GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- The Tusculum University women's volleyball team is on a remarkable start to the 2021 season, having won its 10th-straight match. The Pioneers now sit 6-0 in the South Atlantic Conference standings for the first time in program history after defeating Lincoln Memorial on Saturday (Sept. 25) afternoon.
Since Tusculum joined the NCAA in 1998-99, the 10-1 start is the best in that span, tying the 1995 and 1996 teams. The current winning streak of 10 had only been done twice before and once in the NCAA-era (1996 and 2010).
The Black and Orange (10-1, 6-0 SAC) won the match by scores of 25-10, 25-10, 20-25, 25-20 to defeat the Railsplitters (2-8, 1-4 SAC).
Richlyn Ross recorded 10 kills on a .417 hitting percentage to lead the Lincoln Memorial attack. Two of her teammates followed with seven kills each: Kristen Moehring and Ketura Margaret. Emily Walter finished with 12 assists, while Karen Morris notched seven. Morris also landed the only two service aces for LMU. The Railsplitter libero Sevgi Koyuncu registered 18 digs as the lone player for Lincoln Memorial with double-digit digs.
Raeley Matthews and Emiah Burrowes landed a match-high 12 kills to head up the Pioneers' scoring column. Both Bailey Parker and Carli Pigza tied with eight kills apiece, while the former fired on a .429 clip. Elise Carmichael (25) and Catherine Clingan (15) split the setting duties to collect 40-of-44 assists for TU. Matthews and Carmichael landed three aces, just ahead of a pair by Carly Sosnowski and Clingan. Defensively, Sosnowski notched a match-best 22 digs as Matthews finished with a double-double, adding 12 scoops to the cause. Parker and Matthews were involved in two of the three Tusculum blocks, collecting two assists.
Lincoln Memorial hit .082 as a team with 32 kills and 22 errors in 122 total attempts. Tusculum hit .206 with 48 kills, 21 errors and 131 total attacks. The Pioneers led the match in assists (44-28), digs (61-48), and aces (11-2), while the Railsplitters are credited with more total blocks (6-3).
Tusculum won the first two sets by identical scores of 25-10 as Lincoln Memorial hit in the negative by the end of both frames.
The Pioneers shot out to 5-0 lead as LMU called a timeout before recording a point in the match. A seven-point run complemented the hot start, highlighted by a Matthews kill and block assist. The Railsplitters handed TU 12 points on unforced errors, including service, attack, and ball handling miscues.
Set two was more of the same. Tusculum started strong and used runs to put the set out of LMU's reach. TU collected 11 scores on Railsplitter mistakes. The Pioneers kicked off the frame on a 7-1 stretch and went on a pair of five-point spurts throughout. The Black and Orange landed five aces in set two with Sosnowski and Clingan recording two each.
Lincoln Memorial refused to be swept, rallying for a 25-20 set three win. After the 6-6 tie, the Railsplitters had the frame in hand. A 7-2 run put the visitors ahead 21-12, but TU went on its own 7-1 stretch to bring the set within three. However, LMU closed it out to force a fourth set. Sosnowski worked hard from the back row, digging up eight kill attempts.
Tusculum flipped the score in the match's final frame, retaliating for a 25-20 win. The Pioneers landed a remarkable 16 kills in the last set with Matthews recording six. Burrowes went an impressive 4-for-7 on swings, while Parker was perfect on three chances. TU shifted into overdrive after the set became 6-all. Peyton Gash collected one of her five kills to give the Pioneers the lead for good. Parker bookended a five-point spurt, while also included a Carmichael ace and two LMU attack errors. Yet another Lincoln Memorial unforced error closed the book on the set and the match.
Tusculum hits the road for its next two matches, beginning Friday (Oct. 1) at Lenoir-Rhyne in a battle of the SAC's top-two teams.
