ANDERSON, S.C. – Senior middle hitter Noelle Knutsen had 18 kills, while junior Jaelyn Grimm added 12 kills and senior Liliana Kinder posted 10 to lead Anderson to a 3-1 (22-25, 25-9, 29-27, 25-10) South Atlantic Conference volleyball win over Limestone, Friday night at the Abney Athletic Center.

Anderson improved to 12-4 overall and 6-3 in league play with its third win in four decisions, while Limestone (6-5, 3-5 SAC) has lost two straight after winning back-to-back decisions against UVA Wise and Catawba.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
Knutsen also added a pair of solo blocks and a block assist, while Grimm posted four block assists and had three digs. Junior Rylie Sargent tallied seven kills and three block assists, with junior outside hitter Tabitha Wheeler notching six kills and nine digs for the second straight outing.

Senior setter Madison Roy handed out 48 assists – her second-highest total of the season - and completed her first double-double of the season with a season-high 10 digs. Senior Lindsay McCurley came up with 15 digs, while senior Alexandra Petrilli added 14 and sophomore Hannah Neff recorded 12 digs and a match-high three service aces. Petrilli, McCurley and Roy also chipped in two aces apiece.

HOW IT HAPPENED
First Set
Behind a blazing .353 hitting percentage, Limestone ripped out to a quick 7-2 advantage and it took the Trojans awhile to get back on their feet.

AU trimmed the Saints' advantage to just two points on several occasions, but was unable to catch the visitors until Roy and Knutsen knocked down back-to-back kills to finally knot the score at 22-22. But Limestone countered by scoring three unanswered points to claim the opening set.

Second Set
The Trojans reversed their fortunes in the second frame – matching the Saints' .353 hitting accuracy from the first set – behind Grimm's four kills in the frame.

With Petrilli serving, the Trojans raced out to a 10-1 advantage and never looked back, while steadily building a commanding 17-4 cushion behind Neff's serves and leading by as many as 16 down the stretch.

Third Set
Grimm, Knutsen and Kinder combined for 13 kills in the third frame, with both teams battling on nearly even terms throughout the set.

AU snapped the fourth deadlock of the set (9-9) with four consecutive points, but was unable to gain any more breathing room, as Limestone stayed close. The Saints chipped away and knotted the score at 17 apiece, only to see AU rebuild a 19-17 edge on a kill from Knutsen and a block assist from the Parker, Colo., native and Roy.

But the Saints refused to wilt and the set featured two more quick ties before the Trojans pushed back to a 23-20 lead and reached set point, at 24-21. However, Limestone held on to even the score at 24-24 and eventually reached set point themselves, at 27-26, before Knutsen posted two quick kills and the Trojans won the set on a Saints' error.

Fourth Set
The Trojans carried the momentum over into the fourth set, while posting their highest hitting percentage of the night (.387) and steadily crafted a decisive 13-5 lead.

AU went on to build a double-digit 17-7 cushion en route to the 15-point win.

ANDERSON STAT OF THE NIGHT
AU's nine service aces matched its second-highest total of the season.

NOTABLES
• Friday night's matchup marked AU's third consecutive contest against a Mountain Division rival.
• The contest was just the fourth meeting between the two programs since the 2014 season.
• Jaelyn Grimm's dozen kills marked a season-high for the Cedar Park, Texas, native.
• AU has posted at least seven total blocks in 10 matches this season.
• Noelle Knutsen has notched double-figure kills in two of the last three matches and nine times this season.
• Liliana Kinder has recorded double-digit kills 10 times this year.
• AU improved to 7-1 at home on the season
• The Trojans won their 10th straight and their 13th victory in the last 15 meetings in the series with the Saints.
• The two squads were both members of Conference Carolinas until the Trojans moved to the SAC following the 2009 season. The Trojans and Saints have met 39 times over the past 24 seasons, with AU holding a 31-8 advantage in the overall series.

UP NEXT
Anderson will get back in action on Tuesday, when the Trojans visit Newberry for their third matchup of the season. First-serve is scheduled for 7 p.m. at Eleazer Arena.

Following Tuesday's road contest against the Wolves, AU is slated for a stretch of four straight games against Mountain Division foes – with two at home and two on the road.