GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- The Tusculum University men's volleyball team is scheduled to play four matches over the course of the week, all out of Tennessee. Lees-McRae will be Tuesday's destination and Indiana Tech will be Friday night's foe. IVA-nemesis Urbana will host both Tusculum and Saint Xavier (Ill.), nationally-ranked across the NAIA, in a Saturday tri-match.
RECAPPING THE WEEK
The Pioneers swept the Alderson Broaddus Battlers in their lone match of the week, picking up the third win in program history. Every player for Tusculum participated in at least one set throughout the victory.
Matteo Miselli led the Pioneers with nine kills, followed by Mackenzie Scott (7), Tom Kait (4), and Arthur Amorim (4). Hunter Walck (3), Shaphar Grant (3), Lucas Blanco (1), and Shaun Kampshoff (1) rounded out the offensive category. Blanco dished out 27 assists against the Battlers, while the team notched 12 service aces. Ivan Sosa led Tusculum with three, ahead of two from Blanco, Amorim, and Scott, while Peter Stewart, Miselli, and Jacob Rambo added one.
Defensively, Blanco finished with a match-high six digs, followed by Jaret Knight (4). At the net, Amorim, Kait, Grant, and Sosa are credited with a pair of block assists each.
LOOKING AHEAD
Lees-McRae (0-9) has won three sets all season entering Tuesday. The Bobcats are led by 84 kills from Drew Sims, followed by 35 and 32 from Ethan Gardner and Max Kuntz, respectively. Bradley Peters has been the setter, dishing out 212 assists thus far, an average of 7.07 per set. He also heads up the ace category with 12. Steven Nalls has scooped up 74 digs, just ahead of 50 from Peters. Gardner's 20 total blocks (1 solo, 19 assists) are the most on the Lees-McRae squad. Both Ace Backer (3 solo, 14 assists) and Peters (1 solo, 16 assists) have recorded 17 for the season.
Indiana Tech (5-11), an NAIA-affiliated team, is 2-3 in home contests and will host a conference opponent on Wednesday before bringing in the Pioneers. Daynte Stewart and Cameron Ternent led the Warriors with 135 kills apiece. Chandler Davis has assisted on 447 attacks in 15 matches played. The aces category is headed up by Mason Milan (14), Stewart (13), Ternent (13), and Davis (11). Joey Hermes has dug up 160 attempts, 2.71 per set. Indiana Tech has two players with over 60 total blocks: Chase Christiansen (48; 19 solo, 48 assists) and Dante Siracusa (61; 13 solo, 48 assists).
Saint Xavier (8-3), seventh in the NAIA poll, will take part in the Urbana tri-match on Saturday. The Cougars collected 146 kills from Grant Ooms, while Aaron Kummer has handed out 274 assists. Kyle Springer has landed 14 aces, followed by 12 from Ooms. Defensively, Ooms leads with 80 digs, just ahead of Springer's 71 and Ryan Gossett's 66. At the net, Andrew Bergstrand is credited with 35 total blocks (five solo, 30 assists) to be the undisputed leader for Saint Xavier.
Urbana (1-14), a fellow first-year team and IVA opponent, earned the program's initial victory against Alderson Broaddus on Sunday in straight sets. The Blue Knights and the Pioneers met earlier this season, with Tusculum picking up its first win in program history in the matchup. Jack Brinkman has collected 139 kills, followed by 115 from Tyler Chavez. In the setter role, Chaz Hafer has net 407 assists, while behind the service line, Brinkman is responsible for 12 aces. Hafer has dug up 64 attempts, one ahead of Tomas Beralas. Preston Kent has totaled 17 blocks (five solo, 12 assists) to head up the Urbana defense.
Links to live stats and video for Tusculum University athletic events can be found through tusculumpioneers.com.
