Norse Overcome Early Lady Railsplitter Surge

HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, KY – The Lincoln Memorial volleyball team had the Northern Kentucky University crowd stunned in the late minutes of Tuesday night’s first game, as the Lady Splitters tied the match 25-25.  NKU eventually managed to survive the storm and handed LMU its second loss of the season.

Although the Lady Railsplitters lost Tuesday’s match 0-3, LMU Head Coach Mike Smith said his team played well early on.  “The NKU crowd was quiet,” said Smith.  “They really didn’t know what to think.  We went kill for kill with them until late in game-one, but they put together some big hits and got over the hump.”  LMU lost the opening game 25-30 before the Norse got on track to take the Lady Railsplitters in games two and three 17-30 and 16-30.

NKU’s powerful hitting and solid defense overwhelmed Lincoln Memorial late in game-one and carried on into the final games of the match.  The Lady Railsplitters were kept on their heels and on the defensive were never able to get some of the team’s key offensive players on track.  NKU on the other hand exhibited a balanced attack on both sides of the net, recording 61 kills and 61 digs.

“It was a good experience for us to play them,” said Smith.  “Our girls now see what kind of effort it’s going to take to play quality teams.”  Smith and the Lady Railsplitters turned in a solid effort over the weekend at the Carson-Newman tournament, in which they won three of their four matches.  Tuesday night’s step up in the level of competition will most likely have a positive influence on how the Lady Railsplitters prepare, play and respond to this weekend’s action in the Lees McRae Tournament.

The Lady Railsplitters are now 6-2 overall and in the middle of the longest road stretch of the 2007 season.  The run of the gauntlet started on Friday August 31 at the Carson-Newman Tournament and will run through September 15 when LMU travels to Kentucky Wesleyan College in Owensboro, Kentucky.  Following that match, the Lady Splitters will have played 12 consecutive road matches.  The LMU women return to the Mary E. Mars Gymnasium September 15 to host Mars Hill College in the conference home opener.