BRISTOL, TENN. — The Lincoln Memorial University men's volleyball team begins its three-day competition week with a trip up US-58 East, aiming for the Railsplitters' first-ever victory versus the Tornado.
 
The Basics
 
Tuesday, Feb. 5 at King University — 7 p.m.
 
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Quick Hits

-LMU (5-3) is fresh off a trip North, where the Railsplitters vied with No. 14-ranked Ohio State. Like other matches against quality competition this season, LMU was close in each set, winning the third one to avoid a sweep but was unable to claw out the next in a 3-1 loss, 23-25, 19-25, 25-23, 23-25.
 
-The Railsplitters were led by Evan Cory, who had a match-high 21 kills —propelling him over 100 kills for the season already — 48 attacks and 22.5 points.  The junior leads his team in kills (115), service aces (20) and is tied with AJ Risavy in digs (41)
 
-Risavy, the starting setter, has a team-high 270 assists, while Pedro Carvalho has 49 blocks. The nation's No. 1 blocker paces all his teammates by a large margin, with Cory behind him with 30 blocks.
 
-Cory, Carvalho, Risavy and freshman Dawson Walker have played in all 28 sets so far this season, which equals eight total matches.
 
-On the season, LMU hasn't lost back-to-back matches, and is attempting to defeat King for the first time in five matches to avoid shouldering that losing streak.
 
Know the Opponent
 
-Like LMU, the Tornado (4-4) have played eight matches, but King has played two more sets (30). A pair of the Tornado losses have come on their home court, falling to No. 9-ranked Lewis and No. 8 Loyola Chicago in straight sets.
 
-Since those two losses to open the season, King hasn't been back home, playing six straight matches on the road before coming back home to face the Railsplitters. In that stretch, the Tornado won four while dropping the other to at Erskine, 2-3, and Charleston, 1-3
 
-The Conference Carolinas' squad has been paced by a 100-kill leader in Sean Kohlahase (103). Unlike the Railsplitters, who have two players with double-digit service aces — Cory (20) and Carvalho (10) — the Tornado are without one. Kohlahase leads his team with nine while Suetonlus Harris is next with four.
 
-However, King has two setters with double-digit assists. Chandler Christy has 157 while JT Deppe is right behind him with one less, 156. After Risavy's 270 assists, freshman Ryan Foy is next with just 14.
 
-In terms of top blockers, the Tornado are right there with the Railsplitters as Jon Wheaton and Dalton Johnson both have 34 apiece.  
 
Head-to-Head
 
-The Tornado have had the Railsplitters' number in the four matches that the two in-state squads have faced each other, defeating LMU four straight times in as many matches.

-King hasn't surrendered a set to the Railsplitters, handing LMU a loss in straight sets with the last coming April 10, 2018, on its home court.
 
-Both teams have hosted two matches and the same can be said for this season, with a home-and-away match on tap.