HARROGATE, Tenn. – Winning its fourth consecutive match and sixth in seven outings, the Lincoln Memorial University men's volleyball team earned an exciting five-set victory over visiting Limestone University Friday night inside historic Mary E. Mars Gymnasium. Returning to match action after a week layoff, the Railsplitters tallied 61 kills and attacked at a .275 clip to complete a season sweep of the Saints (10-8). Improving to 9-8 on the year, LMU rallied from a 2-1 set differential and was impressive in a 25-14 set four win before clinching the match at 16-14 in a decisive fifth set.
 
Overcoming Limestone's 12 total team blocks, the Railsplitters hit at least 11 kills in the first four sets and attacked at a .481 clip in the dominant fourth set. Posting a .353 attack percentage in the deciding stanza, LMU made just four attack errors in the final two sets.
 
The Railsplitters held the Saints to a .141 attack percentage as Limestone totaled 54 kills but made 33 attack errors.
 
Using a balanced offensive attack, LMU took an 11-5 lead in the opening set following five-straight points and an 8-1 run. A Limestone service error and back-to-back attack errors by the Saints gave the Railsplitters a 19-12 advantage before another pair of errors by the visitors made it 22-15. Kills by senior middle hitter Pedro Carvalho for two of LMU's last three points in the set closed things out at 25-17. Both teams collected 11 kills in the first set but the Railsplitters' .240 attack, compared to Limestone's .061 attack and nine attack errors, proved to be the difference.
 
Despite racking up 14 kills in the second set, LMU attacked at a .171 clip and made eight attack errors while the Saints hit .227 with only three attack errors. After falling behind 8-6 early, the Railsplitters went on a 7-3 run to take a 13-11 lead with a kill by junior outside hitter Logan Kerley and a Carvalho service ace. Exchanging three-point runs, LMU went up 16-14 and maintained a two-point lead at 19-17 following kills from sophomore middle/right side hitter Dawson Walker and freshman right side hitter Justin Sharfenaker. A Carvalho kill and a Limestone attack error kept the Railsplitters in front at 22-20, but the Saints won five of the ensuing six points to even up the match at 1-1 with a 25-23 set two win.
 
Limestone's most favorable set came in the third with the Saints notching 18 kills off a .268 attack. A 6-1 Limestone run put the Saints up 11-5 before LMU responded with a 5-1 run to get within two at 12-10 following kills from sophomore outside hitter Jacob Titus and Carvalho. Three consecutive Railsplitter points capped with a Walker kill evened up the set at 17 but a 4-1 Limestone run pushed the visiting team in front 21-18. LMU would get no closer than a point the remainder of the set as the Saints earned a trio of set points at 24-21. A solo block by Carvalho preceded a kill by Limestone's Geraldo Rivera to end the set at 25-22.
 
Limiting the Saints to a -.029 attack percentage in the fourth set, the Railsplitters made 14 kills and cruised much of the way. Down 4-3, five-straight LMU points put the hosts up 8-4 and the Railsplitters took a 13-7 lead after back-to-back Limestone attack errors. A string of five points in a row gave LMU a convincing 10-point advantage at 18-8 and kills by Titus got the Railsplitters to match point at 24-13. Titus then laid down the final blow as LMU evened up the match at two sets apiece.
 
Neither the Railsplitters nor the Saints could pull away from the other through the first nine points of the fifth set before kills from sophomore outside hitter Johansen Negron and Titus, in addition to a block by junior setter AJ Risavy and Walker, gave LMU a 7-5 lead. The Railsplitters went up by four at 10-6 with a Titus and Carvalho block but Limestone would not be done quite yet. A Sharfenaker kill made it 12-9 and a Walker kill secured a pair of match points for LMU at 14-12. However, the Saints made back-to-back blocks to knot things at 14-14. Limestone's second block at 14-13 was heavily discussed by the officiating crew before awarding the point to the Saints. After Negron rose up for a kill to give the Railsplitters another match point, a Limestone attack error finalized the match.
 
Titus led LMU with a team-high 16 kills, seven digs and two aces, while Negron finished with a season-high tying 11 kills in only four sets of action. Walker contributed nine kills on a .667 attack, a career-high seven digs and four blocks and Sharfenaker recorded nine kills of his own. Carvalho registered a team-best five blocks and Sharfenaker made four with Risavy assisting on 50 kills and getting to a team-high eight digs.
 
Geraldo marked down a match-best 22 kills for the Saints and Francisco Salinger achieved a double-double with 10 kills and 13 digs. Limestone also got a match-high seven blocks from Jarrett Malone, 44 assists from Christos Gkitersos and 18 digs from Michal Podgorzak.
 
Up Next…
The Railsplitters are back in action Saturday afternoon when LMU hosts Queens University of Charlotte for a 3 p.m. affair inside Mary Mars Gym. Next Saturday, April 3, the Railsplitters travel to Lees-McRae for a 2 p.m. tilt.
 
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.