GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- The Tusculum University men's volleyball team fell to Thomas More in a five-set thriller on Senior Night Friday (Mar.29).
The Pioneers (6-21, 1-4 IVA) dropped the heartbreaker to the Saints (13-11, 2-4 IVA) by scores of 25-20, 22-25, 25-22, 20-25, 16-18.
Ben Albers finished with 18 kills on a .417 hitting percentage to head up the Thomas More attack. He was joined by Luke Duncan (12) and Conner Young (10) in double figures. Noah Smith-Trondle registered 52 assists, while Young landed three service aces. Albers rounded out his double-double with 11 digs. Three Saints were credited with four total blocks: Caleb Lipscomb, Jacob Schurfranz, and Albers.
For Tusculum, Deklan Wingo fired off a career-high 24 kills, followed by Colby Landry (13), and Jaden Bramhall (12), with the latter averaging .474 on his career-best outing. Rounding out the scoring were Adam Svendsen (8), Morgan Makovec (5), Tristan Blake (3), and Joel Dubinsky (1). Blake dished out 56 assists, tying his career mark, while Taylor West finished with a match-high 12 digs. Landry notched a double-double with 10 digs. Both Bramhall and Svendsen were credited with a pair of blocks.
Thomas More hit .261 as a team with 58 kills and 23 attack errors on 134 total attempts. Tusculum hit .235 with 66 kills, 31 errors, and 149 total attacks. The Pioneers led the match in assists (62-57) and digs (48-44), while the Saints tallied more total blocks (11-4). The teams tied with four service aces apiece.
Tusculum takes a week off before finishing out the regular season. The Pioneers stay nearby, facing Lincoln Memorial on April 6 for a 2 p.m. first serve.
