Harrogate, TN -- It was a thrilling Friday night in the Mary Mars Gymnasium for the Lincoln Memorial University Women's Volleyball team, as the Railsplitters earned a spirited come-from-behind five set win over UVA Wise.
The Railsplitters opened the match by dominating the Cavilers at the net, as Kaytlin Johnson and and Laney Inman dominated the net. Lincoln Memorial and UVA Wise would battle early in the first set, as the two stayed tied for most of the start of the set before LMU pulled away with a slight 13-10 lead thanks to an Inman kill. The Splitters kept the pressure on Wise, holding a 20-13 lead before a late surge by Johnson and Jazmine Starks sealed the set one win 25-19.
The Cavaliers responded by taking the next two sets from the Railsplitters. Set two saw Lincoln Memorial fight from an early deficit, as the Splitters turned an early 7-3 hole into a tied set, as Starks and Lauren Pickett worked to keep LMU in the match. A back-and-forth set would be aided by Johnson for the Railsplitters putting pressure on the Cavaliers with Inamn's aid, sending the set to extra-points, but Wise would pull away with a 26-24 set win, tying the match at one all.
Set three was much like set one from the jump, as both sides traded kills and aces through the first seven points, evening the match and all sevens. A rally by the Cavaliers would put the Railsplitters behind, but kills from the trio of Starks, Johnson, and Inman helped keep Lincoln Memorial close with Wise. Georgia Dobson would net a kill to help the Splitters, but Wise once again pulled away in the closing points, securing a 25-21 win.
Needing to dig deep in set four, the Splitters came out firing on all cylinders, as LMU jumped out to an 8-2 lead thanks to fantastic net play and a key Finley Sparks kill. Wise would trade points with the Splitters, but LMU continued their surge, running out to a 15-6 lead thanks to a Johnson kill. LMU would hold court the remainder of set four, as the Railsplitters dominating presence locked down a fifth set with a 25-17 win.
Set five served as the perfect finish to an incredible contest. The Cavaliers would run out to an early lead on the Railsplitters, holding a 5-2 advantage on the Splitters after scoring each of the first three points. Undeterred, the Splitters fought back, as a Starks kill would make it a one point game at 6-5 before another Railsplitter rally would be capped off with a Dobson kill, giving the Splitters their first lead of the fifth set.
As the set neared its 15th point, neither side was willing to concede to the other, as both the Splitters and Cavaliers traded points, with LMU getting the first chance at a match point at 15-14 off a Wise service error. The Cavaliers would claw back, denying consecutive LMU match points before getting their first change at match point with a 17-16 advantage. Sparks would keep the Splitters off the mat with a kill and an assist from Pickett. A Johnson kill gave the Splitters a chance at another match point, but Wise again came back, scoring consecutive kills for another match point of their own.
Down 19-18, the Splitters fought back thanks to a kill from Johnson, and after Wise again had a chance at match point, down 19-20 the Splitters put the game away for good. Johnson again secured the kill to even the match at 20, before consecutive stellar serves from Pickett iced the win, giving LMU the 22-20 fifth set advantage, and a three-sets to two win over Wise.
The win moves LMU to 4-5 on the season and 2-3 in the South Atlantic Conference ahead of their matchup tomorrow against Emory & Henry at home, starting at 2:00 p.m.
