HARROGATE, Tenn. – The Lincoln Memorial University men's volleyball team resumes its six-game homestand on Tuesday at 7 p.m. when the Railsplitters (4-6) tangle with the Campbellsville Tigers (6-9) at Mary Mars Gymnasium. Both teams head into the match following wins, as the Railsplitters took down St. Andrews in four sets last Friday, while Campbellsville captured a dominant 3-0 victory over Bluefield that same day.
Schedule/Gameday Links:
Tuesday, February 21 vs. Campbellsville (7pm) –
Live Stats /
Video
Quick Hits:
-Lincoln Memorial lost the opening set to St. Andrews 25-22, but rebounded with 25-23, 25-17 and 25-17 wins in the next three frames to defeat the Knights at Mary Mars Gym on Friday night. The Railsplitters amassed a program-record 55 kills on a .310 attack percentage, which was the second-highest mark in program history, to power that victory and snap a season-long four-match losing streak.
-Freshman outside hitter
Joshua Riblett (Torrence, Calif.) once again broke the program record for kills in that win over St. Andrews, compiling 18 on 35 attempts for a .343 clip. He previously set the record with 17 at Sacred Heart on February 5, topping his 16-kill effort against Lees-McRae.
-Riblett was one of three LMU players with double-digit kills against St. Andrews, as
Evan Cory (Metairie, La.) had 13 with a .385 hitting percentage, while
Pedro Carvalho (Sao Paulo, Brazil) tallied 10 on just 16 attempts, good for a .438 clip. That marks the third time this season that three different players have had at least 10 kills in the same match.
-That .310 attack effort was a welcome sight for the Railsplitters, who have struggled with consistency on the offensive side of the net all season. Lincoln Memorial is ranked 40th out of 42 teams in the nation in hitting percentage with a .159 clip and failed to hit above .200 once during that four-match losing skid. In fact, LMU has finished with an attack percentage of over .200 just four times this season.
-Carvalho has been far and away the Railsplitters' most efficient hitter with a team-leading .318 attack percentage. The Sao Paulo, Brazil native has produced 1.89 kills per set on 195 attempts, the third-most on the team behind Cory and Riblett. He's had at least eight kills in seven matches this season, including three of the last four. Setter
Ryan Iskandar (Tempe, Ariz.) is second on the team in that department with a .261 clip, while
Marcus Molina (Newport Beach, Calif.) is third with a .246 mark.
-The Railsplitters won't play their next road match until traveling to Franklin Springs, Ga. on March 3. That was originally scheduled to be Lincoln Memorial's inaugural match, but was postponed until the first week of March due to winter weather. The Railsplitters are 3-1 at Mary Mars and 1-6 on the road this season.
Notes on Campbellsville:
-The Tigers have won three of their last five matches, including a 3-0 win over Bluefield on Friday. In that contest, Campbellsville hit a season-high .432 and didn't allow Bluefield to score more than 19 points in any single set.
-In that win over Bluefield, freshman Bryce Johnson led the way with 16 kills, while Adam Conklin followed with nine kills. Philip Turia made his season debut and promptly recorded 30 assists and four kills on just four attempts. In that match prior to that, a 3-0 loss to Siena Heights, Conklin led the way with 11 kills, while Rafael Cruz and Johnson had 10 apiece. Hunter Monday set in that match and posted 24 assists.
-Through 15 matches this season, Campbellsville is hitting .166 as a unit while opponents are hitting .213. The Tigers are ranked fifth in the NAIA with 555 totals digs and eighth in total kills with 549. Johnson (2.96 kills/set), Conklin (2.88 kills/set) and Cruz (2.88 kills/set) are leading the charge offensively, while Noel Camello is contributing a team-leading 3.10 digs per frame.
-Campbellsville is currently second behind Cincinnati Christian in their conference with a 4-1 league mark. The Railsplitters and Tigers share three common opponents in Cincinnati Christian, St. Andrews and Bluefield. LMU went 2-1 against that trio, while Campbellsville is 3-1 with a pair of wins over Bluefield.
-This is the inaugural season of men's volleyball at Campbellsville. The Tigers' 12-man roster consists of 10 freshman and two sophomores.
