GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- The Tusculum University men's volleyball team will play its final home matches of the month this coming weekend. On Thursday (Mar. 10), nearby King comes to town and nationally-ranked Indiana Tech makes the trek for Saturday (Mar. 12).
RECAPPING THE WEEK
Tusculum (5-10) went 1-2 last week, taking down Barton in the programs' first-ever meeting. The Pioneers' losses came to Lincoln Memorial and Mount Olive.
Tusculum had three players reach double-digit kills in the offensive outburst against the Bulldogs: Jake Whyte (15), Dane Loup (14), and Colby Landry (11). Whyte hit a fiery .387, while Loup notched a career-high and Landry matched his collegiate-best. Deklan Wingo added eight kills on .429 hitting, followed by Shaphar Grant (8), and Shaun Kampshoff (1). The setter Kampshoff dished out a career-high 49 assists, two shy of tying the program record. Whyte (3), Kampshoff (2), Loup (2), and Landry (1) accounted for the TU aces. Kampshoff collected a season-best eight digs, ahead of Whyte's six. In the front row, Wingo was credited with a pair of block assists to head up the defense.
On the season, Whyte leads the offense with 158 kills, while Loup follows with 105. Grant and Landry are close behind with 95 and 91 kills, respectively. Kampshoff has handed out 451 assists and landed 34 service aces. Four Pioneers have at least 60 digs on the season: Kampshoff (67), Loup (67), Whyte (65), and Taylor West (60). Grant has tallied 42 blocks (11 solo, 31 assists), ahead of Wingo's 34 (five solo, 29 assists).
Nationally, Tusculum ranks 13th in aces per set (1.54) and 14th in opponent hitting percentage at .224. Individually, Kampshoff is sixth in aces per set (.630).
LOOKING AHEAD
King (7-9) and Tusculum are facing off in the first of two matchups this month. Suetonius Harris has a team-leading 136 kills to his credit, followed by Diego Marcano (87) and Kellan Kennedy (84). The latter is firing on a .397 clip. Jack Sarnowski and JT Deppe are the lone Tornado with triple-digit assists with 306 and 162, respectively. Sarnowski's 14 aces leads King, one ahead of Harris. Defensively, Noah Melendez has scooped up 110 digs and Kennedy has totaled 44 blocks (six solo, 38 assists).
Indiana Tech (18-1) and Tusculum have met once before, in TU's inaugural season. The Warriors, ranked seventh in the latest NAIA poll, are making the awaited return trip on Saturday. Daynte Stewart is averaging over four kills per set, totaling 253 on a .317 rate thus far. Brandon Jones has dished out 459 assists, just under 10 per frame. Mason Milan has 20 aces, followed by Joey Hermes (14) and Stewart (13). Hermes' 219 digs is a team-best, while Raekwon Rogers is credited with 80 total blocks (24 solo, 56 assists).
Links to live stats and video for Tusculum University athletic events can be found through tusculumpioneers.com.
