Tusculum Defeats Volleyball

GREENEVILLE, TENN.- The Mars Hill volleyball team lost a 3-1 South Atlantic Conference match at Tusculum on Tuesday night in Pioneer Arena. Tusculum won the match by scores of 33-35, 25-15, 25-16 and 25-17. Mars Hill falls to 4-5 overall and 2-3 in the league while Tusculum improves to 5-3 and 3-2.

Lauren Hochstetler led the Lions with 22 kills and had 24 digs. Maddie Spurgeon had 19 kills, followed by Elizabeth Kaeser with 11 kills. Victoria Kaiser had a team-leading 25 digs, with Andie Russell contributing 14 digs.

Danae Stauffer led the Pioneers with 14 kills, followed by Rachel Garnett with 11 kills. Melissa Mazur had a match-high 34 digs.

Mars Hill claimed a wild 35-33 set that featured several lead changes and ties. Tusculum led 9-4 before the Lions evened the set at 17 following a Spurgeon kill. The Lions would enjoy a 22-19 lead before the Pioneers tied the set at 23 following a service ace. Each team would get to set point but would be unable to claim the opening set until a Kaeser kill gave the Lions a 34-33 lead with a Kaiser service ace closing out the frame.

Tusculum would claim an 11-6 lead in the second set before the Lions crept to within four, 15-11, following a Pioneer attack error. The Pioneers would go on to win the set 25-16.

In the third set, Tusculum raced out to a 10-5 lead before Mars Hill would pull within three, 12-9, following a Hochstetler kill. The Pioneers answered with a 5-0 run as the Lions would get no closer in a 25-15 Pioneer victory.

The fourth set saw the Pioneers take a 9-7 lead thanks to consecutive kills from Stauffer. A Hochstetler kill got the Lions to within one, 12-11, before the Pioneers went on a 4-0 lead for a 16-11 lead. Mars Hill crept to within three, 16-13, thanks to back-to-back Kaeser kills before the hosts went on a 5-1 lead for a 22-14 lead. The Lions would get no closer than six as Tusculum won the set 25-17 to close out the match.

Mars Hill returns to Stanford Arena on Friday night, hosting Queens at 7 p.m.