HONOLULU, Hawai'i – The No. 15 Lincoln Memorial University gave No. 3 Hawai'i a scare but fell to the defending national champions in four sets on Sunday evening in Honolulu.
 
The Railsplitters and Rainbow Warriors battled back and forth to open the contest, but it was Hawai'i that broke away, using a 10-point rally to take a 15-6 lead. Lincoln Memorial tried to mount a comeback, but the Rainbow Warriors took set one, 25-14.
 
Hawai'i continued right where they left off in the second set, but the Railsplitters had other plans as Cole Campisano made his first appearance of the night and sparked Splitter comeback in the set after being down 19-15 late. With Dawson Walker at the service line, Lincoln Memorial used a five-point rally to capture the second set, 25-22.
 
The Rainbow Warriors raced out to a 7-1 lead over LMU to begin the third set. The Railsplitters tried to close in on the Hawaiian lead, but Hawai'i was able to maintain separation, capturing the third set, 25-13.
 
Looking to keep the contest going, Lincoln Memorial buckled down and went to battle in the fourth set with the Rainbow Warriors. The Railsplitters were able to grab an early two-point lead, 11-9. Neither team lead more than two points in the fourth set. Hawai'i was able to take the lead, 16-14, using a four-point rally. Lincoln Memorial saw the lead just one more time at 21-19 before the Rainbow Warriors were able to lay down the kills to crunch out the set four win, 25-23.
 
Campisano paced the Railsplitters with 16 kills on the evening. The Louisville, Kentucky native posted a .538 hitting percentage and added four total blocks and four digs. Freshman Kohl Kutsch got the offense going on the night with 41 assists and he also tagged on the defensive end with three total blocks.
 
Up Next
 
The Railsplitters will head back state side for the remainder of the season as they will stay on the road, going to in-state foe Tusculum on Tuesday, March 1^st. First serve is set for 7 p.m. in Greeneville, Tennessee.
 
Follow Along
 
Be sure to stay tuned to LMURailsplitters.com , as well as LMU's social media platforms – @LMURailsplitter on Twitter, @LMURailsplitters on Facebook and @lmurailsplitters on Instagram – for up-to-date Railsplitter men's volleyball information, including any 2022 schedule changes.