GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- Tusculum's Laryssa Welch and Sabrina Schleuger recorded 12 kills each while the Pioneers posted a season-high .340 hitting percentage in a three-set sweep over Lincoln Memorial Tuesday night at Pioneer Arena in South Atlantic Conference volleyball action.
Tusculum (9-11, 6-7 SAC) won the match by scores of 25-15, 25-18, 25-18 in the 60th recorded meeting between the two East Tennessee rivals.
TC's Sarah Bouley added 11 kills and eight digs, while teammate Rachel Garnett posted nine kills and a team-high .529 hitting percentage.
Senior setter Hannah Berling dished out 45 assists, which are tied for the fourth most in a three-set match in program history. Defensively, Melissa Mazur accounted for 16 digs to go along with her match-high three service aces.
The LMU trio of Kiera Holland, Brooke Fleeman and Liz Brock each posted six kills, while Abby Cash finished with 20 assists, six digs and three blocks.
Tusculum roared out of the gate in the opening set as the Pioneers led 9-3 following a Bouley kill. TC followed that run with a 9-3 spurt including five unanswered points to take a 19-8 advantage. Tusculum finished the frame hitting .312 as a team, including five kills on seven attempts (.714) by Garnett to win 25-15.
TC kept the momentum in the second set as the Pioneers vaulted to an 11-3 lead, including back-to-back aces from Cassie Born and consecutive kills off the swing of Welch. LMU trimmed the deficit to 12-6 following a TC attack error. But the Pioneers used an 8-2 run to lead 20-8 sparked by three kills from Schleuger.
LMU cut the TC lead to six at 21-15 after a Jazzy Oates kill, but the Pioneers would prevail in the second frame 25-18.
Tusculum hit for a sizzling .405 in the third set with 18 kills, three errors and 37 attacks. With TC leading 16-14, the Pioneers rattled off seven straight points, including two kills each from Welch, Schleuger and Bouley to take a 22-14 advantage before closing out the match with a 25-18 win the final set.
Welch was perfect in the last frame as she posted seven kills in as many attempts and hit .500 (12-3-18) on the night.
TC senior Danae Stauffer accounted for six kills, two digs and a team-high three blocks, while Born contributed 12 digs in the victory.
Tusculum will be on the road for its next three matches, beginning with Friday night's league contest at Newberry. Match time is slated for 7 p.m. from Eleazer Arena.
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