NASHVILLE – With the 2020 Lincoln Memorial University men's volleyball season beginning a week from New Year's Eve, a trio of Railsplitter upperclassmen have already inserted their names among national leaders. Seniors Evan Cory and Pedro Carvalho, along with junior AJ Risavy, have respectively been named to 2020 watch lists for Off the Block's Bryan Ivie Award, Ryan Millar Award and Lloy Ball Award.
 
The Bryan Ivie Award is annually given to the nation's best opposite in NCAA Division I-II men's volleyball during the regular season and is named after the former USC All-American and U.S. Olympian. The Ryan Millar Award is presented annually to the nation's best middle attacker in NCAA Division I-II men's volleyball during the regular season and is named after the former BYU All-American and U.S. Olympian. The Lloy Ball Award is earned annually by the nation's best setter in NCAA Division I-II men's volleyball during the regular season and is named after the former All-American at Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne and U.S. Men's National Team gold medal-winning setter. All three major national awards are selected by a nationwide voting committee of college men's volleyball coaches and media members.
 
Cory, an opposite from Metairie, Louisiana, appears on Off the Block's 2020 Bryan Ivie Award preseason watch list after being named Off the Block Independent Team Player of the Year last season. Aiding LMU to its second-straight Independent Volleyball Association (IVA) Tournament title, Cory led the Railsplitters in 2019 with 360 kills, 57 service aces and 141 digs. The 6-foot-4 senior's 57 aces and 0.64 aces per set were tops nationally last year among opposites. In fact, he led the nation in both aces and points per set (5.3) while ranking eighth in kills (4.04) and attacks per set (8.64), 10th in blocks per set (1.11) and 23rd in hitting percentage (.341). In three seasons as a Railsplitter, Cory has tallied 871 kills (3.30/set), 123 aces (0.47/set) and 409 digs (4.09/set). 
 
A native of São Paulo, Brazil, middle hitter Carvalho earned a spot on Off the Block's 2020 Ryan Millar Award preseason watch list after leading the nation each of the last two seasons in blocks per set. In 2019, Carvalho averaged 1.45 blocks per set after averaging 1.54 in 2018 and is a big reason why LMU led the country in blocks per set as a team (2.84) two years ago and was third nationally last season (2.56). The 6-foot-7 senior ranked 45th among all NCAA Division I-II volleyball players in aces per set (0.31) and finished with 25 service aces and a team-best 116 blocks. For his career, Carvalho has racked up 374 blocks in 284 sets (1.32/set) and has led the Railsplitters in attack percentage for three-straight seasons with a career hitting mark of .370.
 
Hailing from Edwardsville, Illinois, Risavy was one of the best setters in the nation in 2019 and is among those on Off the Block's 2020 Lloy Ball Award preseason watch list. After being named IVA Freshman of the Year by Off the Block in 2018, Risavy was eighth in the country in assists per game (9.98) a year ago. The 6-foot-7 junior earned IVA All-Tournament honors as the Railsplitters earned the 2019 championship, defeating both Daemen College and Queens in sweeps. Additionally, Risavy was named to the 2019 Off the Block All-Independent Team and has amassed 1,737 assists (9.34/set) over his first two collegiate seasons.
 
Facing one of the most difficult schedules in the nation, one that features a home date with preseason No. 1 and three-time NCAA finalist Hawai'i on Jan. 20, LMU will kick off its 2020 campaign next Tuesday night (Jan. 7) by hosting the University of Mount Olive. First serve from inside Mary Mars Gymnasium in Harrogate is slated for 7 p.m.
 
About Off the Block  
Off the Block is a website that focuses on college men's volleyball news and analysis. With its in-depth and year-round coverage of the sport, the website has become the nation's leader in college men's volleyball coverage. Off the Block in 2017 was presented with the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Grant Burger Media Award – becoming one of the few media organizations to win the annual award for outstanding volleyball coverage.
 
Along with its coverage, Off the Block is responsible for coordinating and presenting numerous national and weekly awards in college men's volleyball. It also coordinates and distributes the weekly National Media Poll and the weekly Division II National Coaches Poll.
 
Off the Block is an independent media organization that believes in providing all its content for free without a paywall in the effort to promote and grow the game. The website is able to sustain itself through the support of sponsors and donations from readers.
 
How to Follow
Stay tuned to LMURailsplitters.com, as well as LMU's social media platforms - @LMURailsplitter on Twitter, @LMURailsplitters on Facebook and @lmurailsplitters on Instagram, for complete coverage of Railsplitter volleyball throughout the 2020 season.