JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – After a hard-fought battle with an undefeated USC Aiken squad, the Lincoln Memorial University women's volleyball team took on Georgia College Friday evening in Jefferson City, Tennessee, on day one of the South Atlantic Conference/Peach Belt Conference Challenge hosted by Carson-Newman University. The Lady Railsplitters (4-11) earned a 25-18 set three win but was handed a 3-1 loss by Georgia College for LMU's second four-set defeat of the day.
 
The Bobcats (6-7) notched back-to-back 25-22 set wins to begin the match, tallying 12 and 15 kills, respectively, before being slowed down in the third. The Lady Railsplitters accumulated 56 kills across the four sets for their second-highest kill total of the season and made at least 12 kills in each set. Attacking at a clip of .302, Georgia College claimed 16 kills en route to a 25-21 set four triumph to seal the match.
 
A service ace from junior libero Sarah Jones put LMU up 8-5 in the opening set before a three-point Lady Railsplitter run made it a 17-16 set in favor of the Blue and Gray. Moments later, a kill from freshman outside hitter Cate Hosenfeld and a Bobcat attack error gave LMU a one-point advantage at 21-20, but Georgia College won five of the following six points to take the first set.
 
Trailing 13-9 in the second set, the Lady Railsplitters put together a five-point run to pull in front 14-13. Kills by senior outside hitter Lindsey Nartker and junior middle hitter Yileen Ng He gave LMU one-point advantages at 15-14 and 16-15 but the Lady Railsplitters would not hold a lead for the remainder of the set. LMU got within one at 19-18 and 21-20 but a pair of Bobcat kills and two Lady Railsplitter attack errors gave Georgia College a two-set lead.
 
Rushing out to a 7-2 lead in the third set, LMU recovered from a seven-point Bobcat run and went ahead 16-13 with kills from senior right side hitter Rylee Storms and Ng He and a pair of Georgia College attack errors. The Lady Railsplitters would remain in control for the rest of the set and clinch it with kills two from Hosenfeld and another Bobcat attack error, hitting at .222 for the set and owning 17 kills.
 
Georgia College took an 8-3 lead to begin the fourth set and extended its advantage to 12-5 before LMU responded with a three-point run. The Bobcats stayed in front by a comfortable margin until a 9-3 run by the Lady Railsplitters knotted up the set at 20-all. However, Georgia College claimed five of the following six points to thwart LMU's best efforts to force a fifth set.
 
Once again, Hosenfeld led the way for the Lady Railsplitters, totaling 14 kills followed by Ng He's 12 and Storms and Nartker's eight kills apiece. Jones added a trio of service aces and match-best 29 digs, while Ng He and Storms combined for seven total blocks and sophomore setter Emily Walter contributed a match-high 44 assists.
 
Libby Bochniak led the Bobcats with 15 kills as both Sarah Mangan and Sarah Stewart recorded nine kills each. Georgia College got six total blocks from both Mangan and Emily Crowell with Emma Boughner providing five. Emily Long assisted on 42 of the Bobcats' 52 kills and Jordyn Moellering made a team-high 28 digs.
 
Up Next…
The Lady Railsplitters return to SAC/Peach Belt Conference Challenge competition Saturday afternoon with another pair of contests against Peach Belt opponents. LMU will face Lander at 1 p.m. before taking on Augusta at 5 p.m. 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.