BREVARD, N.C. --- Tusculum closed out the fourth and deciding set with a 7-1 run as the second-seeded Pioneers advanced to the semifinal of the Food Lion South Atlantic Conference Volleyball Championship with a 3-1 win over No. 7 seed Mars Hill Friday at Boshamer Gymnasium.
Tusculum (21-6) recorded its eighth consecutive victory by scores of 25-17, 25-19, 24-26, 27-25 to move onto Saturday's 4 p.m. semifinal contest against No. 3 Lincoln Memorial. Mars Hill ends its season at 14-15.
All-SAC setter Ashley Sarmiento led the Pioneers with her double-double of 42 assists and 23 digs, while Sam Underwood (14 kills, 16 digs) and Megan Hasse (14 kills, 17 digs) also accounted for double-doubles.
Three-time All-SAC libero/defensive specialist Caitlyn Dean accounted for 38 digs, to go along with her seven assists and three service aces. The Pioneer defense posted 129 digs in the match, the second-most ever by a TC team in a four-set match.
Mars Hill's Marissa Wixson led all players with 22 kills to go along with her 19 digs and five blocks. Regan Macomson added 14 kills, while Becca Smith contributed 39 assists and 17 digs. Maggie Murphy added 26 digs, while Hannah Wilson posted 15 in the loss.
Tusculum utilized an 8-3 run in the opening set, including six consecutive points to take a 20-13 advantage following a pair of MHC attack errors and an Underwood kill as TC won the frame, 25-17.
In the second set, Tusculum recorded a 7-2 spurt, including kills by Hasse and All-SAC middle hitter Kassie Voelker as Tusculum led 16-9. Mars Hill would trim the deficit to 20-16 following a kill by Macomson. But Tusculum would close out the stanza thanks to blocks by Hasse and Voelker on set-point and a 25-19 decision.
Tusculum was looking to make it a three-set sweep as the Pioneers led 22-16 following a kill by Underwood. But the Lions roared back with a furious 10-2 run to take the third set 26-24. The MHC win snapped Tusculum's 13-set winning streak, dating back to the Oct. 30 match at Carson-Newman.
Mars Hill carried the momentum into the fourth-set and led throughout most of the frame, including a 24-20 lead following blocks by Aimee DeWitt and Wixson. But the Pioneers answered with four straight points, including a kill by Sam Underwood and three MHC attack errors as TC knotted the score at 24-24.
Mars Hill went ahead 25-24 following a TC service error, but the Lions followed with one of their own to tie the set at 25-25. Sarmiento put the Pioneers ahead for the first time in the set at 26-25 with her kill and MHC posted an attack error on match-point as the Pioneers won the frame 27-25 to send Tusculum onto the SAC semifinal for the second time in three years.
Voelker accounted for nine kills and two blocks, while Bailee Price and SAC All-Freshman Team honoree Danae Stauffer added five kills apiece in the win.
Dean, who leads the nation in digs per set this year (7.81 dps), has accounted for 773 digs in 2012 which are the fifth-most in NCAA Division II history.
Saturday's contest with LMU will mark the second time the two Tennessee rivals have met in the SAC Tournament, both coming in the semifinal round. TC rallied from a two-set deficit to win the 2010 semifinal as the Pioneers advanced to the SAC Tournament championship for the first time in program history.
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