BRISTOL, Tenn. --- The Tusculum College volleyball team recorded a pair of 3-0 sweeps to open the 2016 season on Friday at the King University Invitational.

Tusculum opened with a 3-0 victory over the host Tornado and followed later in the day with a three-set triumph against Erskine College.

Shannon Murphy posted a double-double in each of the contests, while Mariah Lewis finished the day with a robust .524 hitting percentage with 13 kills and only two errors in her 21 attacks.

Tusculum 3, King 0

Murphy accounted for her first double-double of the afternoon as she accounted for 14 assists and 12 digs in the 3-0 win over King.  TC won the match by scores of 25-22, 25-22, 25-15.

Murphy also tallied three of TC's eight service aces and added a block.

TC sophomore Melissa Mazur posted 14 digs, while Cassie Born added 13 digs to go along with her six kills.

Trailing 14-12 in the opening set, Tusculum went on a 5-1 run which included a Laryssa Welch service ace and a solo block from Kaily Weiss to take a 17-15 lead.  The Tornado would tie the set at 19-19 on a Remi Thele kill, but the Pioneers closed out the frame with a 6-3 spurt to win 25-22.

Tusculum led throughout most of the second set and led by as many as 15-9 thanks to a Kayli Dempster kill.  King answered with a furious 9-3 run and tied the score at 18-18 on a Cathy Scaniffe kill.  TC stopped the momentum as Welch and Weiss clocked a kill each and Murphy tallied an ace on set point to win 25-22.

The Pioneers used an 11-3 run to end the set and the match in the third frame as TC prevailed 25-15.

TC finished the match hitting .160 as a team, while limiting the Tornado to a .094 hitting percentage.  

Tusculum 3, Erskine 0

Cassie Born recorded 10 kills, while Shannon Murphy tallied 17 assists and 16 digs in Tusculum's 3-0 win over Erskine.  The Pioneers won by a scores of 25-18, 25-22, 27-25.

Mariah Lewis led all hitters hitting .667 with seven kills on her nine attacks with an error.  Laryssa Welch led all players with five blocks, while Melissa Mazur contributed 13 digs and a pair of aces.

Tusculum came out on fire and posted a .391 team hitting percentage in the opening set.  TC went wire-to-wire in the set and led by as many as 15-8 following a Lewis kill.

It was more of the same to start the second set as the Pioneers opened with a 13-6 lead, but had to hold off several rallies by the Flying Fleet (1-1) and prevailed 25-22 in the set.

Tusculum never trailed in the third set either, but had to battle down the stretch before Lewis clinched the win with a kill on match point and prevail 27-25 in the third frame.

The Pioneers (2-0) will close out their stay in Bristol with a pair of matches on Saturday.  Tusculum will face Montevallo at 10 a.m. followed by a 3 p.m. clash with UVa-Wise to wrap up the weekend tournament.