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Middle attacker Shaphar Grant did it all at the net in a Tusculum victory.
Grant finished with a match-high 12 blocks and added 12 kills on a .500 attack percentage as Tusculum defeated Emmanuel 25-27, 27-25, 25-20, 22-25, 15-12 on Tuesday in Franklin Springs, Georgia.
This is the most blocks in a single-match for any player in NCAA Division I-II men’s volleyball so far this season. It also sets the single-match blocks record for the Pioneers in their three-year program history.
Grant capped off the defensive performance with back-to-back blocks midway through the fifth game that jump started a 5-0 run to give Tusculum (3-7) a lead it would not relinquish. In addition, the middle attacker had the match-winning kill to secure the program’s first all-time against Emmanuel (5-5, 1-2 ConfCarolinas).
Tusculum out-blocked Emmanuel 15 to 7 and set a single-match program record for blocks. Along with Grant, opposite Jake Whyte and setter Shaun Kampshoff both had six blocks in the victory.
Whyte also led Tusculum with 18 kills, including 11 kills in the first two games.
Despite the loss, Emmanuel out-hit Tusculum .209 to .142 and limited the Pioneers to a negative-.091 attack percentage in the fifth game.
Emmanuel had two players finish with at least 20 kills against Tusculum. Freshman outside attacker Gustavo Cavalcanti had a match-high 22 kills on a .300 attack percentage, while outside attacker Eli Zdonek contributed 20 kills and hit .302.
The Pioneers with this victory have now won back-to-back matches for the first time in their program history. Tusculum swept Fort Valley State on Friday to snap a three-match losing streak.