Trojans Rally to Defeat Volleyball

MARS HILL, N.C.- After dropping the first set, the Anderson volleyball team won the next three sets to earn a 3-1 victory over Mars Hill in Stanford Arena on Saturday. The Trojans won by scores of 20-25, 25-22, 28-26 and 25-25. Anderson improves to 17-5 on the season and 10-4 in South Atlantic Conference play while Mars Hill drops to 7-14 and 6-8.

Mary Kate Griffin led the Lions with a season-high 23 kills, with 16 kills from Lauren Hochstetler and 13 kills from Rebecca Butler. Christen Nicholson had three aces, with one ace each from Hochstetler, Griffin and Andie Russell. Butler led the Lion defense with 20 digs, followed by 13 digs each from Hochstetler and Griffin, and 10 from Nicholson.

Shannon Gilespie led Anderson with 22 kills. Marissa Mitter had two of the Trojans' six aces. Alix Hooker had a match-high 32 digs, with 11 digs each by Gilespie and Priscilla Irizarry.

Leading by two in the first set, 19-17, Mars Hill went on a 6-3 run and scored the final four points of the set for a 25-20 win. With the score tied at 17 in the second set, the Trojans scored the next two points and held off the Lions to tie the match at 1 after a 25-22 win.

The third set featured eight ties and three lead changes. Mars Hill led 11-4 before the Trojans scored 11 of the next 15 points to tie the set at 15. The Trojans pulled ahead 20-17 before a Butler kill tied the set at 22. The teams traded the next two points before a Griffin kill put the Lions ahead 24-23. Mitter and Griffin exchanged kills before Vallencourt tied the set at 25. Griffin gave the Lions a 26-25 lead before a pair of Gillespie kills and an attack error gave Anderson a 28-26 victory.

Anderson jumped out to an 8-3 in the fourth set and led by as many as eight points as the Trojans clinched the match with a 25-15 fourth set triumph.

Mars Hill hosts Lincoln Memorial on Tuesday night at 7 p.m.