HARROGATE, Tenn. — As winners of the last six of seven matches, the Lincoln Memorial University men's volleyball team is playing its best game at the right time of the year as the Railsplitters travel to the Carolinas for their next to last 2019 road trip.
The Basics
Friday, March 22 at Coker College — 7 p.m.
Live Stats
Video
Saturday, March 23 at Belmont Abbey — 1 p.m.
Live Stats
Video
Quick Hits
-It was quite the season at home for the Railsplitters (13-7) as they won every single game — with six of the 10 wins being in straight sets — to finish their slate inside Mary Mars Gym 10-0.
-Of winning the last six of seven games, LMU has won three straight with those coming at Lees McRae, and then versus Quincy — the Railsplitters' first-ever Division I victory — at home in straight sets followed by a dominating three-set win over in-state rival King University Tuesday. The victory over the Hawks and Tornado were LMU's first against both of those universities in multiple tries as the Railsplitters were 0-2 versus Quincy and 0-5 against King before.
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Logan Kerley posted a career high 14 kills and 14.5 points in the huge win over King while
Evan Cory kept his stellar season going. The nation's top points leader —with 5.44 points per set — secured 18.5 more to push his total to 386.0. Cory also ranks among the top of the nation as seventh in kills (7.20 per set) and second in aces (0.662 per set) while he's seventh in kills (4.20 per set).
-Junior
Pedro Carvalho still sits second in the nation with 1.387 blocks per set and leads the team with 86 while Cory trails with 74. Also defensively, Cory paces the team with a leading 110 digs and
AJ Risavy is just behind him with 98, whereas Risavy has a riveting 709 assists to rank sixth in the nation with his 10.13 per set.
-The Railsplitters' most dominating team stat is from a serve standpoint and their nation's second-best 2.04 ace per set. LMU has a team total of 147 aces as Cory paces the way with 47. Carvalho also has 24 and
Jordan Walley has 22.
Notes on Coker
-As an Independent Volleyball Association member like the Railsplitters, these pair of teams are not new acquaintances. Earlier this season, the two met and it was LMU getting the best of the Cobras (5-11) again as the Railsplitters won their fourth straight and second in consecutive sets with the 3-0 sweep in Harrogate.
-Since Coker took the first-ever match victory — in a 3-1 win — the Cobras have won a total of three sets in the next four matchups as the IVA teams meet for the fifth time before the IVA Tournament inside Mary Mars Gym April 12-13.
-Coker hosts LMU having lost six of its last seven matches. Like the Railsplitters, the Cobras best team stat are service aces. Coker is 20th in the nation with 1.32 per set for 82 on the season. Brandon Ravelo leads the Cobras with 17 aces, while Joao Victor Santos follows with 16 and Max Kuntz has added 15.
-Santos, who has a team-high 234 kills, sits in 10th place nationally with 3.77 per set, and he is also 17th in points behind his 4.28 per set whereas Ravelo is 15th nationally with his 9.70 assists per set and 523 on the season.
Notes on Belmont Abbey
-The last time the Crusaders hosted the Railsplitters, the home team secured a 3-1 victory. It was Belmont Abbey's first over LMU, after failing two months earlier in 2018, via a sweep inside Mary Mars Gym. That win evened the series to 1-1, but the Railsplitters went back ahead following its 3-1 home victory earlier this season in January.
-Having lost the last five of seven, the Conference Carolinas squad comes into this match, aiming to even the series once again against the visiting Railsplitters. Liam Maxwell has led the Crusaders (10-8) all season as junior outside hitter is atop the nation in multiple categories per set: attacks (first, 10.05), kills (third, 4.44) and points (seventh, 5.07).
-His teammate William Morris is right behind Carvalho in third place with 1.305 blocks per set with his 78 total blocks. As a team, Belmont Abbey is seventh in the nation in limiting its opponent to a low hitting percentage.
