HARROGATE, TENN. – The Limestone University women's volleyball team rallied to take late leads in each of the first two sets but could not close either of them out as Lincoln Memorial University handed the Blue and Gold its third straight loss with a 3-1 decision in South Atlantic Conference action Friday night.
 
GAME INFORMATION
Score: Lincoln Memorial 3, Limestone 1
Set Scores: 25-23, 25-20, 21-25, 25-15
Records: Lincoln Memorial (3-8, 2-4), Limestone (5-6, 2-4)
Location: Mary Mars Gymnasium
 
INSIDE THE BOXSCORE
 

• Freshman Josie Curran (Westerville, Ohio) logged 15 kills for a .393 hitting percentage
• Freshman Paige Gardella (Sugar Grove, Ill.) added 19 assists, six digs, and five service aces
• Senior Gabby Wessels (Watseka, Ill.) finished with 23 digs to go with five assists and an ace
• Junior Abbey Baker (York, S.C.) handed out 14 assists to go with three digs
• Senior Vanessa Blas (Concord, N.C.) posted nine kills, four digs, and a block assist
• Senior Sydney Bibby (Cumming, Ga.) also had nine kills and three digs in her first start
• Senior Bailey Carpenter (Lawrenceville, Ga.) registered eight digs
• Senior Madyson Lousignont (Las Vegas, Nev.) tallied three assisted blocks, an ace, and two kills
• Senior Madeline Yeager (Sacramento, Calif.) recorded three kills, two digs, and a block assist
• Limestone posted a .303 hitting percentage in the first set, but finished with just a .156 clip overall
• Lincoln Memorial hit .281 for the match – .357 in the first set and .387 in the fourth frame
• The Railsplitters ended set one on a 4-1 run to win the frame and an 11-2 run to win the second

 
HOW IT HAPPENED
 
First Set
 
A service ace from Gardella to start the night and a pair of kills by Curran gave Limestone a quick 3-1 lead, but the Railsplitters used a 3-0 spurt to take a 4-3 edge early in the opening set. Two attacks by Blas put the Saints back on top, 7-6, only for LMU to respond with a 5-2 stretch to move in front, 12-9.
 
Trailing 13-10, two more kills from Curran, an attack by Blas, and an ace delivered by Wessels allowed Limestone to even things up at 15-all a few moments later. The set would continue to swing back-and-forth before an ace from Lousignont and kills by Bibby help the Saints grab a 22-21 advantage. The lead was short-lived, however, as Lincoln Memorial used a 4-1 run to take a 1-0 match lead with a 25-23 win.
 
Second Set
 
Two straight errors by the Railsplitters staked Limestone to a 2-0 lead in the second frame, but LMU rattled off four straight points to double up the visitors, 4-2. The Saints kept it close though as three kills by Curran helped the Blue and Gold climb to within a 6-5 margin. Lincoln Memorial appeared it would pull away behind a 6-2 run, taking a 12-7 advantage, but Limestone had an answer with a long 11-2 stretch.
 
Another ace by Gardella followed by a block from both Blas and Yeager sparked the run while kills from Yeager, Bibby, and Lousignont powered the surge as Limestone moved in front, 18-14. Again, the Saints were unable to hold that lead as LMU closed the set with a decisive 11-2 run to grab a 2-0 match cushion.
 
Third Set
 
A powerful attack by Curran and an ace by Gardella started a 6-1 run to open the third set – Curran added two more kills while Blas had an attack during that stretch – before Lincoln Memorial used a 4-0 spurt to trim the lead to 6-5. Lousignont and Bibby would then help the Saints extend the margin to 10-6.
 
The Saints could not shake the Railsplitters as they put together a 4-1 counterattack, closing the gap to 11-10, but a series of errors put the Blue and Gold back up by four points. LMU tallied two straight points before a kill by Yeager and another ace by Gardella gave Limestone its largest lead of the match, 17-12.
 
Lincoln Memorial just kept coming, using three points in a row to make it 17-15, but a kill by Bibby and an ace by freshman Madison Gentry (Easley, S.C.) reestablished a five-point edge, 20-15. The Railsplitters made it interesting late, but two thunderous kills by Blas allowed the Saints to salvage the third set, 25-21.
 
Fourth Set
 
The Splitters raced out to a 5-0 advantage to start the fourth before an ace by Gardella highlighted a quick 3-0 run to put Limestone on the board. Lincoln Memorial would not let the Saints back into the set in the early going as a 4-1 stretch put the home team up 9-4. A kill from Bibby allowed the Blue and Gold to string together a couple of points, but LMU quickly extended its margin to 16-8 a few moments later.
 
Blas powered a 4-0 run with three massive kills as Limestone clawed to within 16-12, but Lincoln Memorial did not let the visitors get any closer than that as it closed the set and the match on a 9-3 stretch despite the Saints getting late kills from junior Jordan Bowen (Omaha, Neb.), Curran, and Yeager.   
 
TURNING POINT
 
Limestone held a 22-21 lead in the opening frame but allowed the Railsplitters to score four of the last five points to win 25-23. After battling back from an early deficit with an 11-2 spurt in set two, the Saints pulled ahead 18-14 only to have LMU close out the frame on an 11-2 run to take a commanding 2-0 match lead.
 
NOTABLES
 

• The Saints lost a 3-0 road decision to the Railsplitters back in an unusual spring season
• Limestone falls to 0-3 all-time against Lincoln Memorial, but collected their first set off LMU
• The Blue and Gold got off to early leads in three of the four sets and led wire-to-wire in the third
• LMU controlled set four from the opening serve and would never look back in the 25-15 decision
• Playing in her third career match, Gentry recorded five digs and an ace
• Bowen added a kill, a dig, and two assisted blocks

 
UP NEXT
 
The Saints remain in Tennessee overnight as they will play at Carson-Newman University on Saturday, October 2 at 2 p.m. Limestone played the Eagles twice in the spring in Jefferson City, including once in the opening round of the South Atlantic Conference playoffs.