HONOLULU, Hawaii — Despite losing in straight sets, 9-25, 17-25, 25-27, for the second time in three days to the No. 2-ranked Rainbow Warriors, the Lincoln Memorial University men's volleyball team showed a sense of pride from the first to final set inside Stan Sheriff Center Sunday night.
 
The Railsplitters (7-6) were led by Jacob Titus' career performance as the freshman had career highs in points (9.5), kills (8), digs (3), blocks (2) and assists (1). Junior Evan Cory was right behind him with a team-high 12.5 points, five blocks plus eight kills, three digs and a service ace.
 
Logan Kerley led his squad with a .333 hitting percentage behind five kills and the same amount of digs for a new season high, while AJ Risavy passed across 23 assists and had five digs.
 
Hawai'i (10-0) secured its 10th straight match victory without losing a set behind Brett Rosenmeier and Flip Humler's nine kills and 10 points apiece. Stijn van Tilburg, Patrick Gasman and James Anatassiades all had seven kills each, while Gage Worsley had a match-high 10 digs.  
 
After Hawai'i rattled off a 7-1 run to start the first set, the Railsplitters vied back, bringing the score within four (5-9) as back-to-back Cory kills supported the surge. However, the Rainbow Warriors scored the next 16 of 20 points behind their .607 hitting percentage and limited LMU to a .050-hitting clip to run away with the opening set for the 1-0 match lead.
 
The Railsplitters bounced back from their lowest-scoring set of the season with their most competitive set yet versus the high-powered Rainbow Warriors. LMU tied it up twice early before Hawai'i pulled away with the lead for good, but the Railsplitters didn't let them away that easily. Behind five of Titus' season-high eight kills, LMU stayed within striking distance. Cory used one of his kills to bring it as close as 16-18, but from there, LMU's hitting percentage dropped from nearly .300 to a set .125 as Hawai'i scored the next seven of eight points, halting a strong push from the Railsplitters for the 2-0 match advantage.
 
LMU gave the Rainbow Warriors everything they could handle in the third set. For the first time in 17 sets, Hawai'i allowed its opponent into the 20-point range, and then the Railsplitters nearly handed the top-notch squad its first set loss of the season. LMU, who hit their best set of the weekend with a .256 clip, had two swings at the set point, but then the Rainbow Warriors subbed in their original starting setter Worsley and high-flyer van Tilburg, who spoiled the Railsplitters' near set win with back-to-back kills for the 27-25 win and match sweep.