Wingate, NC – Lincoln Memorial battled nationally ranked Wingate on the road Friday night but ultimately fell 3–1 (25–18, 25–11, 19–25, 25–12) inside Cuddy Arena. The Railsplitters move to 7–8 overall and 3–3 in South Atlantic Conference play, while the No. 20 Bulldogs improve to 13–1 (6–0 SAC).

Wingate set the tone early, hitting .389 in the opening frame and cruising to a 25–18 win. The Bulldogs followed with another efficient effort in set two, building an early lead and closing it out 25–11. LMU responded with its strongest set of the night in the third, using balanced scoring and timely defense to claim a 25–19 victory and cut the match deficit in half. Wingate, however, regrouped quickly, hitting .441 in the fourth to finish off the match 25–12.

Laney Inman led LMU with 10 kills, while Finley Sparks and Sarah Robbins added six apiece; Sparks also posted 10 digs and two aces, and Robbins recorded a team-high four blocks. Karlee Plozay chipped in six kills and two blocks. Riley Lockhart paced the back row with 14 digs. At setter, Lauren Pickett (14 assists, 5 digs) and Carley Raleigh (14 assists, 8 digs) combined for 28 assists on the night. 

The Railsplitters will look to bounce back quickly as they continue their road trip on Saturday, October 4, with a conference matchup at Catawba. First serve is set for 1 p.m. in Salisbury, N.C.