MARS HILL, N.C. - The Newberry College volleyball team traveled to Mars Hill for the first match of a four-match road stretch. Each set was hard fought and highly contested, but Newberry managed to win the timely points and come away with the victory. Newberry (16-11, 6-6 SAC) defeated Mars Hill (9-13, 2-11 SAC) in four sets by scores of 25-23, 23-25, 25-19, 25-21.

The opening set was closely fought for the length of the set. Mars Hill opened with a brief lead, but Newberry would not let Lions advance. Neither team held a lead of more than 3 points for the entire set. It became a race to five points when the teams pulled even at 20-20 late in the set. Kara Harris (Grandview, Texas) achieved a kill to put Newberry ahead and Fernanda Frey (Sao Paulo, Brazil) came up with back-to-back kills to put the finishing touches on the opening set victory.

The second set played very similarly to the first, with the teams exchanging points in the early going. With the score evened at 9-9, Mars Hill opened up a four-point scoring run to build a lead. Subsequently, the Lions went on a 5-2 run to extend that lead to 17-11. Newberry put together a couple of late runs of its own to work their way back into the set. With Frey at the service line, Newberry won four consecutive points to even the score at 23-23. The Lions then managed consecutive kills on the ensuing points and evened the match at a set apiece.

Not surprisingly, the third set would be highly contested in its entirety. This time it was Newberry that built the early lead, but the Lions would soon tie it again at 7-7. Newberry then went on a run with a Lindsey Hollingsworth (Charleston, S.C.) service ace and couple of Lion attack errors and led 10-7. Then it was the Lions' turn to make a move, as they won eight of the next 10 points to take the lead for the first time in the set. Head coach David Nicholson called timeout to settle his team, a move which proved effective. Newberry won the first four points out of the timeout with the service of Kember Lichtie (Amarillo, Texas) and recaptured the lead. Newberry wouldn't relinquish it this time; however, and won the last five points of the set to win 25-19.

The teams would both display their will to win yet again in the fourth. The set opened with a 7-2 lead for Mars Hill, but Newberry came storming back yet again. Newberry took advantage of Harris' service and won several points to pull even. The Mars Hill fans were boisterous and did their part in aiding the Lions. The teams exchanged points down the stretch with Mars Hill clinging to a marginal lead. Newberry came up with another timely run and won six consecutive points to take the lead late in the set. Lichtie and Frey would get kills to close out the set and the match.

Lichtie displayed her senior leadership yet again for the scarlet and gray. She achieved another double-doulbe on the night with 10 kills and 20 digs. Frey shined as well with a double-double of her own, hers with 14 kills and 11 digs. Harris was the third player with double-doulbe figures, achieving 11 kills and 14 digs.

Blair Browning (New Lexington, Ohio) shouldered the setting duty and accounted for 37 of the team's 44 sets. Brianna Blakely (Houston Texas) led the team in digs with 25.

Newberry continues its road stretch with a match tomorrow afternoon at Tusculum. The match is scheduled to begin at 2 p.m.