GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- The Tusculum University women's volleyball team earned its third-straight South Atlantic Conference victory on Tuesday (Sept. 13) night, fighting back from a one-set deficit versus Lincoln Memorial.
The Black and Orange (3-5, 3-2 SAC) won the match by scores of 22-25, 25-22, 25-16, 25-18 to down the Railsplitters (3-8, 1-2 SAC) in four sets.
A trio from LMU were responsible for 38 of the Railsplitters 48 kills on the night. Both Kristen Moehring and Ketura Margaret finished with 13 kills, just ahead of 12 from Maggie Sanderson. Amanda Lisi dished out 43 assists, while each of the four Lincoln Memorial aces came from different servers. Libero MJ Trujillo was the lone Railsplitter to reach double-figures in digs with 11, but Moehring and Lisi tallied nine apiece. At the net, Margaret assisted in two blocks.
Emiah Burrowes and Martina Foster bordered on insanity with their performance versus Lincoln Memorial. Burrowes collected 17 kills on a .577 hitting percentage, adding 13 digs and two total blocks (one solo, one assist). Meanwhile, Foster racked up a career-high 15 kills with no errors for a .625 clip, while racking up two aces, two digs, and five total blocks (one solo, four assists). Carli Pigza (8), Camryn Hughes (6), Raven Chance (5), Peyton Gash (4), and Samantha Bunch (1) rounded out the offense. Hughes has totaled six kills in each of the last three matches, while Bunch's kill is a collegiate first. Steering the TU firepower were Elise Carmichael and Bunch with 29 and 19 assists, respectively. Carmichael tied her season-high four aces, followed by Foster (2), Carly Sosnowski (2), and Bunch (1). Defensively, Sosnowski was on par with Burrowes' 13 digs, ahead of Pigza and Bunch with eight each. Gash is credited with the second-most blocks in the match, assisting in three stops. Burrowes and Chance also finished with multiple rejections.
Making moves in the program record book are Carmichael and Sosnowski. The setter now has 121 aces through her four years, climbing to sixth place all-time, and her 1,494 assists are good for ninth. Sosnowski has leapt up to the sixth spot in recorded history with 1,211 digs at Tusculum.
Lincoln Memorial hit .178 as a team with 48 kills and 25 errors on 129 total attempts. Tusculum hit .291 with 56 kills, 19 errors, and 127 total attacks. The Pioneers led the Railsplitters in assists (54-46), service aces (9-4), digs (49-45), and total blocks (9-5).
Lincoln Memorial nearly led the opening set from start to finish. Gash landed the opening kill, but four consecutive points handed LMU all the advantage it needed. Tusculum narrowed the edge to one point three times, including on a block by Hughes and Chance. The Pioneers fought off three set-points, via back-to-back kills by Burrowes and a LMU error, before the Railsplitters clinched.
Set two was the most tightly contested with eight ties and three lead changes. Neither team was able to extend their lead to two points until Foster and Gash tag-teamed a block to earn Tusculum the 10-8 advantage. Lincoln Memorial was never able to catch TU across the remainder of the match. The Pioneers went on a 5-1 spurt to push their lead to 19-14, aided by a pair of kills from Hughes. Burrowes tied the match up at one to end a three-point run by LMU and Margaret.
Tusculum had no trouble in the third frame, hitting a fiery .433 with 16 kills. Foster tallied the first point and away the Pioneers went. A seven-score outburst featured two kills and two blocks by the freshman. Gash added a kill and teamed up with Foster for a stop. Pigza closed out set three with a pair of kills.
While the TU offense clicked in the final frame (.310 hitting percentage), it was the Pioneer defense that was the difference. The home team landed four aces and recorded five blocks to seal the victory. Carmichael began with consecutive aces as part of Tusculum's 10-1 start in set four, including the first six points. Three blocks were also credited in that same span. Lincoln Memorial never got within four scores of the Pioneers. Hughes finished the match with a kill, assisted by Bunch.
Tusculum stays home for one more contest before a four-match road trip to the Carolinas. The Pioneers play host to the Limestone Saints (4-2, 1-2 SAC) on Friday (Sept. 16) night in a 7 p.m. showdown.
