HARROGATE, Tenn. --- Gina Coffaro recorded a double-double of 16 kills and 25 digs to lead the Tusculum College volleyball team to a 3-1 victory over host Lincoln Memorial University Tuesday night at Mars Gym in South Atlantic Conference volleyball action.
The Pioneers (17-12, 8-7 SAC) won the match by scores of 25-20, 25-17, 20-25 and 25-22. TC avenges last month's four-set loss to LMU, while recording its fourth straight win over the Lady Railsplitters (19-6, 8-4 SAC) in Harrogate.
Tusculum posted one of its best defensive performances in recent memory as the Pioneers recorded an amazing 107 digs, the third most in school history for a four-set match. The 107 digs are also the most ever by a TC squad since the NCAA went to a 25-point set format. Five Tusculum players finished with double-figure digs including Coffaro, Bailee Price (25), Holli Cadenhead (15), Sam Underwood (14) and Melanie Gibson (13).
LMU also had an outstanding performance defensively as the Lady Railspitters accounted for 91 digs, paced by the 30-dig effort of Alicia MacIntyre.
In the opening set, the contest went back and forth as the match was tied 10 times with five lead changes. With the home team leading 18-15, the Pioneers scored six straight points thanks to three LMU attack errors and kills by Underwood and Carly Swisher as the Pioneers led 21-18. LMU cut the deficit to 21-20, but TC finished with four points in a row, including two kills by Underwood and one by Coffaro as the Pioneers won 25-20.
Tusculum used an 11-3 run in the second set, including four kills by Coffaro during the spurt as the Pioneers won 25-17.
LMU captured the third set 25-20 as the Lady Railsplitters posted a .280 hitting percentage.
But in the fourth set, the Pioneers rallied from a 4-1 deficit with a 6-0 run and would never trail again for the remainder of the evening. LMU would cut the TC lead to one on several occasions, including 23-22 following a kill by Amanda Horenkamp. Tusculum would finish the set with consecutive points, including a kill by Swisher on match-point as TC won 25-22.
Underwood completed her double-double with 13 kills, while posting a .312 hitting percentage. Rookie Alyssa Raterman added 10 kills, three blocks and a .471 attack percentage. Sophomore setter Peyton Colclough finished with 48 assists and nine digs, while Swisher posted nine kills and five digs in the victory.
Candace Richardson tallied 12 kills and 15 digs, while Amanda Horenkamp added 11 kills and a dozen digs on a night where she became LMU's all-time leader in kills (1,324).
The Pioneers return to action next Tuesday night when they host Brevard College for a South Atlantic Conference match beginning at 7 p.m.
- TC -
