HARROGATE, Tenn. – Three dominant sets by the Lincoln Memorial University women's volleyball team Friday night inside historic Mary E. Mars Gymnasium led to head coach Alison Williams' first win as the Lady Railsplitters' leader. LMU (1-1, 1-1 SAC) earned its first victory of the unique 2020-21 season with a 3-0 (25-10, 25-15, 25-20) rout of visiting first-year South Atlantic Conference member Limestone University.
 
Tallying 40 kills on a .287 attack, the Lady Railsplitters committed just 11 attack errors and were responsible for seven total team blocks. Making 54 digs across the three sets, LMU limited the Saints (0-1, 0-1 SAC) to a .019 attack percentage with only 23 kills and 21 attack errors. The Lady Railsplitters led for nearly the entirety of the match and the night saw just two ties.
 
Totaling 13 kills behind a .281 attack in the opening set, LMU won the first seven points of the contest and went up 16-7 following a pair of Limestone attack errors. A kill by freshman outside/opposite hitter Kristen Moehring and a Saint ball handling error gave the Lady Railsplitters a convincing 21-9 lead. LMU would win four-straight points to close out the first set with a service ace from senior middle blocker Yileen Ng He putting an end to the stanza.
 
An efficient 15-kill second set for the Lady Railsplitters with a .414 attack percentage and only three attack errors was highlighted by an impressive 9-0 LMU run midway through. After junior opposite Gabriela Abreu laid down a kill to give the Lady Railsplitters a 4-1 lead early, Limestone knotted things up at 5-5. Leading 10-8, LMU scored nine consecutive points off of junior setter Emily Walter's serve as a kill by freshman outside hitter Haley Brown made it 19-8. Even with the Saints winning seven of the next 13 points, a Limestone serving error ended the set and gave the Lady Railsplitters a 2-0 lead in the match.
 
The Saints were much more competitive in the third set with 11 kills as LMU swung at a .200 clip and laid down 12 kills. Winning the first two points of the set Limestone took its lone lead of the match. A 6-0 Lady Railsplitter run shifted the momentum back to the home team and a pair of blocks by freshman middle blocker Richlyn Ross and sophomore middle blocker Sierrah Lemons, combined with a Brown kill, pushed LMU in front 13-7. A strong 5-1 run by the Saints got the visitors back within two at 15-13 but Moehring and Abreu kills, along with a Limestone attack error, put the Lady Railsplitters up 18-13. The Saints would get within two twice more at 20-18 and 21-19 but LMU had answers each time. A Ross kill and a Limestone attack error made it 23-19 before a Brown kill gave the Lady Railsplitters match point at 24-20. A final Saint attack error brought an end to the match and completed LMU's straight-set sweep.
 
Ng He finished with a team-best eight kills, to go along with a pair of aces and a trio of blocks, while both Brown and Abreu posted seven kills apiece. Ross and Moehring each claimed six kills as Moehring rose up for a match-high four blocks. Walter assisted on 16 of the Lady Railsplitters' kills and senior libero Sarah Jones recorded a match-high 17 digs.
 
Jordan Bowen led Limestone with seven kills and the Saints got three blocks and an ace from Madeline Yeager, 11 digs from Madi delBosque and 21 assists from Abbey Baker.
 
Up Next…
LMU returns to match action Tuesday, March 9 at Tusculum to begin a four-match road trip. First serve from Pioneer Arena in Greeneville, Tennessee, is slated for 7 p.m. Next Friday, March 12, the Lady Railsplitters take on Queens University of Charlotte in North Carolina at 7 p.m.
 
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.