Tusculum Pounds Out 3-0 Win Over Lincoln Memorial

HARROGATE, TN – The Tusculum College volleyball team came in to the Mary E. Mars Gymnasium Wednesday night and reeled off a 3-0 victory over the Lady Railsplitters to drop Lincoln Memorial into a tie for third place in the South Atlantic Conference race at 3-3.  The Pioneers, who are 6-1 in league play, are second only in the conference to the Lady Railsplitters' next opponent, Wingate University, who is 5-0.

The Pioneers took control of the match from the opening serve of game-one and never looked back.  TC rolled up a 30-19 victory in the first game of the match and then shut the door on Lincoln Memorial with a 30-20 victory in game-two and a 30-25 win in game-three.

A solid offensive attack is how the Pioneers came away with their sixth conference win.  Three TC players, Vivian Lacy, Kelsey Haden and Heather MacArthur combined for 32 of the Pioneers 49 kills in the match.  TC setter Mariana Rezende also distributed the ball well, handing out a match-high 38 assists.

The young Lincoln Memorial squad seemed to have problems getting into their offense at times.  No Lady Railsplitter player was in double figures in the kills category, and setter Lauren Kiwacka (Tipp City, OH) was limited to only 21 assists.

Defensively Tusculum was nearly as dominating.  The Pioneers had 46 digs, 18 of which came from Alexis Rowles.  At the net, Kelsey Haden was a force, tallying four block-assists.

On LMU’s defensive end, sophomore outside hitter Amanda Horenkamp (Murfreesboro, TN) had 10 of the Lady Railsplitter’s 37 digs while freshman Lauren Kiwacka, sophomore Alison Hess (Dayton, OH) and junior Cami Lefeld (St. Henry, OH) combined for 10 of LMU’s 19 block assists.

At 14-8 overall and 3-3 in the South Atlantic Conference, the Lady Railsplitters are at somewhat of a crossroads in their 2007 schedule.  From this point on, there are no easy opponents, and every match will be crucial in terms of how the Lady Splitters will finish in the SAC regular season race. 

This weekend the heat will be turned up as LMU plays host to Wingate University at 2:00 p.m. in the Mary E. Mars Gymnasium.  The Bulldogs are 5-0 in conference play and have only one blemish on their record as they are 19-1 overall.  The LMU women will have to play their best match of the year if they are to upset the top ranked team in the league.