DUE WEST, S.C. --- The Tusculum University men's volleyball team dropped a four-set decision on Monday (Jan. 31) night at Erskine, the first of two meetings between the teams this week.

The Flying Fleet (1-7) won by scores of 25-18, 25-22, 23-25, 25-22 to withstand the Pioneers (0-3).

Erskine had three players reach double-digit kills: Jason Sall (13), Kacper Rybarczyk (13), and Edgerrin Austin (10). Sall fired on a .417 hitting percentage. Benjamin Jansen went 5-for-5 on his swings as well. Juan Alcoba dished out 40 assists, while Sall, Rybarczyk, and Austin landed the Flying Fleet service aces. Defensively, Alex Ruiz added a match-high nine digs, as Jansen assisted on all six of Erskine's blocks.

In his return to Belk Arena, transfer Jake Whyte powered the Pioneers with his season-best 13 kills. Dane Loup (6), Shaphar Grant (6), Colby Landry (5), and Shaun Kampshoff (1) added kills to the effort. In his first non-setting role, Reese DeElena contributed a career-high three offensive points. Kampshoff registered 28 assists as the setter. Loup notched a career-best three aces, while Whyte, Kampshoff, Grant, and DeElena rounded out the serving column. Three Pioneers tallied five digs: Loup, Whyte, and Ross Miller. All six of the non-liberos had their hand in at least one block, as Whyte, Kampshoff, and Grant were involved in a pair.

Erskine ended the match with a .292 hitting percentage with 44 kills and 18 attack errors on 89 total attempts. Tusculum totaled 34 kills, 23 errors, and 88 swings for a .125 hitting percentage. The Flying Fleet led in assists (43-34) and digs (28-22), while the Pioneers recorded more aces (7-3). Each team finished with six total blocks.

Tusculum plays again on Tuesday (Feb. 1) in the second half of the home-and-home series against North Greenville, First serve from Tigerville, South Carolina is scheduled for 7 p.m.