NASHVILLE – Playing its second Southeastern Conference opponent in the last three matches, the Lipscomb University volleyball team played toe-to-toe with Vanderbilt University, but the first-year program in the Commodores edged the Bisons in a four-set contest, Thursday evening inside Allen Arena to open the Lippy Invitational. 

Final Score: Vanderbilt 3, Lipscomb 1 (25-17, 25-21, 21-25, 26-24)
Location: Allen Arena
Records: Lipscomb (1-3), Vanderbilt (2-2)
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
The two squads went back-and-forth to start the match, as the Commodores made it an 8-5 lead early after a Lipscomb service error. 

Vandy maintained the lead through the media timeout, and they extended the lead to 18-14 before the Bisons burned a timeout. 

Berkley Mischler kept the Bisons in the set with her kill to cut the deficit to 20-17, but the visitors won the final five points of the frame to start with a 25-17 first set victory. 

The second set, similar to the first, was competitive at the start. The Bisons got out to a 6-4 lead after kills by Mischler. Unfortunately, it would not last, as a service error and attack error evened the frame up at six points apiece. 

A total of 10 ties and two lead changes for the set would not disappoint the fans. Tied at 13, Vanderbilt used a Sydney Conley kill and a Reese Animashaun block to lead 15-13 at the media break. 

LUV got back into it with a Courtney Jones kill to even the set at 18, but Vanderbilt used a Kamryn Chaney kill to reclaim the lead for good. 

Despite kills by Mischler and Cora ter Kuile late in the set, VU took advantage of a Lipscomb service error to win set two, 25-21. 

In the third, the Bisons rallied for an 8-4 run to lead 15-11 at the media timeout after an Allison Barrick kill and service ace. Coming out of the break, Jones scored two more on the front row to lead 17-12. 

Vandy did rally to cut the deficit down to a three-point affair, 23-20, but a Commodore error at the serve and a Jones spike gave the home squad the 25-21 set win and forced a fourth set. 

Unlike the first three sets where the battle was like a pendulum, Vanderbilt won six of the first seven points to require Lipscomb to burn a timeout early in the frame. 

However, the slow start did not affect the Bisons, as they rallied back from the slow start to take a 15-14 lead after a Jones strike. 

The Bisons made it an 18-15 lead after a Cora ter Kuile kill that forced the Commodores to burn their last timeout of the set. Coming out of the break, the visitors shut down the Bisons, as they took advantage of errors on three of four points to take a 20-19 lead. 

After Lipscomb burned its last timeout, the Bisons saw themselves down 24-21. However, a big side out on an attack error by Chaney gave the serve to Sophia Hudepohl, who helped the team even the frame at 24 points apiece thanks to a ter Kuile kill and an ace from Hudepohl. 

However, Vanderbilt came back loud with back-to-back kills by Chaney to win the set, 26-24, and take the set in four. 

QUOTABLE
Hear from Coach Brandon Rosenthal after the match. 


HERD NOTES
Thursday's match against the Commodores was the first in program history, as Vanderbilt has reinstated volleyball as a varsity sport for the first time since the 1979-80 season.

KEY STATISTICS
For the match, the Bisons out-attacked the Commodores, 50-48. After Vandy totaled two errors on the attack in the two sets and hit over .500 in both frames, they totaled 11 in the final two sets, including a .167 clip (12-6-36) in the fourth. 

For the second straight match, Berkley Mischler tallied a career-high 15 kills, including seven in the second set. The senior finished with a .379 clip, totaling four attack errors on 29 swings. 

Courtney Jones posted 11 kills with seven digs and two aces, while Sophia Hudepohl added 41 assists for her 46th career match of 40 or more assists. 

Kenzie Kucks added eight digs and two aces. 

UP NEXT
The Lippy Invitational will conclude with a match against No. 14 Minnesota. First serve is slated for 6 p.m. inside Allen Arena.