Lander LU 20-11

Lenoir-Rhyne LR 23-7

Lander LU

20-11

Final

Dec. 04, 2025

Lenoir-Rhyne LR

23-7

Set Scores
Team	1	2	3	4	F
Lander LU	25	9	25	15	(1)
Lenoir-Rhyne LR	23	25	27	25	(3)

Summary
Box Score

Hailey Franklin

Game Recap: Women's Volleyball | 12/4/2025 5:52:00 PM | Hailey Franklin - Assistant Sports Information Director

Bearcats fall in NCAA Southeast Regional Opening Round To No. 2 Seed Lenoir-Rhyne

WINGATE, N.C. - Lander volleyball's 2025 season came to a close Thursday afternoon as the Bearcats battled but ultimately fell 3-1 to No. 2-seeded Lenoir-Rhyne in the opening round of the NCAA Division II Southeast Regional at Cuddy Arena. Set scores were 25-23, 9-25, 25-27, 15-25.

Lander (20-11, 10-5 PBC) opened the match with confidence, delivering one of its cleanest offensive sets of the year. The Bearcats hit .395 in the opening frame, sparked by 19 kills and a balanced attack that kept the Bears on their heels. Katie Miller and Karson Browning powered the early surge as Lander edged out a 25-23 win to go up 1-0.

Lenoir-Rhyne (23-7), however, responded like a top regional seed. The Bears used a dominant second set to even the match, capitalizing on a .458 hitting performance while limiting Lander to just seven kills. The momentum swing carried into the third frame, where the teams traded long rallies and late leads before the Bears escaped with a tight 27-25 victory. The Bears closed out the match behind steady offense in the fourth, securing the 3-1 win.

Senior outside hitter Katie Miller capped her historic career with a team-high 14 kills and 14 digs, recording her 20th double-double of the year. With her final performance, Miller closes her time at Lander as the Peach Belt Conference's all-time career kills leader—setting the new record at 1,975—and departs holding nearly every major program record across her four standout seasons.

Browning added 10 kills (.231 hitting) and three blocks, while Enisilina Savelio turned in an all-around effort with eight kills (.286 hitting), 32 assists, 14 digs, and two blocks. In the middle, senior Alyssa Tegeler contributed six kills and a team-high four blocks to anchor the front line.

Defensively, Lander tallied 71 digs, led by Savelio and Miller's 14 each and 13 from freshman Quinn Butler. The Bearcats also finished with six total blocks, highlighted by Tegeler, Browning, and Savelio.

For Lenoir-Rhyne, Kayli Cleaver led all players with 18 kills on .368 hitting, while Emmaleigh Allen added 13 kills and four aces. The Bears out-hit Lander .269 to .126 and edged the Bearcats in total blocks (9-6) and assists (45-42).

Despite the loss, the Bearcats capped a strong season that included a 20-win campaign, a 10-5 mark in Peach Belt Conference play, an appearance in the PBC championship match, and a return to NCAA postseason action. Under first-year head coach Kathryn Settle, Lander continued to establish itself as a consistent regional contender, reaching the NCAA Tournament for the fourth straight year and earning multiple all-conference and all-region honors along the way.

Catch the full post-match press conference with Head Coach Settle, senior Katie Miller, and junior Enisilina Savelio below.

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