Harrogate, TN - Lincoln Memorial begins the 2026 season with a two-match home weekend at Mary Mars Gymnasium, hosting King University on Friday at 6:00 p.m. and North Greenville on Saturday at 2:00 p.m. Saturday's match is also Jersey Night. The Railsplitters enter opening weekend ranked No. 20 in the AVCA preseason poll, picked No. 1 in the IVA preseason poll, and coming off a 24–1 season with seven straight IVA championships. LMU's 2026 schedule features a home-heavy start before nationally ranked tests later this month and in February.
Friday's opener brings in a King team that was picked sixth in the Conference Carolinas preseason poll. The Tornado are led by a trio to watch in senior outside hitter Colton Bueter, sophomore outside hitter Alesandro Fermani, and senior libero Javier Saldivar. Lincoln Memorial has won 11 straight in the series and leads the all-time matchup 11–5, including a 3–0 sweep in Harrogate in the most recent meeting on April 11, 2025.
Saturday's match features North Greenville, which was selected fourth in the preseason poll. The Crusaders return key pieces in sophomore outside hitter Thomas Roper, sophomore middle blocker Jake Koch, and freshman libero Scottee McDaniel. Lincoln Memorial has won four straight against North Greenville and leads the all-time series 4–2, taking last year's contest in Harrogate 3–0 on March 21, 2025.
Lincoln Memorial's roster includes multiple preseason all-conference selections from the IVA, led by first team honorees Johan Negron, Axel van Baars, and Relja Milosavljević, along with second team selection Zadyn LaBreche. The Railsplitters will look to carry last season's momentum into the opening weekend before a challenging run that includes matchups with Ohio State, BYU, CSUN, UC Santa Barbara, and Pepperdine.
Gameday information for both matches, including streaming and live stats, can be found on the LMU Men's Volleyball schedule page or using the links below.
LMU vs King University
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Live Stats
LMU vs North Greenville
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Live Stats
