JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – An impressive opening set for the Lincoln Memorial University women's volleyball team gave the Lady Railsplitters a 1-0 lead against undefeated USC Aiken Friday afternoon in Jefferson City, Tennessee, as part of the South Atlantic Conference/Peach Belt Conference Challenge. However, the Pacers (16-0), who are receiving 26 votes in the latest American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Division II Top 25 poll, claimed the following three sets for a 3-1 win.
 
The Lady Railsplitters (4-10) limited USC Aiken to a .022 attack percentage in the first set and tallied 11 kills en route to gutting out a 25-23 win. Only the fifth match this season in which the Pacers have dropped a set, USC Aiken responded by earning a 25-20 set two victory before taking the third set, 25-21, and the fourth, 25-19.
 
Despite LMU's opening set success, the Lady Railsplitters were unable to contain the Pacers from registering 52 kills in the match as the Blue and Gray accumulated 37 kills across the four sets and attacked at a clip of .094. USC Aiken hit .169 for the afternoon, including attacking at an impressive mark of .333 in the fourth set with 19 kills.
 
LMU jumped out to a 7-4 lead in set one and took a 13-8 advantage following an 8-8 tie with a five-point run, which was punctuated with a kill from senior right side hitter Rylee Storms and a Pacer attack error. Another USC Aiken attack error gave the Lady Railsplitters a 16-10 lead before the Pacers got within two. USC Aiken would make it a one-point set at 20-19 after a Lady Railsplitter ball handling error, but a kill by freshman outside hitter Cate Hosenfeld put LMU ahead 24-21. Two points won by the Pacers got USC Aiken back within one at 24-23 prior to the Lady Railsplitters clinching the set on an attack error.
 
Trailing 1-0 in the match, the Pacers stormed out to a 5-0 lead in the second set before a service ace from senior outside hitter Lindsey Nartker capped a five-point run and knotted things up at five apiece. From there, USC Aiken pushed out to a nine-point, 21-12 advantage before LMU made a ferocious comeback. Down 22-13, the Lady Railsplitters won seven of the following eight points to make it a three-point set at 23-20 as back-to-back kills by junior middle hitter Yileen Ng He and Nartker closed out a five-point run. However, an LMU ball handling error and a Pacer ace tied up the match as USC Aiken took the second set.
 
Despite holding a 13-9 lead and later a 15-11 advantage in the third set, the Lady Railsplitters were unable to pull away from the Pacers late.
 
LMU put together a four-point run in the fourth set to take a 13-12 lead and went ahead 19-17 following a five-point run capped by kills from Storms and Hosenfeld. It would be the last lead for the Lady Railsplitters as USC Aiken ended the match on an 8-0 run.
 
Hosenfeld led the way for LMU with 13 kills with Nartker recording nine kills to go along with a season-high 18 digs and Storms providing six kills. Nartker also had a match-high five services aces, while Hosenfeld and freshman middle hitter Kaley Long each made a career-high five total blocks and sophomore setter Emily Walter posted a match-best 32 assists.
 
The Pacers got a match-high 19 kills from Alie Smith and another 10 kills from Kelsey Spurlin as Christine Carroll rose up for seven blocks and Alli Bell handed out 28 assists. Rebecca Martinez led USC Aiken's back line with 24 digs.
 
Up Next…
The Lady Railsplitters return to SAC/Peach Belt Conference Challenge play later this afternoon with a 5 p.m. match against the Peach Belt's Georgia College. Saturday, LMU will face both Lander and Augusta with a 1 p.m. tilt against the Bearcats and a 5 p.m. matchup with the Jaguars. Live statistics for all of the Lady Railsplitters' matches at the SAC/Peach Belt Conference Challenge can be followed here.

Stay tuned to LMURailsplitters.com, as well as LMU's social media platforms - @LMURailsplitter on Twitter, @LMURailsplitters on Facebook and @lmurailsplitters on Instagram, for complete coverage of Lady Railsplitter volleyball throughout the 2019 season.