HARROGATE, Tenn. – Using a season-high .370 hitting percentage, Anderson wrapped up its road slate by sweeping Lincoln Memorial, 3-0 (25-20, 28-26, 25-10) in South Atlantic Conference volleyball action, Friday afternoon Mary Mars Gym.

"It's a great feeling to win on the road," said Anderson head coach Todd Hay. "LMU was passing well in sets one and two and we had some great rallies. Both sides were siding out at a very good level. Fortunately we found a way to come back in set two and then found some great momentum at the start of set three to help us down the stretch."

Anderson improved to 16-6 overall and 11-3 in the conference, while sweeping the regular-season series with the Railsplitters and has defeated LMU in seven of the last eight meetings.

Lincoln Memorial fell to 7-16 overall and 3-10 in the league, with its third loss in four outings.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
Sophomore Jaelyn Grimm led all players with 14 kills behind a .500 hitting percentage. The Cedar Park, Texas, native committed just three errors in 22 swings and added a solo block and four block assists. Sophomore outside hitter Tabitha Wheeler knocked down a season-high 10 kills on the strength of a .348 hitting accuracy, while coming up with eight digs and a pair of block assists. Senior right-side hitter Regan Duty and sophomore Sadie Kluner each tallied nine kills apiece, with Duty recording a .467 hitting percentage.

Junior setter Madison Roy dished out 40 assists to go along with seven digs, a solo block and three block assists. Junior Lindsay McCurley shared team-high honors with eight digs, while senior Meghan DeVaux added seven digs.

HOW IT HAPPENED
First Set
Grimm paced the Trojans with five kills in the opening frame, with Duty and Wheeler each adding four kills apiece and the Trojans recorded a stellar .424 hitting accuracy.

LMU grabbed a quick 3-1 edge before the Trojans countered with a 6-1 scoring surge fueled by a block assist and a kill by Noelle Knutsen to claim a lead they wouldn't surrender.

The Railsplitters stayed close, but AU pulled out to a three-point lead on several occasions and maintained the advantage despite multiple challenges. With the Trojans holding a 21-18 edge, LMU posted two straight point to close within just one following an AU timeout.

Wheeler then closed the door on the 'Splitters with back-to-back kills and following an LMU timeout, Roy and Knutsen teamed for a block and Wheeler clinched the win with her fourth kill of the set.

Second Set
Kluner and Grimm combined for nine kills in the second frame, with the Trojans needing every kill they could muster before rallying for an improbable win.

After LMU jumped on top early, the score was knotted seven times – at 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12 – before the Railsplitters garnered a two-point lead and forced the Trojans play catch-up. AU closed to within just one (18-17) on a block by Grimm and Wheeler, but LMU countered with a 3-1 surge and still led by three, at 22-19, when Roy rose up for a block and Grimm followed with her fifth block of the set.

Following a Railsplitter timeout, LMU reached set point with two quick scores and led by three heading into an AU timeout. Coming out of the break, the Trojans held off set point four times, before evening the score for the ninth time, at 25-25, on a kill from Kluner. The teams then traded points before AU took just its second lead of the set (27-26) and closed out the win on another kill from Wheeler.

Third Set
With AU hitting .500, the Trojan snapped an early 4-4 deadlock with a massive, 14-2, scoring outburst to take command of the set. Grimm fueled the surge with two kills and a pair of block assists, while Kluner added two kills of her own.

The Railsplitters were unable to get any closer than 11, with AU pulling away down the stretch.

ANDERSON STAT OF THE DAY
The Trojans .370 hitting eclipsed their previous season-high .368, which came at Florida Southern's expense in early September.

NOTABLES
• The Trojans and Lady Railsplitters have now met 30 times over the last 17 seasons, including 25 meetings since AU joined the South Atlantic Conference for the 2010 campaign.
• LMU holds a 16-14 advantage in the overall series.
• The Trojans swept the 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2021 regular-season series – the two teams met just once last spring.
• The Trojans and 'Splitters were meeting for the second time in 15 days.
• The Trojans have won five straight at Mary Mars Gym.
• Grimm notched a career-best 17 kills in the five-set win over the Railsplitters earlier this season at the Abney Athletic Center and has averaged 15.5 kills per match against LMU this season.
• Grimm has reached double-digit kills on nine occasions this season.
• The Trojans improved to 9-0 in three-set matches this season.
• AU improved to 12-4 away from home this season.
• The Trojans are hitting better than .276 over their last nine matches after hitting over .300 in three of their last four outings.
• Roy has dished out at least 40 assists on 14 occasions, while reaching the 50+ assist plateau six times this season. She set a career-high with 53 assists in back-to-back contests against Newberry and Mars Hill and has posted eight double-doubles this season.

UP NEXT
Following a six-day layoff, Anderson will wrap up the regular season with a four-match homestand, beginning with UVA-Wise, Friday night at the Abney Athletic Center. First-serve in the Electric City is scheduled for 6 p.m. The Trojans will be looking for their fourth straight win over UVA Wise after defeating the Cavaliers in four sets earlier this season.