LMU Outlasts Tusculum In Five-Game Thriller

GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- Alison Hess recorded a double-double with 12 kills and a match-high 14 blocks to lead Lincoln Memorial University to a 3-2 victory over host Tusculum College Thursday night in college volleyball action at Pioneer Arena.  The Lady Railsplitters (16-4) won the match by scores of 30-26, 25-30, 28-30, 30-25, 15-12.  Tusculum drops its record to 16-7 on the season.

 LMU’s Blythe McCulley tallied 14 kills and 22 digs, while Jency Basinger added 30 digs and three service aces.  Basinger served the final three points of the match to seal the win.

Tusculum's Vivian Lacy posted a career-high 31 kills in the loss, two shy of a school record.  Alexis Rowles posted 40 digs, while Holli Cadenhead added 19 kills in the loss.  Setter Stacey Ray dished out 57 assists on the evening.

The marathon match was a thriller from the start as both teams made several rallies to keep the contest close.

With the match all square at 1-1 and LMU leading the third game 26-21 following a service ace by McCulley, Tusculum went on a 9-2 run, capped off by a game-winning kill by Gina Coffaro as TC won 30-28.

In the fourth game, LMU jumped ahead 18-11, but Tusculum responded with a 9-1 spurt to go up 20-19 and led by as many as two at 22-20.  It was the Lady Railsplitters time to answer as LMU used a 10-3 run to close out the game and tie the match at 2-2.

The fifth and deciding frame saw TC scored the first two points, only to see LMU post a 9-1 run thanks to a pair of kills by Amanda Baker and a block by Hess, one of her 14 on the night.  Trailing 9-3, TC caught some momentum and closed the gap to 13-12 following a kill by Coffaro.  But that would be all Tusculum would get as LMU prevailed.

Hess finished with five blocks solos and nine block assists in the win.  Amber Vanderlin dished out 55 assists to go along with her 16 digs.

LMU travels to Lander on Saturday for a tri-match with Lander at 3:00 pm and Eckerd at 5:00 pm.