnson and Elizabeth Kaeser leads the Lions offensively. Johnson has produced a team-high 225 kills and 2.62 per set on a scorching .314 attack percentage, while Kaeser is averaging 2.37 kills per set on a paltry .106 clip. Maddie Spurgeon (1.98) and Sarah Goddard (1.97) are also right at two kills per frame.
 
- Mars Hill has two of the better defensive players in the conference in Johnson and Ully Martins. Johnson is ranked third in the SAC in total blocks (94) and blocks per set (1.09), while defensive specialist Martins is third in the league in digs (509) and digs per set (5.92). 
 
- With Martins leading the charge, Mars Hill is ranked second in the conference with 21.53 digs per set. The Lions are also first in solo blocks with 49. Despite that, opposing offenses are averaging 12.64 kills per set against the Mars Hill defensive unit. 
 
- The Lions are 4-4 in road matches this season, but have lost four straight away matches since their last road victory on October 6 at Carson-Newman. 
 
Notes on Lenoir-Rhyne 
 
- After losing four of five to start the month of October, Lenoir-Rhyne has won four straight. The Bears picked up that fourth straight victory on Tuesday with a 27-25, 25-15, 25-21 win at Coker. L-R hit a sizzling .280 and piled up 44 kills with only nine errors in the triumph. 
 
- The Bears are one of the most efficient offensive teams in the SAC, ranking third in the league with a .194 collective attack percentage. L-R has been even better in that department of late, hitting .201 across nine appearances in October. 
 
- Senior outside hitter Angelica Arroyo and sophomore outside Taylor Prall have been monsters for the Bears. Arroyo has produced 3.55 kills per set on a .212 average, while Prall has piled up 3.00 kills per set on a .200 mark. Hannah Houston (2.23) and Jaclyn Denny (1.85) have also been productive attackers. 
 
- Setter Helen Hamilton is one of the best at her position in the SAC, ranking third in the league with 10.3 assists per set to go with 2.52 digs per frame. She has also piled up 23 aces. 
 
- L-R is third in the SAC in total blocks (184) and blocks per set (2.14) but leads the conference with 60 block errors. Opponents have managed just 11.69 kills per set on a .144 clip against the Bear defense. 
 
- The Bears are 5-5 on the road this season and have won the first three matches of their current five-game road trip in straight sets. 
 
Series History 
 
- Lincoln Memorial lost to both Mars Hill and Lenoir-Rhyne to wrap up the month of September, falling in four sets at Mars Hill and in straight sets at L-R. 
 
- The Lady Railsplitters are 26-9 all-time against Mars Hill, including 13-2 at Mary Mars Gym. LMU has won its last six home matches against the Lions. 
 
- L-R holds a 16-12 edge in that all-time series. The Bears have really dominated the series of late with wins in 10 of the last 12 meetings, including a run of three straight dating back to September 2017.