GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- Lincoln Memorial University defeated Tusculum University 3-2 in women's beach volleyball action Wednesday afternoon in the first match hosted on the Tusculum campus.
The Railsplitters (2-4) split the first two matches with the Pioneers (7-11), then won the third and fourth matches to clinch the team victory. The Pioneers won the final match in three sets as four of the five matches went the distance.
Lincoln Memorial went up 1-0 at flight four as Emily Walter and Caitlin Bethell beat Catherine Clingan and Lydia Collins 16-21, 21-16, 15-7. The Pioneers came back to tie the score at 1-1 behind a 16-21, 21-18, 15-13 win at flight five by Katelyn Weems and Jordan Zaleski over the Railsplitters' Brooke Taylor and Abby Higgins.
The Railsplitters took a 2-1 lead in the match at flight two as Rylee Storms and Lindsey Nartker defeated Skyellar Hall and Gabby Gray 21-15, 21-16. LMU then clinched the victory at flight three as Sarah Jones and Kai Wesemann held on for a 21-13, 11-21, 15-13 win over Marissa Morgan and Lana Vujosevic.
Tusculum narrowed the final score with a thrilling three-set victory at flight one, as Melissa Mazur and Haley Davis came back to beat Danielle Ged and Danielle Stachura 18-21, 21-13, 16-14. The Mazur/Davis duo trailed 14-13 in the final set before winning the final three points and the match.
The Pioneers will begin preparation for the AVCA Small College Beach Championship at Tavares, Florida from April 19-21.
