Harrogate, TN – The Lincoln Memorial men's volleyball team will host for the first time this month as they face the North Greenville Trailblazers Friday evening at 6 pm in Mary Mars Gymnasium.

This is the 6^th time that the two teams will face each other in series history, with LMU winning the series 3-2. The most recent match up between the two teams was earlier this season on January 9^th in Tigerville, where the Railsplitters defeated the Trailblazers 3-1. The last time that the two teams played in Harrogate was January of 2024, where Lincoln Memorial also defeated NGU 3-2.

Lincoln Memorial is coming off of a 3-0 sweep against Tusculum. Matthew Gentry and Eliel Salva Torres both led in kills on the night with 9 each, and Salva Torres had the highest attack percentage of the night with a .750 attack percentage for 9 kills and 0 errors. John Luers was the team-leader in assists with 33, and Gentry led in service aces with 3. Defensively, Johan Negron and Griffin Wheatley both led in digs as they each recorded 6 digs, with Wheatley also leading in blocks with 5, accounting for 1 solo block and 4 block assists.

Axel van Baars is leading the team in kills on the season with 147 kills for an average of 2.63 kills per set, with Gentry posting the highest attack percentage of .595 for 146 kills and only 20 errors. Luers almost had 600 assists on the season with 579 assists, as he is averaging 10.16 assists per set.  He is also the dig-leader with 112 digs for 1.96 digs per set. Gentry is the team-leader in service aces with 27 and also leading in blocks with 61 total blocks, accounting for 15 solo blocks and 46 block assists.

In the IVA, Gentry is 3^rd in aces per set with 0.474, 2^nd in blocks per set with 1.070, and 1^st in hitting percentage with 0.575, and 9^th in points per set with 3.70. Luers is leading the IVA in assists per set with 10.16 and 8^th in digs per set with 1.96. Salva Torres is 3^rd in the IVA in blocks per set with 1, and 2^nd in hitting percentage with 0.475. Johan Negron is 9^th in hitting percentage with 0.283.
Nationally, Gentry is leading the nation in hitting percentage and Salva Torres is 4^th in the nation in hitting percentage.

As a team, Lincoln Memorial is 3^rd (22^nd nationally) in aces per set with 1.53, 3^rd in assists per set with 11.11, 2^nd (11^th nationally) in blocks per set with 2.412, 1^st (9^th nationally) in digs per set with 9.56, 1^st (14^th nationally) in hitting percentage with 0.311, 1^st (19^th nationally) in kills per set with 12.05, 1^st (2^nd nationally) in match W/L percentage with 0.938, and 1^st (1^st nationally) in opponent hitting percentage with 0.159.

Tusculum is coming off of a 3-2 win against Charleston. 

Lincoln Memorial's overall record is 15-1 and is standing in 1st in the IVA. The Trailblazers are in the Conference Carolinas, and they have an overall record of 6-10. Tusculum is currently in 5^th in the CC standings.

The games can be watched or followed through Live Stats with the link below:

Live Stats

Live Stream