For the third year in a row, the Lenoir-Rhyne Volleyball team has started SAC play winning their first three matches as the Bears move to 3-0 in the SAC with a four set win (3-1) over Mars Hill on Saturday. Sydney Karjala set a career high with 47 assists as the trio of Emmaleigh Allen, Taylor Osborne and Kathy Peter combined for 46 kills on the afternoon. The Bears will return home on Tuesday for the first home SAC game of the season against Anderson.

Tied 18-18 in the first set, the Bears won five of the next six points led by two kills apiece from Allen and Peter as the Bears took control of the first set with a 25-20 victory. After Mars Hill took the second set 25-21, the Bears offense only made five attack errors the next two sets and came away with a 25-18 and 25-12 wins to take the victory 3-1 against the Lions.

LR hit .264 in the third set and .467 in the fourth set. Bears have five service aces led by a pair from Lyndsie Warren and Aasia McNeill.
Five Bears had at least 15 digs lead by McNeill with 20 digs.

Bears went 3-0 this week with all three wins on the road. LR in total has played seven straight games on the road or neutral sites.
It was the first win at Mars Hill since the 2019 season.

LR, Anderson, Wingate and Carson-Newman are the only four teams that are still perfect in league play. Anderson heads to Shuford Arena on Tuesday night.

Karjala has 124 assists in the three games this week including 91 in the last two games.

The Bears are 7-3 overall 3-0 in the South Atlantic Conference. LR will return home for the first time since September 2 with a key SAC match against Anderson. First serve is scheduled for 7:00 PM.