ANDERSON, S.C. – The Anderson University volleyball team won the opening set but was unable to sustain the momentum, as Lincoln Memorial rallied for a 3-1 (19-25, 25-21, 25-13, 25-23) victory in South Atlantic Conference action, Saturday afternoon at the Abney Athletic Center.
Anderson (6-5, 3-1 SAC) suffered its first conference setback, while Lincoln Memorial improved to 7-1 overall and 4-0 in the league with its seventh straight win.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
Freshman Kathryn Hughes led the Trojan attack for the second straight outing, with nine kills. Junior Serena Jackson added eight kills, while not committing an error in 12 attacks for a stellar .667 hitting percentage. The Charlotte, N.C. native added five total block on the afternoon. Senior Rachel Burts posted seven kills and three total blocks, with freshman Emily Conlin tallying 27 assists and 11 digs for her third double-double of the season. Sophomore Emily Conard came up with a team-high 24 digs, while fellow sophomores Jayln Knight and Megan Embry each added 10 digs apiece.
HOW IT HAPPENED
First Set
After taking their first lead at 7-6 on a service ace from Knight, the Trojans snapped a 9-9 deadlock with a 10-2 outburst and claim an eight-point lead. Burts helped fuel the surge with a two early kills, while Jackson added a pair of blocks as AU claimed a lead it would not relinquish. LMU would get no closer than four points down the stretch.
Second Set
The largest lead by either team was three until late in the frame, when the Lady Railsplitters built a five-point edge. Midway through the set, the Black and Gold capitalized on a pair of kills from Burts and LMU miscues to stake a 9-6 advantage. But Lincoln Memorial countered with a 6-2 surge to take its first lead of the set, at 12-11. With the score even at 16 apiece, the Lady Railsplitters posted five of the next six points to claim a 21-17 lead and held off the Trojans down the stretch for the four-point win.
Third Set
Jackson helped propel the Trojans to a quick 6-2 advantage, but LMU regained the momentum and rode a 16-2 scoring outburst to turn a 7-4 AU lead into a 20-9 Railsplitter advantage. The Trojans trimmed the deficit to single digits on a block by Jackson, but LMU scored the final four points of the set.
Fourth Set
Behind a balanced effort the Trojans pushed out to a 14-9 advantage midway through the set but after AU claimed the frame's largest lead, LMU answered with an 8-2 run to take its first lead of the set, at 17-16. Neither team led by more than two the rest of the way, with the scoreboard showing seven ties. LMU capitalized on a pair of Trojan miscues to snap a 23-23 deadlock for the win.
ANDERSON STAT OF THE DAY/GAME
The Trojans posted a .481 attack percentage in the opening set, with 14 kills and just one error in 27 attempts.
UP NEXT
Following a five-day break, Anderson opens a challenging three-match road swing at Lenoir-Rhyne on Friday. First-serve versus the Bears is scheduled for 7 p.m. in Hickory, N.C.
