GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- The Tusculum College volleyball team rallied from a 2-1 deficit to force a decisive fifth set, but fell to Anderson University 3-2 on Friday night inside Pioneer Arena. TC's Megan Hasse was one of three Pioneers to record a double-double with 21 kills and 10 digs.

TC took the first set 25-23, before dropping the second set to the Trojans 25-20 and the third set 25-16. Tusculum rallied to win the fourth set 25-22, but the Trojans won the fifth set 19-17. The Pioneers' overall record falls to 10-11 and their South Atlantic Conference mark to 9-4. Anderson improves to 16-5 overall and 9-4 in the SAC.

Hasse, a senior from Kingston Springs, Tennessee, established a pair of personal milestones. She recorded her 1000th career kill, becoming only the seventh player in program history to achieve the feat (1,021). With her four service aces on the night, she raised her career tally to 133, moving her into sole possession of second place in that category, surpassing former SAC standout Jill Lucas (132 from 1998-2001).

Freshman setter Shannon Murphy dished out a career-high 50 assists and recorded 15 digs to earn her fourth double-double of the season. Freshman outside hitter Sabrina Schleuger picked up her second double-double of the season with 25 digs and 12 kills. Hasse's double-double was her team-best fifth of the season.

Sophomore Libero Moriah Jones tallied a team-high 28 digs, while sophomore defensive specialist Andrea Amettis dug-up 18 balls. Sophomore middle blocker Jaida Allen added 11 kills.

With the Anderson holding a 4-3 lead in the fifth set, TC reeled off a quick 4-0 spurt, capped off by a service ace by Hasse, to jump out to a 6-4 lead and force an Anderson timeout. Out of the break, TC built a 9-7 lead, but a 2-0 Trojan run knotted the match at 9-9, one of the 10 occasions that score was tied in the fifth set.

After the teams traded points in four-straight rallies, the set was tied at 11-11. Hasse responded with a kill and a service ace to give TC a 13-11 lead and force Anderson to use its second and final timeout of the set. After the break, Hasse committed a service error to shrink the lead to one, but a service error by the Trojans' Tinsley Hallman made the Tusculum lead 14-12 and gave TC match point.

In the next rally, Allen committed an attack error to make the TC lead 14-13, and Schleuger followed that up with an attack error of her own that tied the score at 14-14 and send the set to extra points. After a Tusculum timeout, sophomore outside hitter Rachel Garnett connected on one of her eight kills in the match to give the Pioneers match-point once again, this time with the score 15-14.

However, Anderson's Shannon Gillespie recorded a huge kill to knot the score at 15-15 and keep the Trojans' hopes alive. Schleuger responded with a kill for Tusculum to once again earn match point, but Gillespie again extended the match with another kill and made the score 16-16. Anderson earned its first match-point off a kill by Tinsley Hallman that forced TC to use a timeout trailing 17-16.

After the break, the Trojans' Kayla Thomas committed an attack error to make the score 17-17. In the next rally, Murphy tried to dump the ball over for a kill instead of attempting a set and committed an attack error. Anderson won the match on an attack error by Hasse and denied TC of a dramatic comeback victory.

Pittman recorded a match-high 24 kills, while Pricilla Irizarry earned a double-double with a match-high 54 assists and 19 digs. Gillespie also earned a double-double with 20 kills and 13 digs, while Alix Hooker dug-up a match-high 32 balls.

Trailing 2-1 in the match, TC used a 7-0 run in the fourth game off the service off freshman middle blocker Erin Carmody to take a 17-14 lead. After the Pioneers increased its advantage to 19-15, the Trojans used a 5-1 run and found themselves trailing by just 20-19 late in the set. With the score at 23-22 in favor of Tusculum, the Pioneers reeled off two-straight points to win the fourth set and force a winner-take-all fifth game.

Tusculum jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the match after hitting a match-high .324 and squeaking out a two point first-set victory. With the Trojans' win, the two sides split the regular season series after the Pioneers won 3-2 at Anderson back on September 19.

TC will return to Pioneer Arena tomorrow afternoon to face Newberry College in the annual Dig Pink match and as a part of Tusculum's 2014 homecoming festivities. First serve is set for 12 p.m.