GREENEVILLE, Tenn. – The Anderson University volleyball team opened its final road trip of the regular season with a 3-0 (26-24, 25-15, 25-19) loss to Tusculum in South Atlantic Conference action, Friday night at Pioneer Arena.
Anderson slipped to 20-6 overall and 16-5 in the conference with just its third setback in 11 outings, while Tusculum (14-13, 11-10 SAC) has won two of its last three decisions and earned a split of the season series.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
Senior Hailee Wilhelm led the Trojans with nine kills behind a stellar .500 hitting percentage, with junior Kaitlyn Grube adding six kills, including five in the opening frame. Sophomore Noelle Knutsen and freshman Taylor Weber each posted four kills apiece. Senior setter Emily Conlin posted her 17th double-double of the season by dishing out a match-high 26 assists and came up with 15 digs. Junior Christina Stacy recorded six digs, while the freshman tandem of Lindsay McCurley and Alexandra Petrilli chipped in five digs apiece.
HOW IT HAPPENED
First Set
The opening frame was reminiscent of the first meeting between the Trojans and Tusculum, as the set featured 11 ties and neither team was able to build more than a four-point lead.
Grube and Wilhelm each notched five of their kills during the frame, but the Black and Gold was unable to overcome double-digit attack errors.
Behind Grube's three kills, the Trojans jumped out to an early 7-3 advantage, but Tusculum crept back to knot the score at eight apiece on the strength of a 5-1 surge. And moments later, a solo block by the Pioneers' Aubrey Hawkins gave the home team a 10-9 edge – its first lead since the first point of the match.
The score was tied three more times, but AU was unable to wrestle the lead away until Petrilli laced a service ace to give the Trojans a 14-13 lead. AU held the lead until the Pioneers used another 5-1 run to claim a late 20-18 advantage.
Later trailing, 24-22, the Trojans held off set point twice to even the score at 24 apiece, but Tusculum capitalized on back-to-back miscues to claim the narrow win.
Second Set
Tusculum posted a robust .333 hitting percentage in the second stanza and used six unanswered points as part a decisive 8-1 run to break a 10-10 tie.
With Petrilli serving, the Trojans climbed within 19-14, but were unable to get any closer, as Tusculum pulled away at the end for the double-digit victory.
Third Set
The Trojans scored the first three points of the frame and pushed out to a 7-4 advantage before Tusculum responded with five straight points to take its first lead of the set.
After falling behind, 13-10, Regan Duty and Meghan DeVaux sandwiched a kill and an ace around a Pioneer error, as the Trojans posted three straight points to knot the score.
The score was tied three more times, but the Trojans were unable to regain the lead. After Hannah Worsham's kill pulled AU within 19-18, the Pioneers answered by closing the set on a 6-1 run.
ANDERSON STAT OF THE NIGHT
AU's .056 hitting percentage was the Trojans' second-lowest of the season.
NOTABLES
• Despite the setback, the Trojans have clinched the No. 3 seed in next week's South Atlantic Conference Tournament and will host a quarterfinal match, Tuesday night at 7 p.m. at the Abney Athletic Center.
• AU slipped to 11-4 away from home this season.
• The Trojans dropped just their second three-set decision of the season.
• Tusculum leads the all-time series. 16-12.
• AU has dropped back-to-back decisions for the first time this season.
• Tusculum defeated the Trojans for the first time in eight meetings.
UP NEXT
Anderson will wrap up the regular season by traveling to league-newcomer UVa-Wise for the first time in school history on Saturday. First-serve at the David J. Prior Convocation Center is set for 2 p.m.
