CHARLOTTE, N.C. --- The fourth-seeded Tusculum University men's volleyball team dropped the fifth place match at the Independent Volleyball Association (IVA) Championship to No. 6 Alderson Broaddus in the last contest of the 2023 season.
The Battlers (11-18) upset the Pioneers (9-19) by scores of 21-25, 25-23, 25-19, 25-23.
Nate Rogers finished with a team-best 16 kills, followed by 14 from Jaelin Gray, who averaged .500 on his swings. Andrew Haber tallied 40 assists, while Rogers, Gray, and Loic Nanchen landed the Battler service aces. Rogers rounded out his double-double with 11 digs, one ahead of Jeffrey Phanphilathip. Four players for Alderson Broaddus were credited with four total blocks: Gray, Andrew Nielsen, and Colin Brooks.
Colby Landry led the Pioneers with 16 kills on a .414 hitting clip, just ahead of 14 by Jake Whyte. Rounding out the scoring were Taylor West (8), Shaphar Grant (6), Jakob Svendsen (4), and Jaden Bramhall (1). Bramhall dished out 41 assists, while Whyte landed the most aces with three. West and Bramhall also tallied a pair of service points. Matt Moore recorded 15 digs, followed by a career-best 13 from Landry. Svendsen was the leading blocker, credited with three total (one solo, two assists).
Alderson Broaddus hit .228 as a team with 47 kills and 19 errors on 123 total attempts. Tusculum averaged .190 with 49 kills, 25 errors, and 126 total attacks. The Pioneers led the match in assists (48-44), service aces (8-3), and digs (51-46), while the Battlers tallied more total blocks (9-4).