GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- For the first time in program history, the Tusculum University men's volleyball has swept the season meetings over Lees-McRae, capped off by Wednesday night's (Mar. 22) scrum.
The Pioneers (8-12) overcame the Bobcats (8-10) by scores of 23-25, 25-21, 25-23, 25-21.
Ace Backer led Lees-McRae with 12 kills on a .455 hitting percentage, while Bradley Peters dished out 37 assists. The duo accounted for the Bobcats two service aces as well. MJ Doyle recorded a match-high 10 digs, one ahead of Peters. Three players were credited with five total blocks: Peters (one solo, four assists), Sebastian Heer (one solo, four assists), and Backer (five assists).
Seven Pioneers landed multiple kills in the match, led by Colby Landry's 13. Deklan Wingo and Shaphar Grant were next with nine and eight, respectively, followed by Jakob Svendsen (5), Jake Whyte (4), Dane Loup (3), and Jaden Bramhall (2). Grant was the most efficient, hitting .571 with no attack errors on 14 swings. Bramhall steered the offense with 40 assists, while Landry, Grant, Svendsen, and James Ward notched the aces. Landry scooped up a team-best nine digs, ahead of Whyte (6), Wingo (5), and Taylor West (5). At the net, both Grant (one solo, three assists) and Svendsen (four assists) were credited with four total blocks. Whyte and Bramhall both assisted in three blocks as well.
Lees-McRae hit .121 as a team with 43 kills and 29 errors on 116 total attempts. Tusculum averaged .129 with 44 kills, 29 errors, and 116 total attacks. The Pioneers led the match in service aces, while the Bobcats tallied more assists (43-42), digs (37-32), and total blocks (12-10).
LMC led the entire first set, allowing just three ties. The Bobcats tallied 10 kills in the opener with four blocks to take the match lead. Tusculum was within five points during the frame, as the latter parts of the set saw the advantage grow. The teams also combined for 13 service errors in set one. Wingo was the only Pioneer to land more than one kill, while Svendsen had a hand in two blocks.
Sets two saw nine ties, but a single crucial lead change as Tusculum was the first to hit 20. Landry landed nearly half of his kills in the frame (6). As with the opening set, the edge was never large, only reaching three points in set two. The first advantage for TU was at 20-19 on a Landry score. The foes continued to trade points until consecutive unforced errors by the Bobcats handed the Pioneers set-point. LMC managed a kill before Landry shut down the threat with the needed kill.
The third set featured eight ties, but the only lead change came early. Lees-McRae won the first two scores before Tusculum shot out on a 5-0 run, never looking back. The teams traded four-point spurts to tie the frame at 12-all. Lees-McRae managed one final tie at 19-19, but was broken up by a Svendsen kill. Whyte and Svendsen tag-teamed a block to add insurance, while a couple errors by LMC clinched the TU win.
Tusculum led from start to finish in set four, baring two ties and an early lead change. The first three points went to the Bobcats, while a 6-of-7 stretch gave the Pioneers the advantage (9-7). TU did not relent the lead for the remainder of the match behind a trio of kills from Grant, Wingo, Landry, and Loup. LMC cut the edge to one at 18-17, but a score by Grant and consecutive unforced errors by the Bobcats nearly put the match away. Wingo provided the final strike to clinch the victory.
Tusculum will be away from Pioneer Arena for the remainder of 2023. TU ends the regular season on a six-match road swing beginning with a trip to the Carolinas this weekend (Mar. 24-25). The Pioneers' first stop is Limestone for a 7 p.m. first serve on Friday (Mar. 24).
