CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Returning to match play for the first time in 20 days, the Lincoln Memorial University men's volleyball team did nothing but claim its fifth-straight Independent Volleyball Association (IVA) Tournament victory with a clean 3-0 sweep of Tusculum University Friday night inside Curry Arena in Charlotte, North Carolina. The top-seeded Railsplitters, who improved to 11-8 on the year with the straight-set semifinal win, advance to their third consecutive IVA Tournament title match and will face second-seeded host Queens University of Charlotte Saturday afternoon at 4 p.m.
 
Recording an attack percentage of .270, LMU cruised to set wins of 25-21, 25-22 and 25-20 to make it nine-straight set wins in the IVA Tournament. Accumulating 39 kills as a team, the Railsplitters held the Pioneers (4-13) to a .141 attack while serving five aces. Both teams notched eight blocks on the front line.
 
Securing its ninth straight-set triumph of 2021, LMU took its third match of the season from Tusculum as head coach John Cash moved to 5-0 in IVA Tournament matches.
 
The two-time defending IVA Tournament champion Railsplitters burst out of the gate with a blistering .556 attack in the opening set. Reaching at least 12 kills in each stanza, LMU limited the Pioneers to a .130 attack in set one. A solo block by sophomore middle/right side hitter Dawson Walker gave the Railsplitters a 9-5 lead and a kill by freshman right side hitter Justin Sharfenaker followed by a Tusculum attack error made it 14-9. After a 5-2 Pioneer run got Tusculum with two at 16-14, LMU put together three consecutive points capped with Walker kill. A Pioneer service error made it 23-20 before the Railsplitters closed out the set with a Sharfenaker kill and a Tusculum attack error.
 
Set two proved to be much tighter with eight ties and five lead changes. Despite compiling 13 kills in the set, LMU's attack percentage was brought down to .212 as the Pioneers swung at .200 and totaled 12 kills of their own. A 6-2 run put the Railsplitters in front 9-7 before the two squads exchanged the ensuing 10 points. A kill and service ace from sophomore outside hitter Johansen Negron gave LMU a 16-13 advantage but Tusculum would quickly get back within one. Kills by senior middle hitter Pedro Carvalho and sophomore outside hitter Jacob Titus put the Railsplitters up 19-16, however, a 4-0 Pioneer run gave Tusculum the lead at 20-19. From there, LMU would win four of the next five points to retake the lead at 23-21 on a block by Sharfenaker and Walker. Back-to-back kills from Negron off of passes by junior setter AJ Risavy concluded the set, giving the Railsplitters a 2-0 lead in the match.
 
Collecting 14 kills in the third and final set, LMU kept the Pioneers to their lowest attack mark of the match (.103) and rebounded from a sluggish start. Trailing 5-2 early, the Railsplitters went on an 8-3 run to take a 10-8 lead with a Carvalho kill. After leading 14-11 and 15-12, LMU fell behind 17-16 following a 5-1 Tusculum run before putting together a strong offensive onslaught to finish out the match. A Walker kill sparked an impressive 9-3 Railsplitter run that clinched the match. After a Sharfenaker kill, freshman outside hitter Ethan Hubbard won the final two service points and capped things with an ace.
 
Leading the Railsplitters with a .500 attack percentage, Negron posted seven kills and made a season-high nine digs. Sharfenaker connected on a team-high 13 kills and Carvalho swung at .462 for seven kills, while adding four blocks and an ace. Titus also finished with seven kills as Walker recorded five kills and four blocks. Risavy dished out a match-high 35 assists and both freshman libero Attia Soliman and junior outside hitter Logan Kerley earned seven digs.
 
Shaun Kampshoff led all with a match-best 14 kills for the Pioneers and Tusculum got six kills, four blocks and a pair of aces from Caleb Slater while Lucas Blanco assisted on 27 kills and got to a team-high seven digs. The Pioneers' Colby Landry had six kills and Shaphar Grant contributed four blocks.
 

 
IVA Tournament Championship
Saturday afternoon's title match will be streamed live on Stretch Internet and live statistics can be followed via QueensAthletics.com. The Royals (14-11) defeated third-seeded Limestone University in straight sets (28-26, 25-18, 25-22) Friday afternoon in the other IVA Tournament semifinal.
 
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 postseason.