HARROGATE, TENN. - The Newberry College volleyball team dropped their second five set match of the season Friday night losing to the Lincoln Memorial Railsplitters, 2-3 (11-25, 25-20, 24-26, 26-24, 12-15).

Brianna Blakely (Houston, Texas) played very well in the loss earning a double-double of 48 assists and 11 digs. Priscila Sales (Belo Horizonte, Brazil) had a strong offensive outing and scored a match high 20 kills. It was her fourth match this season with 20 or more kills. Nadia Andrade (Belo Horizonte, Brazil) led Newberry in digs with 16.

Amanda Horenkamp (Murfreesboro, Tenn.) was on top of her game for the Railsplitters scoring a team high 14 kills. She also earned 21 digs and two block assists. Lauren Kiwacka (Tipp City, Ohio) played well earning a team high 40 assists with 14 digs and four block assists. The digs leader for the Railsplitters was Alicia McIntyre (Muncie, Ind.) with 22.

The scarlet and gray started the night off slow and fell behind in the first set, 1-5. The team woke up to score a couple of points but then committed three consecutive errors. That allowed the Railsplitters to open up an 8-2 scoring run. The LMU offense was on fire from then on as Newberry dropped the opening set, 25-11. This was Newberry's widest set loss of the season and worst set since October 12, 2007.

LMU carried their momentum into the second set by opening up a 7-2 lead. After an LMU service error, Kara Harris (Grandview, Texas) jump started her team with two consecutive aces which sparked a 10-3 scoring run. LMU immediately stopped the bleeding with kills from Horenkamp and Ashlee Knight (Palm Harbor, Fla.).

From then on it was a close battle as both teams struggled to take over the set. Up by a single point, Newberry managed to score five of the last six points to take the second set, 25-20. Blakely had a strong second set earning nine assists, three digs, and a perfect attack percentage.

The drama of the second set spilled into the next as both teams refused to give the other an advantage. The third set turned out to be a nail-bitter as neither team could gain more than a three point lead or score more than three consecutive points. With the crucial set tied at 24 all, NC committed two costly errors which cost them the match lead. Despite the close loss, Lorena Maia (Belo Horizonte, Brazil) played a very efficient set earning six kills and no errors on nine attacks.

With their backs against the wall, the scarlet and gray opened up a quick 5-3 lead in the fourth set. LMU immediately answered back with a 6-1 scoring run which put Newberry under by three points. Knowing that his team was in a tight spot, Coach Nicholson called a time out to regroup his squad. Coming out of the break, Newberry reclaimed the lead with an 8-1 scoring run. The momentum then shifted once again as the Railsplitters took seven out of the next ten points to tie the set at 17 all.

The fourth set was tight down the stretch as the scarlet and gray found themselves once again tied at 24 all. Refusing to make the same mistake twice, Blakely and Sales scored consecutive kills to send their team into a fifth set for the second time this season. Maia contributed greatly once again by scoring five kills on nine attacks. Maia finished the night with 14 kills, five digs, and four aces.

Newberry started the final set shaky by committing four errors in the first nine rallies. Those costly errors helped Lincoln Memorial open the set with a 9-3 lead. Newberry played strong down the stretch and even cut the deficit to a point. Unfortunately for Newberry fans, the early deficit proved to be too much as the scarlet and gray fell, 12-15. Lindsey Hollingsworth (Charleston, S.C.) came off the bench in the fifth set and earned five of her 12 total digs.

The Newberry College volleyball team now falls to 17-11 overall and 8-7 in the SAC. They will play their final match of the regular season Saturday afternoon when they travel to Carson-Newman at 4 p.m. Lincoln Memorial (19-11, 7-8 in the SAC) will also play their final regular season game tomorrow at home against Wingate at 4 p.m.