FRANKLIN SPRINGS, Ga. --- The Tusculum University men's volleyball team took a set off of Emmanuel on Saturday afternoon (Jan. 7), ultimately dropping the four-set decision to the Georgia team.

The Lions (1-0) downed the Pioneers (0-2) by scores of 25-18, 21-25, 25-19, 28-26.

Emmanuel's Jayden Young accounted for 27 kills on a .400 hitting percentage to dominate the match. Aiden Feeney and Nicklas Eichenberger joined Young in double-digit kills with 11 and 10, respectively. Setter Henrik Westhoff handed out 51 assists, while Daniel Beacham landed a pair of service aces. Defensively, Eichenberger rounded out his double-double with a match-high 11 digs. Beacham also finished with a team-best three total blocks (one solo, two assists).

An astounding eight Pioneers found their way into the scoring column for Tusculum. Shaphar Grant and Colby Landry led the kill category with nine apiece, followed by Deklan Wingo (8), Jabes de la Cruz (6), Jake Whyte (5), Hunter Walck (4), Jaden Bramhall (3), and Jakob Svendsen (2). Bramhall got the start at setter against the Lions, dishing out 36 assists. Wingo led TU in service with four aces, ahead of two by both Bramhall and Landry. Svendsen and de la Cruz also each got an ace. Bramhall scooped up a team-high seven digs, ahead of five by de la Cruz. At the net, Grant tallied three block assists for the second-straight contest, joined by three total blocks by Wingo (one solo, two assists).

Emmanuel hit .348 as a team with 58 kills and 18 errors on 115 total attempts. Tusculum hit .218 with 46 kills, 22 errors, and 110 total attacks. The Lions tallied more assists (55-42) and digs (34-27), but the Pioneers had the advantage in service aces (10-5) and total blocks (13-9).

Tusculum makes its 2023 home debut with a three-match stand, beginning on Thursday, January 12. The Pioneers and Mount Olive Trojans have set a 7 p.m. start time.