The Lincoln University women's volleyball team held their home opener Tuesday night against Frostburg State University, falling to the Wildcats 3-0 at Manuel Rivero Hall.

The Wildcats improve to 2-0 with both wins coming against the Lions.  Frostburg took the first set 25-13 and followed with a 25-11 win in the second set.  The Lions (0-3) played their best set of the young season in the third stanza, producing several long rallies and were urged on by the boisterous crowd in attendance keeping the score close throughout before falling 25-20.

Senior Tierra Russaw (Westland, Mich./Summit Academy) led the Lions with five kills and five assists while adding four digs and two blocks on the defensive end.   Kaiya Lewis (Woodhaven, N.Y./Queens Preparatory Academy) had four blocks to go along with three kills. Tymera Crudup (Barnegat, N.J./Barnegat) led the team with ten digs and also had two service aces.  Kaymoni Kent (Philadelphia, Pa./W.B. Saul (Community Coll. Of Philadelphia)) added seven digs and two aces.

Frostburg jumped out to a 7-1 lead in the first set only to see the Lions close within three on two occasions, the last on a Jade Bowers' (Randallstown, Md./Milford Mill Academy) ace, making the score 12-9.  FSU finished the set on a 13-4 spurt to take a 1-0 lead in the match.

The Wildcats used a 9-2 run midway through the second set to pull away with a 25-11 win and a 2-0 lead.
The two teams battled in the third set, with the Lions producing three ties in the early going.  With Frostburg serving, Russaw took a set from Sage Polee (Pikesville, Md./Millford Mill Academy) and put the ball down for a kill to give the Lions a brief 10-9 lead.  The Wildcats then ran off six straight points to lead 15-10 but kills from Lewis and Russaw and an ace from Kent put Lincoln right back in the game, trailing by two 15-13. Mikhi Wright's (Philadelphia, Pa./Phila. HS for Girls) kill cut the Wildcat lead to one 16-15 before a small 4-1 mini-run by FSU again opened the gap.  Lincoln closed within four several times down the stretch but could get no closer.   

Biamba Tshitenge led the Wildcats with nine kills.  Edwyna Lainez had 14 assists and four aces while Kathryn Lough led all players with 12 digs.

The Lions return to action on September 19, 2019 when they host University of the Sciences in a non-conference tilt at Manuel Rivero Hall.   Tipoff is at 6 p.m.