MARS HILL, N.C. --- The Tusculum University women's volleyball team survived a nail-biting contest at Mars Hill on Saturday (Oct. 2) afternoon, with the Pioneers earning the hard-fought victory.
The Pioneers (11-2, 7-1 SAC) won by scores of 13-25, 25-21, 25-20, 18-25, 15-10 to withstand the Lions comeback attempt (11-6, 3-5 SAC).
Mars Hill had three players reach double-digit kills in the match: Sarah Goddard (15), Grace Lilly (13), and Jana Cuk (12). The latter hit an efficient .348. Jordan Schmucker tallied 43 assists and landed a team-best two service aces. Ully Martins registered 19 digs, followed by Goddard (18), Schmucker (15), and Lilly (13). At the net, Cuk had her hands in two total blocks (one solo, one assist).
Multiple Pioneers notched career-highs in the afternoon thriller. Emiah Burrowes (23), Carli Pigza (15), Bailey Parker (10), and Katie McLamb (6) had personal-bests in the kill column, while Lydia Collins (6) tied her best effort from 2018. The elder Collins also did not have an attack error to fire on a .600 clip. Elise Carmichael tied her collegiate-high 37 assists, ahead of Catherine Clingan's 22. Carmichael recorded a pair of aces, while Carly Sosnowski and Abbie Holt rounded out the category. Defensively, Sosnowski had one of her best performances of the season with her 26 digs. In just her second appearance at the college level, McLamb scooped up 18 digs. Burrowes finished out her double-double with 13 digs. Pigza is credited with a match-high five total blocks (two solo, three assists), with Collins just behind with four block assists.
Mars Hill finished the match with a .170 hitting percentage with 51 kills, 22 errors, and 171 total attempts. TU tallied 65 kills, 29 errors and 192 attacks for a .188 hitting percentage. The Pioneers led the match in assists (63-48), digs (87-85), and total blocks (7-4), while the Lions had the narrow ace advantage (5-4).
Tusculum started the match off cold, averaging a negative hitting percentage, and Mars Hill took advantage. The Lions used multiple spurts to hold a 19-9 advantage over the Pioneers and steadily closed out the frame.
TU held the home team at bay in set two, as Mars Hill averaged a minute .026. The Lions had a better start (13-10), but the Pioneers would not be denied. An 11-5 run was fueled by MHU attack errors, kills by Burrowes, and a pair of TU blocks. Sosnowski tied up the match with her set-clinching ace.
Once again, the Pioneers started out slow, but rallied to lead the match 2-1. Mars Hill won six of the set's first seven points. A TU timeout settled them and halted the Lions' 6-0 run. Tusculum then responded with a 5-1 spurt to close the gap. The Pioneers took the lead at 13-12 and never looked back. Burrowes finished out the set with five kills, including a stretch of 4-of-5 points for TU.
Mars Hill forced a fifth frame with a 25-18 set four win. The Lions claimed the first four points, but TU quickly tied it up. The teams traded points until MHU shot out to a 22-15 advantage. The Lions' front line forced a fifth set with kills by the trio.
The Pioneers saved their best for last, firing on a .391 clip, while holding Mars Hill to an even hitting percentage. TU garnered the first five points of the frame, but a 9-4 run ties the final frame. Burrowes took the set over to collect three-straight kills and, ultimately, win the match.
Tusculum returns home for a four-match stretch, beginning on Friday, October 8. First serve against the Catawba Indians will be at 6 p.m.
