GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- The Tusculum University men's volleyball team gets its 2023 campaign going on the road this weekend (Jan. 6-7) against familiar foes, Erskine and Emmanuel.
Second-year head coach Bryan Buckius has 19 men on his 2023 roster, composed of eight freshmen with the remaining 11 having collegiate ties. In his inaugural campaign, the Pioneers racked up the most wins in program history with their 8-20 finish. Tusculum used a five-set thriller to upset Fairleigh Dickinson, finishing fifth at the Independent Volleyball Association (IVA) Tournament.
THIS WEEK
Tusculum will compete across five states in its 10-match January, including a trio of road trips. The first five foes to begin the season hail from Conference Carolinas.
Two of Erskine's first three matches of the season are against the Pioneers. The Flying Fleet return their top six attackers from the 13-18 squad (Edgerrin Austin, Jason Sall, Kacper Rybarczyk, Shayo Asiru, Jon Fuller, and Benjamin Jansen), who accounted for nearly 90% of the offense in 2022. The sextet was also among the top seven on the team in blocks and accumulated three of the top four dig totals for Erskine.
Emmanuel will use the season opener versus Tusculum as a tune-up for its California trip, which kicks off an eight-match road swing. The Lions have seven returners amongst its 12-man roster, including the setter, Henrik Westhoff, and the libero, Nicklas Eichenberger. Eli Zdonek is the top attacker coming back from the 2022 roster after notching 323 kills on a .230 clip.
STREAMING/TICKETS
Links to live stats and video for Tusculum University athletic events can be found through tusculumpioneers.com.
By following this link (flosports.tv/sac), fans can sign up for an annual subscription to FloSports at a reduced rate. Also, anyone who subscribes using a SAC member or associate member institution domain (.edu) e-mail address will be eligible for an even greater discount.
Tusculum University Athletics has entered a partnership with HomeTown Ticketing as the official digital ticketing provider for Pioneer home athletics events. Working with HomeTown Ticketing gives fans the ability to purchase tickets for TU home athletic events online for a touchless ticketing experience. Fans may purchase tickets online for TU home athletic events at www.TusculumPioneers.com/information/tickets.
Hometown Ticketing allows fans to print tickets at home or use mobile entry tickets at the gate. Tickets purchased at home are easily shared with friends and family.
Current Pioneer Club members may continue to use their membership cards to be granted admission for ticketed home athletic events.
For information about tickets, please contact Assistant Athletic Director Jenna Restivo at jrestivo@tusculum.edu or (423) 636-7291. For information about becoming a member of the Pioneer Club, please reach out to Jamila Thombs at jthombs@tusculum.edu or (423) 636-7293.
MEET THE TEAM
Buckius has compiled a diverse roster, featuring three with international roots (Brazil, Jamaica, and Puerto Rico), alongside 10 different states (Alabama, Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia).
Returning to the Tusculum roster are Arthur Della Nina, Shaphar Grant, Colby Landry, Dane Loup, Jacob Rambo, Hunter Walck, Taylor West, Jake Whyte, and Deklan Wingo.
Della Nina, of São Paulo, Brazil, played in 38 sets across 14 matches in his freshman season. The libero totaled 43 digs and eight assists. His match-high 11 digs came in the IVA Bronze Medal match against the Knights.
Grant has had a stellar three years as a Pioneer. The Kingston, Jamaica native holds the program records in solo blocks, block assists, total blocks, blocks per set, and sets played. The middle blocker ranks second in hitting percentage, points, and matches played. During his junior campaign, Grant earned Off the Block Defensive Player of the Night and Independent Teams Player of the Week laurels on his way to Tusculum's single-season blocks record. He is credited with at least one block in 26-of-27 matches played, highlighted by a program-record 12 total blocks against Emmanuel.
After only two seasons, Landry already ranks within the top-five in the record book in five career categories: kills per set, attempts, attempts per set, digs, and points per set. The Belle Rose, Louisiana native played in every set last season, tallying the second-most kills in a single season and fourth-most digs. The outside hitter recorded career-bests in both digs and total blocks in the bronze medal match.
Loup, the program's all-time kills and attempts leader, returns for his third season on the roster. Hailing from Mandeville, Louisiana, the outside hitter also sits second in kills per set and service aces and third in seven other categories: attempts per set, digs, digs per set, points, points per set, sets played, and matches played. Loup notched double-digit kills in five matches, including a career-best 16 versus Edward Waters.
Rambo, from nearby Jonesborough, makes his return to the team in 2023. The senior libero played from 2020-21, seeing action in 13 sets, primarily as a server.
Walck, of Chesapeake, Virginia, has been one of the program's best servers across his three years, ranking second in aces per set and third in total aces. In his limited action as a junior, the middle blocker had his best outing in the medal-winning match against Fairleigh Dickinson with six kills, three digs, and five total blocks. He also landed a career-high five aces against the Tigers.
A native of Colorado Springs, Colorado, West is TU's digs per set leader, ranks second in digs, third in assists (most for a non-setter), and fourth in both sets and matches played. The junior libero upped the program's dig per set rate for a single single in 2022 and his personal best to 13 digs. West had 11 matches with multiple assists and five in which he reached double-digits in digs. He even had his debut as an outside hitter against Indiana Tech, collecting six kills.
In his first year as a Pioneer, Whyte, an in-state Greenbrier native, left a lasting impact on the program. The right side hitter already is atop the records in kills per set, attempts per set, and points per set. Whyte is second in attack attempts and third in both kills and service aces per set. As a junior, he was named to the Off the Block All-Independent second team and IVA All-Tournament Team. The team's most valuable player played in every set in 2022, setting the single-season kills, attempts, and attempts per set records. Whyte reached double-digit kills in 18 matches along the way.
Wingo, a Chester, Virginia native, already ranks in the Tusculum career records after his freshman season. The outside hitter has the second-highest blocks per set rate (0.61), while ranking third in hitting percentage (.249). Wingo's block totals are fourth-most as well. Going into year two, he has bests of 11 kills, four service aces, four digs, and four total blocks.
Supporting the nine returners are a pair of transfers: Jabes de la Cruz and Jakob Svendsen. Yet, both will be looking for their collegiate debuts.
De la Cruz spent a season at Concordia Irvine, listed as a right side hitter. In his native San Juan, Puerto Rico, he was a two-time state champion and also finished as runner-up twice. With his club team, de la Cruz placed second, third, and fifth twice at the BJNC Gold Bracket Open Division. He also won the Boys Winter Championship 16 open.
Svendsen, hailing from in-state Harrison, comes to Tusculum from Chattanooga State. The junior outside hitter played basketball in high school at Collegedale Academy.
The remaining eight are true freshmen.
Noah Anderson (Altoona, Pa.) graduated from Bishop Guilfoyle Catholic High School, where he lettered three seasons for the Marauders. The outside hitter was a two-time Altoona Mirror All-Star and first team mid-state all-star. In his career, Anderson recorded 435 kills, 38 blocks, 249 digs, and 35 service aces.
Tristan Blake (Allen, Texas) lettered three seasons for his hometown Eagles. The setter was named all-state in 2021 and was the 2022 player of the year. Blake was a part of the 2022 state championship team, as well as the runner-up squad the season prior.
Jaden Bramhall (Tucson, Ariz.) graduated from Cienega High School, where he lettered four years for the Bobcats. The setter racked up region player of the year, 5A second team, and both the region and state championships during his career. As a senior, Bramhall was credited with 769 assists, 74 blocks, 154 digs, and 87 kills.
Thiago Da Silva (Orlando, Fla.) attended Lake Brantley High School, lettering two seasons for the Patriots. In his junior season, Da Silva was a part of the state, district, and region championship team. The setter notched 301 assists, 15 aces, 85 digs, and a 90-percent serve rate.
Matt Moore (Longwood, Fla.) lettered all four years at Lake Mary High School. The libero was named first team all-conference and all-area as a senior, improving upon his second team all-conference nod in 2021. Moore earned two defensive player of the year laurels during his stint. The Rams were the district and region champions in 2022, finishing third in the state. Moore totaled 214 digs, 68 assists, and 24 aces across the campaign.
Noa Svendsen (Harrison, Tenn.) joins older brother Jakob on the TU roster this spring. The outside hitter is also a Collegedale Academy graduate, playing both basketball and volleyball. As a junior, the younger Svendsen reached the state quarterfinals in hoops.
Kerry Tao (Duluth, Ga.) is listed as a setter, hailing from Lambert High School.
James Ward (Gulf Shores, Ala.) is marked as a libero and an Orange Beach High School graduate.
