ANDERSON, S.C. --- Madison Shumaker recorded a season-high 16 kills and a .350 hitting percentage to lead the Tusculum volleyball team to a 3-1 South Atlantic Conference victory at Anderson Saturday afternoon at the Abney Athletic Center.
The Pioneers (10-11, 7-8 SAC) won the match by scores of 25-10, 25-17, 23-25 and 25-12 to avenge last month's home loss to the Trojans (9-12, 7-8 SAC).
Tusculum hit for a steady .285 on the afternoon as the Pioneers totaled 54 kills on 13 errors and 144 total attempts. Anderson posted a .104 hitting percentage with 36 kills, 21 errors and 144 attempts.
Sabrina Schleuger posted a double-double of 13 kills and 13 digs to go along with her match-high three service aces. Rachel Garnett contributed 10 kills, while Danae Stauffer added five kills, eight digs, two aces and a match-high four blocks (2 solos, 2 assists).
TC setter Hannah Berling dished out 42 assists, while making 13 digs defensively and hit .571 with five kills on seven attempts and only one attack error.
Tusculum finished the match with 80 digs, including a team-high 22 by Melissa Mazur and 13 more from Andrea Amettis.
Marissa Mitter led the Trojans with her nine kills, while setter Priscilla Irizarry tallied a double-double with 29 assists and 14 digs.
Tusculum scored the first seven points of the match and jumped out of the gate with a 14-2 run in the first set as the Pioneers won the opening frame 25-10. TC hit .250 in the first set, while limiting Anderson to hit for a minus-.036. Stauffer tallied three kills in the set, while Schleuger posted three service aces in TC's 7-0 run to open the match.
With the score tied 13-13 in the second set, Tusculum closed out the frame with a 12-4 spurt sparked by five kills and seven digs as the Pioneers won 25-17 to take a two-set lead in the contest. TC hit .283 in the frame and came away with three blocks.
In the third set, Anderson forged out to a 17-7 lead, including 5-0 spurt at the end of the run. Tusculum mounted a furious rally and trimmed the AU lead to 22-21 after a Schleuger kill. But the Trojans scored three of the final five points, including a kill by Mitter on set point as Anderson prevailed 25-23.
But Tusculum answered in the fourth set, sprinting out to a 12-4 lead and ended the match with a 10-4 run to claim the final frame 25-12. TC posted a match-high .333 hitting percentage, while Anderson hit .069 in the final stanza.
Tusculum will wrap up its three-game road swing on Tuesday as the Pioneers take on cross-mountain rival Mars Hill. TC posted a 3-1 win over the Lions last month in Greeneville.
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