Coming off a win in their last match, the Lincoln University women's volleyball team faced Salem International University in a rematch of their contest played just three weeks ago.  The result however, was the same, though the Lions did take one set from the Tigers, they fell  3-1 Monday night at Manuel Rivero Hall.

The Tigers took the first set, 25-22.  Lincoln responded with a 25-19 win in the second set.  SIU then proceeded to win the next two sets 25-14 and 25-19 to take the match 3-1.

The Lions fall to 6-22 on the season with one more regular season game remaining before the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association tournament.  The Tigers improve to 5-24 on the season.

Mariah Russell (St Louis Mo./Maplewood Richmond Heights) led Lincoln with 17 kills.  Atarah Lindsey (Detroit, Mich./Romulus High School) added a double-double with 12 kills and 15 digs.   Shanna King (Newark, NJ/University High School) had 24 assists, setting the Lady Lion offense and also recorded three service aces.  Tierra Russaw (Westland, Mich./Summit Academy) also had three aces and a match-high 22 digs.

Salem notched 17 kills in their 25-19 first set win with Sophie Freihofer netting nine of those.  The Lions were outhit .346 (17-2-44) to .116 (12-7-43).     The tigers opened up an early 7-4 lead and later held leads of 13-9 and 17-13 before the Lions produced a 7-1 spurt to take a 20-18 lead late in the set.  King had two kills and Lindsey added one and Aundrea Hall (San Antonio, Texas/Naples HS (Italy)) had an ace to highlight the run.  SIU followed with three straight points to retake the lead 21-20 and scored four of the next six points to win the set 25-22.

Russaw had three aces in the Lions 10-1 run to open the second set.  SIU rallied with an 8-2 spurt to close the gap to 12-9 before a kill by King and two tiger attack errors pushed the lead back up to six 15-9.  The Tigers closed within one 15-14 but was never able to take the lead as the Lions hung on for the 25-19 win, evening the match at 1-1.

The Tigers took control in the third set, pulling away from a 5-5 deadlock with a 5-1 run to lead 10-6.  A King ace pulled Lincoln within two 11-9 but that was as close as the Lions would get as SIU outscored  Lincoln 14-5 the rest of the way for a decisive 25-14 third set win.

Salem scored the first six points in the fourth set and continued to force the action as the set wore on, leading at one point 22-8.  Lincoln made it close with an 11-3 run, highlighted by four kills from Russell.  However the deficit was just too great and the Lions fell short 25-19, dropping the match in four sets.

For the match the Lions hit, .127 (44-27-134) while Salem hit a robust .273 (47-14-121).

???????Freihofer led all players with 20 kills while recording 13 digs.  Ashly and Kristn Holt had eight kills apiece.
Lincoln will close out their record season at home on Saturday, November 12, 2016 when the host Bowie State University at 12 noon at Manuel Rivero Hall.