After a slow start in the first set, losing 12- 25, the Lee volleyball team came fighting back and pushed NCAA Division III power Emory University before falling 3-1 in the Woodruff PE Center on Tuesday evening.
The Lady Flames bounced back to win a hard-fought second set 25-23 before dropping the third set 27-29 and then being overpowered in the final stanza 15-25. It marked the 10th straight victory for the Eagles, who improved an impressive 22-2 on the year. Lee will take an even .500 (8-8) record into the South Region Crossover tournament at the University of West Georgia on Friday and Saturday.
The tournament matches the Gulf South Conference teams against Sunshine State Conference opponents.
Lee featured a balanced attack in Tuesday's action. Catherine Conley, playing close to home, turned in one of her best efforts of the season. She had 10 kills and a .391 attack percentage. Conley came away with an impressive eight kills and added three digs to her total. Brooke
Wilsman also produced a solid effort with 10 kills, .259 attack mark, seven digs and a pair of blocks. Hillary Hoffpauir dished off 22 assists and came up with eight digs.
Stephanie Hernandez was the dig leader as the Lady Flames finished with a total of 56 digs for the match. Emily Bento, Sylvia Sartori and Blaire Beamer all had six kills. Beamer fired three aces and Sartori collected a couple. Sadie Johnson joined in the assists with 16. The Lady Flames played extremely well at the net, coming up with 23 blocks to only four for Emory.
The Atlanta club turned the tables on the Lady Flames by coming up with 81 digs. Becky Breuer controlled the backcourt with 28 digs. Sydney Miles had 13. Sheridan Rice contributed 12 and Sarah Maher had 10 to go along with her 12 kills. Kathryn Trinka paced the Eagles in kills with 13.
Lee will face Eckerd College (Fla.) on Friday at 10 a.m. in the Crossover Tournament. They will return to action later in the day testing Barry University (Fla.) at 4:45 p.m. and then rest until Saturday morning when they face another stiff challenge from Florida Southern in another 10 a.m. affair.