PHOENIX, Ariz. --- The Tusculum University men's volleyball team ended its time on the Grand Canyon campus with a pair of losses against ranked foes on Saturday, March 19.
The Pioneers (5-15) continue their road trip with a pair of Independent Volleyball Association (IVA) matches, starting with Queens on Saturday, March 26 at 2 p.m.
Match 1: #9 Grand Canyon 3, Tusculum 0
The Pioneers had a rematch with the top-10 Lopes, but were swept for the second time: 25-16, 25-15, 25-17.
Tusculum averaged a .195 hitting percentage as TU finished with 29 kills, 14 attack errors, and 77 attempts. GCU tallied a .522 attack percentage with 41 kills, five errors and 69 attempts. The Lopes led the Pioneers in assists (37-26), service aces (6-1), digs (29-19), and total blocks (2-1).
Shaphar Grant notched eight kills on a fiery .500 clip, while Jake Whyte also registered eight kills. Shaun Kampshoff set up 21 assists and was the lone Pioneer to record an ace. He also led the roster with five digs, one more than Dane Loup and Deklan Wingo. Loup and Grant were responsible for the tag-team block in the third set.
Camden Gianni (.381), Christian Janke (.538), and Kyle Thompson (.900) all finished with a match-high nine kills at an increasingly efficient rate. Nicholas Slight added 30 assists to his season total and led the contest with six digs. Gianni and Janke each landed three aces. Slight is credited with a solo block, while Gianni and Thompson partnered up for the remaining rejection.
Match 2: #12 Benedictine Mesa 3, Tusculum 1
The nationally-ranked NAIA Redhawks (14-5) won by scores of 25-18, 25-23, 20-25, 25-16 in the Pioneers' western finale.
Landon Fuller and Charles Pollnow both landed 11 kills to lead the Arizona team. Former Pioneer Hadi Shiban collected the final kill of the match in his lone attempt. Daxton Tolman dished out 35 assists, while Fuller and Pollnow each served up an ace. John Dawson notched nine digs, one ahead of Tolman. At the net, Dawson finished with a match-best four total blocks (two solo, two assists).
Whyte (11) and Colby Landry (10) reached double-figures for the Pioneers, with the latter firing on a .300 clip. Kampshoff tallied 34 assists and Grant and Loup each landed a pair of aces. Taylor West scooped up nine digs, followed by five from both Kampshoff and Arthur Della Nina. Grant was credited with three total blocks (one solo, two assists) in the nightcap.
Benedictine Mesa finished the match with a .290 hitting percentage with 45 kills and 16 attack errors in 100 total attempts. Tusculum totaled 42 kills, 28 errors, and 116 swings for a .121 hitting percentage. The Redhawks led the match in assists (43-40), digs (42-34), and total blocks (9-5), while the Pioneers had the ace advantage (7-2).