McKENZIE, Tenn. – At Crisp Arena, the Lindsey Wilson volleyball team started strong but could not fend off the homestanding Wildcats, falling 3-1 on their first day in Tennessee.

The visitor's attack was sturdy out of the gate as the Blue Raiders struck for 12 kills and a .310 hitting percentage in the first set. However, the hosts flipped the script with plus-.300 attacking marks of their own in both the second and third sets, giving them the edge to carry through the deciding fourth.

Elizabeth Moore and Madison Bidwell led the Lindsey Wilson offense with nine and eight kills, respectively, while Monika Szwarc broke through the 20-assist threshold for the fourth time this season, finishing with 21 dimes.

As for the Blue Raider defense, Ola Wyrzykowska and Wiktoria Stankiewicz accounted for the most digs, contributing nine and eight, in that order.

The first frame was all Lindsey Wilson and started with a 3-0 run with a successful attack by Lindamara Conceicao and a service ace from Luiza Goncalves. The early advantage quickly grew behind a pair of kills by Bidwell, coupled with a few more aces and Bethel miscues to put Lindsey Wilson ahead 12-4. The Wildcats' struggles continued into the latter stages of the set, and a 21-14 deficit was as close as they would get before the Blue Raiders rallied off the final four points of the set.

Bethel caught fire to open the second set, scoring its first eight points off of kills to build an 8-5 cushion. From there, any momentum sparked by Lindsey Wilson was seemingly defused by the 'Cats' attack. That held true for the home side over the course of the third set, as well, as they combined to outkill the Blue Raiders 37-22 between the two sets.

A promising 6-0 stretch to begin the fourth set gave Lindsey Wilson a jolt of energy in the hopes of forcing a fifth, but a subsequent 7-1 swing by the Wildcats swiftly leveled the score. The Blue Raiders managed a series of three-point leads throughout the frame, all of which were successfully countered by Bethel, who would ultimately tally the final seven points of the match to put a lock on the win.

Lindsey Wilson faces a quick turnaround on Saturday when the Blue Raiders visit Freed-Hardeman (Tenn.) for another conference match-up. First serve with the Lions is slated for 3 p.m. CST.