PULASKI, Tenn. - Martin Methodist exploded back from a two set deficit to give Faulkner a scare here in Southern States Athletic Conference action this evening. The Lady Eagles held strong in the fifth set despite a brilliant RedHawk surge however, to secure the victory 25-14, 25-21, 21-25, 20-25, 15-10.

Faulkner struggled little with the home team in the opening round, but by set two Martin Methodist began to find a rhythm.

Sets three and four belonged to the RedHawks as the Lady Eagles tried to find a solution for Gloria Watson. The freshman outside hitter annihilated the visiting defense with 23 kills and hitting .400.

Ya Zhao and Ashley James also proved problematic for Faulkner with 11 kills each.

The Lady Eagles regained their composure in the do-or-die fifth set and bolted out to a 10-4 lead. Martin Methodist refused to go quietly however, and rallied with a 6-1 run before Faulkner finally slammed the door.

Kelsey Bell and Brittnay Renfore were the kill leaders for Faulkner with 10 each, hitting .233 and .167 respectively. Bell also had 10 digs.

Autumn Benson and Alysa Klassen followed with nine kills each hitting an impressive .529 and .500 respectively. Klassen was also a beast at the net on defense with seven total blocks, while Benson contributed a pair.

Morgan Wilson was again the assist leader with 24. Sarah Ford, her counterpart in the 5-2 system, had 18.

Lindsey Ortner anchored the defense with 16 digs and Katie Martin had 11.

Faulkner improved to 11-10 overall and 5-4 in the league. The Lady Eagles return home to host Emmanuel in an SSAC event at Tine Davis Gym on Oct. 18 at 7 p.m.