HARROGATE, TN – On Senior Night 2019, the Lincoln Memorial University women's volleyball team turned in one of its finest performances of the fall as the Lady Railsplitters picked up their third consecutive victory with a straight-set win over visiting Lenoir-Rhyne inside Mary Mars Gymnasium Friday. Attacking at a clip of .224 and holding the Bears (15-12, 10-9) to a .000 hitting percentage, the Lady Railsplitters (9-17, 8-11) honored seniors Abby Higgins, Kaylee Stone, Rylee Storms and Lindsey Nartker by claiming their fifth 3-0 triumph of 2019.
 
Picking up its eighth South Atlantic Conference win on the season, LMU registered at least 12 kills in each set and did not allow Lenoir-Rhyne to get more than 20 points in any of the three stanzas. After a 25-20 opening set, the Lady Railsplitters took the second by an impressive 25-11 count and clinched the match with a 25-16 third set.
 
LMU accumulated 38 kills in the affair, made nine blocks and dug out 63 Bear attacks as Lenoir-Rhyne was able to manage just 25 kills.
 
Racing out to a 13-4 lead in set one, the Lady Railsplitters withstood a 7-3 run by the Bears and built their lead to 23-14 with a pair of Lenoir-Rhyne errors and a kill from outside hitter Nartker. The Bears would make things a little interesting, claiming the following four points and getting within four at 24-20. However, freshman outside hitter Cate Hosenfeld laid down a kill to wrap up the set for LMU.
 
After losing two of the first three points of the second set, the Lady Railsplitters went on a 18-5 tear to pull out in front by 12 at 19-7. Lenoir-Rhyne would win just four points for the remainder of the set as kills from Hosenfeld, Nartker and junior middle hitter Yileen Ng He, coupled with a pair of Bear attack errors, gave LMU a 2-0 lead in the match.
 
Lenoir-Rhyne snagged the first five points of set three and led 6-1 before the Lady Railsplitters began to play more inspired volleyball. LMU won five-straight points to tie the set up at six-all and got two errors from the Bears and a kill from Hosenfeld in order to take its first lead at 10-9. Trailing once again at 12-11, the Lady Railsplitters rattled off five points in a row to pull in front 16-12. After Lenoir-Rhyne won three of the following four points, LMU went on 7-0 run earning match point at 24-15. Fittingly, Nartker rose up for a kill to finish off the match after the Bears got one last point.
 
Nartker led the way for the Lady Railsplitters with her seventh double-double of the season, tallying a match-best 12 kills and making 12 digs. Hosenfeld chipped in nine kills and Ng He provided eight kills and a career-high seven total blocks. Sophomore setter Emily Walter assisted on 37 of LMU's 38 kills and junior libero Sarah Jones earned 20 digs. Hosenfeld also had 14 digs and Storms recorded four total blocks.
 
Lenoir-Rhyne's Taylor Prall and Alannah Thomas both reached seven kills, while Jackie Denny and Thomas combined for seven total blocks. Helen Hamilton handed out a team-high 15 assists for the Bears and Ashley Hawkins posted 13 digs.
 
Up Next…
The Lady Railsplitters wrap up their 2019 home slate Saturday afternoon at 2 p.m. when they host Mars Hill. The match could quite possible be LMU's final women's volleyball match played in Mary Mars Gym as a new indoor volleyball and basketball facility is under construction in the valley. Next weekend, the Lady Railsplitters close out the regular season on the road, traveling to Catawba Friday, Nov. 15 for a 7 p.m. first serve and taking on Queens in Charlotte Saturday, Nov. 16 at 2 p.m.

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.