The Lenoir-Rhyne Volleyball Team erased a 2-1 deficit to come back and defeat UNC Pembroke 3-2 on Thursday night in their second road contest in three days. The Bears were paced by a double-double from Emmaleigh Allen with 19 kills and 12 digs and a career high 44 assists from Sydney Karjala.

The Bears won their three sets in mostly lopsided fashion. LR won the first set 25-9, the fourth 25-16 and the fifth 15-9.
In the first set, LR hit .394 with 15 kills as they got off to a hot start. However, the Braves would rally with identical 25-19 victories in sets two and three.

In the fourth, the Bears forced UNCP into seven attack errors on their way to a 25-16 win to set up a winner-take-all fifth set. The Bears stormed out of the gate hot and never looked back. LR scored the first four points of the fifth set as three different players recorded a kill and Allen produced a service ace. Pembroke would never get closer than four points in the final set as the Bears took the clincher 15-9.

Aasia McNeill notched a double-double of her own with 12 kills and 15 digs and Karjala added 12 digs to her 44 helpers. Cheyenne Clonch had 11 kills and hit .409 and Lyndsie Warren had 19 digs and a career-high nine assists.

This was the second five-set victory for LR this season. The Bears improve to 25-12 under second year head coach Nicole Barringer. LR had two wins in five sets a year ago.

Allen entered play as the SAC leader in kills/set at 3.47 and improved that number to 3.51 with tonight’s performance. LR is a perfect 4-0 against Conference Carolinas foes this season.

The Bears are 7-3 on the season. LR will conclude a seven-game road swing with a trip to Mars Hill on Saturday. First serve is set for 3:30 p.m.