ANDERSON, S.C. - Despite double-figure kills from Serena Jackson and Jessica Harris, the Anderson University volleyball team opened a three-match South Atlantic Conference homestand with a 3-1 (25-17, 24-26, 23-25, 21-25) loss to Mars Hill, Friday night at the Abney Athletic Center.

Anderson (9-11, 7-7 SAC) has suffered back-to-back losses and dropped seven of its last nine decisions, while Mars Hill (6-15, 4-10 SAC) earned a sweep of the season series and snapped a two-match losing skid with the victory.

Jackson shared match-high honors with 17 kills, marking her ninth double-figure kill match of the season. The sophomore also paced the Trojans with a .364 attack percentage on the night. Harris posted her third straight match with double-figure kills by tallying 15, while adding five total blocks. Redshirt junior Priscilla Irizarry notched her eighth double-double of the season, with a match-best 46 assists and 10 digs. Freshman Emily Conard led all players with 18 digs, while junior Tinsley Hallman tallied 16 digs. Sophomore Marissa Mitter chipped in 15 digs, with freshman Megan Embry adding 13 digs.

The Trojans posted four unanswered points in the opening set to claim their first lead of the frame, at 7-6, when Irizarry and Harris combined on a block. Neither team managed to build more than a three-point advantage until the Trojans snapped a 14-14 deadlock by reeling off six straight points to take control of the set. Harris, Mitter and junior Allison Gaminde each contributed a pair of kills during the outburst, as AU recorded an impressive .487 attack percentage in the first set. The Lions would get no closer than four through the remainder of the frame.

After trailing by three early in the second set, Hallman sparked a 5-0 run with a kill and Jackson fueled the surge with a pair of kills. Conard's lone service ace of the contest capped the run and gave the Trojans a brief 7-6 edge. The frame saw six tie scores the rest of the way, with Anderson holding the advantage, including a 24-22 lead before Mars Hill rallied to win the set by scoring the final four points.

The Trojans pushed out to a 14-5 lead in the third set, and led 22-18 but were unable to hold off a furious Lions' rally that saw Mars Hill score four consecutive points to even the frame for just the second time, at 22 apiece. Gaminde and Jackson teamed up for a block to give AU a brief 23-22 edge, but MHU responded with three straight points to claim the set.

The fourth set featured 11 ties, but just five lead changes as AU fell behind 7-2 in the early going. The Trojans countered with a 6-1 run to knot the score at 8-8, and the teams exchanged the lead twice before the Lions grabbed the advantage for good at 19-18. The Trojans pulled within 21-19 on a Mars Hill error, but were unable to overtake the visitors down the stretch.

Anderson returns to the court on Saturday, when the Trojans play host to Tusculum on Homecoming at the Abney Center. First-serve is scheduled for 2 p.m.