CHICAGO – Beginning a challenging three-match stay in the Land of Lincoln Friday night at Loyola University Chicago, the Lincoln Memorial University men's volleyball team battled for two hours and 12 minutes but came up just short. Making their first road trip of the fresh 2021 campaign, the Railsplitters (1-1) claimed a 25-23 second set but were defeated 3-1 by the host Ramblers (1-0) inside the Alfie Norville Practice Facility.
 
Four long sets and 100 combined kills between the two teams made for an entertaining match that saw LMU connect on 48 kills and swing at a .197 clip for the night. Despite their best efforts, the Railsplitters were unable to slow down Loyola Chicago late in the match as the Ramblers posted an attack percentage of .345 in the final set after tallying 17 kills in the third.
 
A 25-21 opening set went Loyola Chicago's way before LMU gritted out a 25-23 win in set two. A late push by the Ramblers in the third (25-20) made it a 2-1 affair and the home team closed things out in the fourth, 25-21.
 
After Loyola Chicago won the first three points of the match, the Railsplitters settled in with three consecutive kills from junior setter AJ Risavy and sophomore outside hitter Johansen Negron. The Ramblers would build a 20-11 advantage in the opening set but LMU would not be deterred. A 7-2 Railsplitter run got LMU within four at 22-18 with an ace from sophomore outside hitter Jacob Titus and back-to-back kills by senior middle hitter Pedro Carvalho made it 24-21. However, a Loyola Chicago kill from Cole Schlothauer ended the set.
 
The Railsplitters attacked at a .258 mark in the first stanza and totaled 14 kills but the Ramblers swung at .300 with just three errors.
 
Taking a 10-7 lead in the second set off a Negron kill, LMU remained in front by two at 16-14 thanks to an ace from sophomore right side hitter Justin Sharfenaker. Leading 19-17, the Railsplitters withstood a Loyola Chicago onslaught that resulted in the Ramblers taking four of the next five points to pull in front 21-19. A Carvalho block followed by a Titus kill gave the lead back to LMU at 22-21 before things were knotted up again at 22-all and 23-23. From there, inspired play from sophomore middle/right side hitter Dawson Walker and Negron propelled the Railsplitters. Walker teamed up with Risavy for a block and then Negron and Walker rose up for an impressive block on match point to tie up the match at a set apiece.
 
LMU collected 16 kills in the second set on a .294 attack and limited Loyola Chicago to hitting .188.
 
Riding the momentum of set two's terrific ending, the Railsplitters jumped out to a 5-0 lead in the third set with a block from Carvalho and four Rambler attack errors. Forced to use a timeout, Loyola Chicago regrouped but LMU continued to remain in front as a Sharfenaker kill made it 14-10. After the Ramblers got within one, a block by Walker and Titus and a Negron kill kept the Railsplitters ahead by three at 17-14. Loyola Chicago won three of the next four points, but another Negron kill gave LMU a 19-17 lead. Beginning with back-to-back kills, the Ramblers went on to win eight of the last nine points of the set with the Railsplitters lone point coming on a Loyola Chicago service error.
 
Totaling just nine kills in each of the last two sets, LMU attacked at a .148 mark in the third and hit .040 in the fourth with eight errors.
 
The Railsplitters won the opening two points of the fourth set and went up 7-5 on a block from Walker and Risavy. Trailing 14-11, four consecutive points sparked by kills from Sharfenaker and Titus put LMU in front 15-14. However, the Ramblers won six of the ensuing eight points to take a 20-16 advantage. A Loyola Chicago serving error and a Negron kill got the Railsplitters within two at 20-18 but a 4-1 Rambler run gave the hosts five match points. A kill by Carvalho at 24-20 would be LMU's final point of the night.
 
Sharfenaker finished with a career-high 17 kills and six digs, while Negron posted 11 kills and nine digs. Titus also claimed 11 kills, to go along with a career-best eight digs and two aces, as Risavy assisted on 36 kills and made seven digs. Walker earned six total blocks and freshman defensive specialist/libero Attia Soliman and junior libero Matt Bridenbaugh made seven digs each.
 
Loyola Chicago was led by Schlothauer's match-high 18 kills and the Ramblers got 17 kills and eight digs from Luke Denton. Jimmy Meinhart and Andrew Lyons combined for 11 total blocks for Loyola Chicago.
 
Up Next…
The Railsplitters continue their Illinois road trip Saturday at fifth-ranked Lewis University where they will take on the Flyers inside Neil Carey Arena in Romeoville at 8 p.m. ET. On Sunday, LMU will wrap up its three-match weekend at McKendree University. First serve from the Melvin Price Convocation Center in Lebanon is slated for 3 p.m. ET.
 
How to Follow
Stay tuned to LMURailsplitters.com, as well as LMU's social media platforms - @LMURailsplitter on Twitter, @LMURailsplitters on Facebook and @lmurailsplitters on Instagram, for complete coverage of Railsplitter volleyball throughout the 2021 season.