HICKORY, N.C. – Closing out a lengthy fourth-match South Atlantic Conference road swing Saturday afternoon at Lenoir-Rhyne University, the Lincoln Memorial University women's volleyball team played its second close tilt of the weekend inside Shuford Memorial Gymnasium in Hickory, North Carolina. After the host Bears (4-3, 4-3 SAC) eked out a 26-24 opening set, the Lady Railsplitters (2-4, 2-4 SAC) made an improbable comeback in the second set to even the match with a 25-18 set win. Lenoir-Rhyne then held on for 25-12 and 25-18 set three and set four triumphs.
 
Behind junior opposite hitter Gabriela Abreu's career-high 17 kills and freshman middle blocker Richlyn Ross' career-best 11 kills, LMU totaled 49 kills off a .166 attack across the four sets. However, the Bears tallied 57 kills while swinging at a .255 clip and led the match in both service aces (7) and total team blocks (10). Lenoir-Rhyne attacked at an impressive .417 mark in the lopsided third set before posting a .366 attack percentage in the fourth, making only two attack errors in each of the final two sets.
 
The Lady Railsplitters found themselves trailing 8-3 in the first set but used a 7-2 run capped by a block from sophomore middle blocker Kaley Long and Ross to take a 16-15 lead. A Ross kill followed by back-to-back kills from freshman outside/opposite hitter Kristen Moehring gave LMU a 20-18 lead. After the Bears held a pair of set points at 24-22, the Lady Railsplitters knotted things up at 24 with a block by Long and freshman opposite/setter Olivia Snyder and a Lenoir-Rhyne ball handling error. Consecutive kills by the hosts spoiled the set's ending as the Bears went in front 1-0.
 
Attacking at .275 in the second set, LMU added to its 15 first-set kills with 14 as Lenoir-Rhyne made nine attack errors and hit at just .051. The Bears built a commanding 16-7 lead and led 17-8, but the Lady Railsplitters would not be deterred. Four-straight LMU points sparked by a kill from junior setter Emily Walter began an unbelievable 17-1 run. The Lady Railsplitters won 13 points in a row to finish the set and complete the comeback, getting two kills from Abreu and another kill by Ross to close the stanza.
 
Much like the second set, Lenoir-Rhyne held a large lead early in set three. Facing a 14-3 deficit, LMU would get no closer than eight the rest of the way as the Bears cruised and took a 2-1 lead in the match on a kill from Braelyn Faust.
 
Connecting on no more than seven kills in the third set, the Lady Railsplitters laid down 13 kills in set four off a .163 attack. After being down 9-7, LMU went on an 8-2 run with a kill by Long putting the Lady Railsplitters up 15-11. Consecutive kills from Abreu and freshman outside hitter Katie Cardenas kept LMU in front at 17-14, but from there on it was all Lenoir-Rhyne. The Bears rattled off 10-straight points and clinched the match on a kill from Taylor Prall.
 
Sophomore middle blocker Sierrah Lemons added five kills and Long made a season-high six blocks. Walter registered her fourth double-double of the season and second straight with 32 assists and 15 digs, not to mention rising up for a trio of blocks. Senior libero Sarah Jones also earned 15 digs and assisted on five kills.
 
Prall led Lenoir-Rhyne with 26 kills and 15 digs and the Bears got 10 kills and six blocks from Faust. Rachel Bewick recorded a match-high 21 digs and Helen Hamilton handed out 29 assists for Lenoir-Rhyne.
 
Up Next…
The Lady Railsplitters will have nearly a week off from match action before returning to the friendly confines of Mary E. Mars Gymnasium next Friday, March 26 for a 4 p.m. home outing with Carson-Newman.
 
How to Follow
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 2020-21 season.