HENDERSON — After falling in the first two sets, the Freed-Hardeman University Lady Lions batted off a sweep by winning the third set. Unfortunately for the Lady Lions, the Lindsey Wilson Blue Raiders claimed set four to win the match 3-1 (26-24, 25-19, 25-22, 25-19) on Saturday.
In the first set, Freed-Hardeman (12-18, 2-8 MSC) answered each score by the Blue Raiders, staying tied until 6-6. From there, Lindsey Wilson scored five of the next six points to jump out to an 11-7 lead.
Teodora Dacic stepped up with back-to-back kills before
Marija Milic's kill gave FHU the lead 12-11. After trading scores, FHU had a tandem block by Milic and
Marija Cabadaj to set up Dacic for another back-to-back pair of kills and give the Lady Lions a 22-20 lead. LWU scored the next two points until FHU battled back to sit on set point 24-23. The Blue Raiders managed to score the final three points of the set to win the set 26-24. The first set was neck and neck a majority of the time with FHU and LWU drawing even 16 times and trading leads seven times.
Scores continued to stay close in the second set with Lindsey Wilson (17-16, 5-6 MSC) and Freed-Hardeman staying within two points of each other with a tie as late at 9-9. The teams traded service until the Blue Raiders outscored the Lady Lions 5-1 to jump ahead to a 17-12 advantage. Beginning at LWU's 17-14 lead, the teams traded services after every point until the Blue Raiders scored three unanswered to get the set win 25-19.
Freed-Hardeman answered in the third set to stave off the sweep thanks in part to a burst of offense with kills from Dacic before
Allie Lowhorn joined the fray with a kill and a service ace to push FHU to a 12-9 lead. Cabadaj later notched a kill to push the Lady Lions to a 17-11 edge and forced a Lindsey Wilson time out. FHU had eight set points in their pockets when they led 24-16. They needed nearly all of them as the Blue Raiders battled back to score six unanswered points. FHU finally escaped with the 25-22 set win to force a fourth set.
The fourth set began promisingly enough with Cabadaj's ace being followed by back-to-back
Ana Coker kills.
Alyssa Austin's ace later on pushed FHU's lead to 13-8, but the Blue Raiders pushed across six points with FHU scoring one to tie the set 14-14. Lindsey Wilson put on the gas to streak to 25 to win the set 25-19 and the match 3-1.
For the 10th time this season, FHU outkilled the opposition in a loss. FHU got down 45 to LWU's 38.
Teodora Dacic led all hitters with 14 kills on 40 swings to hit .250 on the match.Â
Hanaé Bezerga recorded two season-highs with 23 digs and seven assists.
Allie Lowhorn had a career high from the service line, putting down four service aces in just three sets of action.
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Up Next
The Lady Lions return to the Brewer Sports Center for the final time in 2026 as they host the rival Bethel Wildcats at 7:00 p.m. on November 3.
