HARROGATE, Tenn. – The Lincoln Memorial University men's volleyball team (2-5) returns to Mary Mars Gymnasium on Friday night to host the Lees-McRae Bobcats (2-3) at 7 p.m. The Railsplitters will be looking to avenge a 3-0 loss to the Bobcats from back on January 13.
 
Schedule/Gameday Links
 
Friday, January 27 vs. Lees-McRae (7pm) – Live Stats/Video
 
Notes on the Railsplitters:
 
-Lincoln Memorial snapped a three-game losing skid on Tuesday night with a decisive 3-0 win (25-6, 25-11, 25-13) at Bluefield. The Railsplitters produced a program-best .435 attack percentage with 33 kills and just six errors, while the Rams had just 10 kills with a paltry .053 attack percentage. For the first time all season, Evan Cory (Metairie, La.) did not lead LMU in kills. That honor instead went to Pedro Carvalho (Sao Paulo, Brazil), who racked up a career-high 11 kills on 14 attempts, good for a .643 clip.
 
-The first go-around against Lees-McRae didn't go well for the Railsplitters, as the Bobcats hit .316 and held Lincoln Memorial to a .118 clip on January 13 in Banner Elk, N.C. In the program's second-ever match, the Railsplitters committed 21 attack errors and nine service errors. Cory was solid, though, producing a career-high 12 kills, albeit with seven attack miscues.
 
-The Railsplitters are currently ranked third in the nation in digs per set with 9.92. Lincoln Memorial has fared well in mostly all of the defensive categories, ranking 13th in opponent attack percentage (.225) and 19th in blocks per set (1.94). Jorge Callazo (San Juan, Puerto Rico) ranks sixth in the nation in digs per set with 2.58, while Carvalho and Marcus Molina (Newport Beach, Calif.) are leading the team with 0.83 blocks per set.
 
-In general, the Railsplitters have struggled with offensive efficiency, ranking 37th out of 42 teams in the nation in hitting percentage with a .173 clip. Carvalho is far and away LMU's most efficient offensive player with a .330 clip for the season, which ranks 38th in the country.
 
-Lincoln Memorial is producing the 12th-most attacks per set in the country with 26.92, but that hasn't translated to offensive production. The Railsplitters are ranked 34th in kills per set with 10.25.
 
Notes on the Bobcats:
 
-Since defeating the Railsplitters in their season opener on January 13, Lees-McRae has lost twice to Charleston, won at Alderson Broaddus and lost its Conference Carolinas opener to King. Friday is the first match of a stretch that will see the Bobcats play four of their next five games on the road.
 
-Lees-McRae is a solid offensive unit overall, ranking 18th in the nation in kills per set with 12.06 and 22nd in hitting percentage with a .250 clip. Like Lincoln Memorial, the Bobcats attack at a high rate with 27.83 attempts per set, the sixth-most in the nation.
 
-The Bobcats are led by the duo of John Sobel and Wes Rogman, who have combined for 119 kills this season. Sobel has produced 3.50 kills per set on a .255 attack percentage, while Rogman has collected 3.11 per set with a .211 attack percentage. Sophomore Hector Serviat has been tough to slow down as well with 1.93 kills per set on a .418 clip.
 
-In this first meeting against Lincoln Memorial, Rogman had 15 kills on 26 attempts, while Sobel had nine on 19 tries. Mark Shayka notched seven kills. Reto Pfund led all players with 33 assists, while Keenan Freitas amassed 11 digs. Freitas leads the nation in digs per set with 3.44. Pfund ranks 14th in the country in assists per frame with 9.94.
 
-Lees-McRae is not a great blocking team, ranking 39th in the nation in blocks per set with just 1.53. However, the Bobcats are allowing opponents to hit a mere .221 thanks to an average of 8.89 digs per set, which is the 10th-highest mark in the nation.