HARROGATE, Tenn. — John Cash knew the group of young men he brought in were legit.
 
After all, the second-year Lincoln Memorial University men's volleyball coach recruited them, but even he had to do a double-take following a recent fall session.
 
"The first day of open gym in the fall when they all got together and played, the new guys beat the returners so that was pretty interesting," Cash said, laughing. "I don't know that I would have said I saw that coming but they bring a whole different fire to them — a lot more passion, a lot more aggression and a different type of experience level with some national team play, some beach team play and some guys that have transferred in and played at a high level where they were at before. There's some high, flying athletic ability."
 
For example, Cash said 6-foot-6 freshman Dawson Walker is touching 12 feet in the opposite middle position.
 
That's just one illustration of how this group of six freshmen — paired with two transfers joining the nine returners — has the Railsplitters at a whole other level physically as Campbellsville comes into Mary Mars Gym for the season opener at 7 p.m. Friday.
 
LMU, who finished 14-13 in Cash's first season a year ago, also has matches versus Belmont Abbey at 2 p.m. Saturday following by a weekend-closing session at 1 p.m. Sunday against Mount Olive.
 
"[Campbellsville] is very talented and that's going to be a very tough first match," Cash said. "You might as well go into it hard because the schedule doesn't get any easier with Belmont Abbey right behind that and Mount Olive — they finished in the top of the Conference Carolinas.
 
"Then next week you're facing USC, Limestone and Grand Canyon. There's no rest for the weary in our schedule. The first six weeks are tough. … It's going to be fun."
 
Preparing for such a challenging slate has started with the core of returning players — Evan Cory, AJ Risavy, Lucas Kerley, Logan Kerley, Pedro Carvalho, Jordan Walley, Randy Rivera, Nico Triana and NyJaee Washington — and flowed into the strong, impressive additions.
 
One of those returners, Cory a 6-foot-4 junior, led the Railsplitters in kills (344) and kills per set (3.51) a season ago and was second in blocks (89).
 
The Metairie, La., native also held a second-best .822 serving percentage, totaling 39 service aces to place himself as a dual-threat behind the net.
 
"From an experience standpoint, a lot of returners are going to have impact," Cash said. "Evan is a very solid right side for us and very consistent. Not only can he pass but he's a great server; he was our No. 2 server last year. He's also a very efficient, dynamic hitter on the right side."
 
Another key player back is Carvalho, a 6-foot-7 middle hitter from São Paulo, Brazil, who not only led his team in blocks (151) last season but the entire nation.
 
After one season, the sophomore's personal growth has made his on-court game that much better.
 
"Pedro, who led the nation in blocks last year, in the middle is coming back and really has had a bigger influence on the team this year than he did last year — more mature," Cash said. "That's a big deal. There's a lot more maturity of in-game play."
 
The next important Railsplitter returner is the Edwardsville, Ill., native in Risavy. The sophomore setter didn't miss a set a season ago, appearing in all 98 where he passed across a team-high 859 assists.
 
Freshman Ryan Foy has pushed Risavy in competition, but the setter, who was third-best in blocks (56) and digs (144) last season has the upper hand from his rookie experience.
 
"AJ is not a freshman anymore at the setting position," Cash said. "He's been pushed very hard by Ryan this year so they are still battling a little bit but AJ has the experience side a little bit. That's one of the things you look at so you go, 'What's the difference from this year to last year?' We actually get younger.

"Our roster is younger but the guys who have experience and have played a lot — Jordan, Logan, all those guys that are coming back from the fold that way — there's a level of calm and a coachability on the floor where they aren't always going to be looking over at me. Guys on the floor are going to be able to say something to them to correct some things with some of the young guys that are expected to come in and contribute."
 
The youth of the Railsplitter roster, which is rounded with mostly underclassmen, hasn't dampened the expectations but made them expand to an extent because of the skill level brought in, especially at the libero position.
 
Matt Bridenbaugh, a sophomore transfer from St. Joseph College, and freshman Andres Delgado bring their defensive specialist efforts in to help tame the ball control. These additions allow Cash to slide Logan Kerley out to help elsewhere.
 
"Our most important people are our ball controllers," Cash said. "Matt Bridenbaugh and Andres Delgado coming in both of them bring a whole other level of play at that position of libero or a defensive specialist because of the aggression they play with, seeing things early and putting the ball right on the money for AJ.
 
"AJ is 6-foot-8 so we can't have low passes. We have to put the ball on top of his head and if we do that he makes great decisions and if we get our one-on-ones or zeros, we are going to finish."
 
All of these pieces, plus Danny Hermida transferring in from Erskine College as a outside hitter/right side and three freshmen — Johansen Negron, Jacob Titus and Jacquee Taylor-Ford — have the Railsplitters primed to fix the shortcomings from last year.
 
Of those were the inability to finish off a match with patches of poor serving and the lack of timeliness ball control. With the experience and stronger roster, those hiccups are hoped to be woven into.
 
"I think the diversity is where we are very different this year," Cash said. "Our pin play will be much different this year with Danny and Logan, who was our libero and is moving to an outside position with a lot experience shots that he has. Danny is a lot more pop and power with an extreme finesse game; when he needs to be off speed, he can. We have Johansen who can do it all and bomb a serve from the back line. All of that kind of adds together and does a whole lot of different things for us. We are excited about that."
 
The depth also allows the Railsplitters to practice as a split squad instead of in a half-court, simulated session. The improvement and athletic skill level has shown through those practices and in some scrimmages throughout the fall.
 
Now, the Railsplitters have to put those efforts to work on game day. As far as Cash can see, they are more than ready to start stacking Ws.
 
"The depth and attention to detail is much better. Just the fieriness — they are hungry and want to win," he said. "They want to win more than anyone, and that's why we recruited those guys because they were winners; to come in and help build on what we finished off last year. I think everybody is pretty excited about it. We respect everyone, but we don't fear anybody, and you can tell that with these guys."