GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- Junior Deklan Wingo tallied his 500th career kill on Tuesday (Feb. 27) night in Tusculum men's volleyball's four-set win over Lees-McRae.
The Pioneers (4-9) were victorious over the Bobcats (1-14) by scores of 25-15, 23-25, 25-17, 25-12.
Austin Beaird led LMC with eight kills, while Merritt Crowe came off the bench to record 22 assists. Libero Ben Ratliff-Becher notched a team-best five digs, as Erel Bardah had a hand in three blocks defensively.
Wingo finished with a match-high 15 kills on a .357 hitting percentage. Colby Landry (14), and Morgan Makovec (10) averaged .409 and .471, respectively. Cameron Reeder came off the bench to add six kills on nine swings for a ,556 clip. Jaden Bramhall (2), Tristan Blake (2), Noa Svendsen (1), and Shane O'Neal (1) rounded out the scoring. Blake dished out 42 assists, while Wingo (4), Landry (3), and Bramhall (3) landed the team's service aces. Landry scooped up a match-best nine digs. Bramhall was credited with five total blocks at the net.
Lees-McRae hit .062 as a team with 32 kills and 26 errors on 97 total attempts. Tusculum hit .347 with 51 kills, 18 errors, and 95 total attacks. The Pioneers led the Bobcats in assists (49-29), service aces (10-0), digs (29-22), and total blocks (9-5).
Tusculum led most of the first set, which featured three ties and just one lead change. Lees-McRae tallied the first point before TU took the next two. The Pioneers separated themselves with an 8-2 rally, forcing a LMC timeout at 13-6. A similar spurt put the home team up 22-11 and away from reach. Wingo added four kills, while Makovec partook in two blocks.
Makovec switched gears to go 4-for-6 on swings as Landry scooped up five digs. Set two was the most tightly contested with 14 ties and three lead changes. Lees-McRae managed a four-point lead at 9-5 before the back-and-forth took place. Tied at 23-all, the Bobcats strung together two consecutive scores to tie the match.
Reeder stepped in and went 6-of-7 on his left-handed swings, catching the Bobcats off guard. Landry added five kills on seven attempts, while Bramhall landed his three aces. Tusculum went on a 6-0 run to lead 8-3 and never looked back. LMC closed the gap to two at 12-10, but a Bramhall service rally caused separation. TU also scored the final four points of the frame to lead the match 2-1.
Tusculum led the final set from start to finish, opening up on a 4-0 advantage. The first point went to the Pioneers after Lees-McRae was assessed a red card in between sets. Wingo finished with six kills and three aces. Defensively, both Bramhall and Reeder contributed in three blocks. TU rounded out the match with the final five points, with Wingo getting his career milestone in the streak.
Tusculum hosts a two-match series with Maryville (Mo.) starting Friday (Mar. 1). First serve between the Pioneers and Saints is scheduled for 7 p.m.
