Lions Down Trojans for Sixth-Straight Win

ANDERSON, S.C.-- Mars Hill's volleyball team extended their winning streak to six matches with a four-set victory over South Atlantic Conference-foe Anderson Friday evening at the Abney Center.

The Lions were able to prevail 25-18, 25-21, 16-25, 25-17. Marissa Wixson's 17 kills and 17 digs paced Mars Hill. Victoria Kaiser and Maggie Murphy each notched a team-high 23 digs for MHU. Kelley Lacey led the Trojans with 15 kills and 24 digs. Each team recorded  99 digs in the match. Mars Hill improved to 8-4 overall and 6-2 in SAC matches, which places the Lions in second in the league. Anderson falls to 5-6 overall and 4-2 in conference play.

Toni Cole and MaryKate Griffin added 13 kills-apiece for MHU. Cole hit an efficient .407 and leads the conference in hitting percentage. Courtney Worthington added 45 assists and a career-high 13 digs for her first-career double-double. Christen Nicholson notched 13 digs.

Shannon Gillespie added 14 kills and 23 digs for AU. Meghan Cautero notched a double-double with 45 assists and 10 digs. Alix Hooker notched a match-high 25 digs for AU.

The Lions never trailed on their way to taking the first set. A key five-point run turned a one-point lead into a 21-15 advantage. Wixson notched a kill and service ace, while Griffin added a pair of kills. A kill by Cole provided the final 25-17 margin.

MHU raced out to a 4-0 lead and never trailed in the second set. AU was able to battle back to knot the score at 20-apiece, but four straight on kills by Cole and Wixson as well as a pair of Trojan attack errors helped MHU regain their cushion. Wixson closed off the set with a kill to make it 25-21.

An 11-2 run by AU provided the Trojans with their first lead of the match and enough cushion to seal their victory in the third set. Four-straight points gave Anderson a 18-10 lead. Mars Hill would get no closer than six the rest of the way as AU notched the 25-16 win.

The Lions answered in the deciding set with an 11-2 stretch of their own to build a 15-8 lead. Wixson provided three kills during that stretch. Mars Hill would lead by as much as nine as the Lions closed out AU, 25-17.

Mars Hill will look to extend their winning-streak to seven when they host SAC-rival Tusculum on Tuesday, Oct. 8 at 7:00 p.m. in Stanford Arena.