BATESVILLE, Ark. - The Freed-Hardeman Lady Lions won their third straight regular season conference title after defeating Lyon (Ark.) College, 3-1, on Tuesday night.
FHU had already clinched a share of the title and the top seed in the upcoming conference tournament when Trevecca Nazarene (Tenn.) defeated Bethel (Tenn.) last week. FHU swept Trevecca in the regular season series, which would have given the Lady Lions the tiebreaker should the two have ended tied in the standings.
But Freed-Hardeman's win tonight means that the Lady Lions won't have to share the banner with anyone.
FHU finishes its regular season with a 19-12 overall record and 12-2 conference mark. The Lady Lions are now 26-2 in conference play over the last two seasons.
Freed-Hardeman took the first two sets, 25-23 and 25-18, before Lyon extended the match with a 25-17 win in set three. FHU made sure the match didn't go five, though, with a convincing 25-18 win in the fourth set.
Diana Silva paced the attack with 13 kills while Nataly Gutierrez and Sydney Rice each added 10 kills.
FHU takes the No. 1 seed into the conference tournament, which begins on Monday, Nov. 9, at Trevecca Nazarene. The Lady Lions open at 11:30 against eighth-seeded Mid-Continent (Ky.) University.
