Off the Block unveils Limestone All-Decade Starting Lineup

Some of the best players in Limestone’s program history are earning one more college men’s volleyball honor before the close of the decade.

Off the Block announced on Thursday the seven players selected to the Limestone All-Decade Starting Lineup presented by Off the Block.

The All-Decade Starting Lineup recognizes the best players to compete with a team since 2010. Similar to the starting lineup for a match, the All-Decade honor is comprised of a setter, opposite and libero along with two outside attackers and middle attackers.

The Off the Block staff determined the All-Decade Starting Lineup using a variety of factors including career statistical performance and the team’s overall success when a player was a member of the program.

This is also part of a series from Off the Block to celebrate the end of the decade in college men’s volleyball. Off the Block throughout the rest of 2019 will release an All-Decade Starting Lineup for every NCAA Division I-II men’s volleyball team.

Limestone concluded the 2019 season with a winning record for the program’s seventh time this decade. The Saints also have won five postseason match since the team started in 2010, including reaching the 2013 ConfCarolinas Tournament finals

Off the Block is a national award winning website that was established in 2011 and is the nation’s leader in college men’s volleyball.

Limestone All-Decade Starting Lineup presented by Off the Block

Setter: Andrew Pile
Opposite: Scott Warren
Outside attacker: Bruno Kretzschmar
Outside attacker: Eric Zaun
Middle attacker: Dylan Lavner
Middle attacker: Curtis Van Grinsven
Libero: Nick Wildes

Bruno Kretzschmar (2014-17)
Awards and honors: 2017 Second-Team All-ConfCarolinas, 2016 Second-Team All-ConfCarolinas, 2015 Third-Team All-ConfCarolinas
Kretzschmar concluded his college career setting the Limestone record with both 938 career kills and 93 career aces. The outside attacker in 2016 was in the nation’s top 10 with a career-best 3.92 kills per game average as he ended that junior season with double-digit kills in all but three matches. Kretzschmar as a senior was seventh in the ConfCarolinas averaging 3.19 kills per game and was third in the conference averaging 0.49 aces per game. Along with his offensive performance, Kretzschmar had at least 100 digs in each of his four seasons and is fourth in Limestone’s program history with 466 career digs.

Dylan Lavner (2015-17)
Awards and honors: 2017 Second-Team All-ConfCarolinas, 2015 ConfCarolinas All-Tournament Team
Lavner hit more than .300 in each of his three seasons at Limestone and is fourth in the program’s history with a .332 career attack percentage. Lavner ended the 2016 season third in the ConfCarolinas hitting .358 and had double-digit kills in four matches, including a season-high 16 kills on a .538 attack percentage against King. The middle attacker that season also was in the nation’s top 25 with a career-best 1.01 blocks per game average. Lavner was in the ConfCarolinas’ top 10 for blocks every season while at Limestone and is fourth in program history with 252 career blocks.

Andrew Pile (2010-13)
Awards and honors: N/A
Pile remains second in program history with both 2,543 career assists and 521 career digs In his senior season, Pile guided Limestone to the third-best attack percentage in the ConfCarolinas and was fourth in the conference with a 9.62 assists per game average. The setter that season in the ConfCarolinas Tournament semifinals also led the offense to hit .317 and added a team-high eight digs as Limestone upset the conference regular season champions Mount Olive.

Curtis Van Grinsven (2011-14)
Awards and honors: N/A
Van Grinsven holds the program record with 290 career blocks. The middle attacker in his senior season led the conference with a 1.04 blocks per game average and hit a career-best .301. Among his top performances that year featured a both a season-high eight blocks and 11 kills on a .558 attack percentage against Grand Canyon. In addition, Grinsven as a sophomore was 11th in the nation averaging 1.22 blocks per game and helped the Saints reach the ConfCarolinas Tournament semifinals.

Scott Warren (2012-13)
Awards and honors: 2012 Co-ConfCarolinas Player of the Year, 2012 First-Team All-ConfCarolinas
Warren is still the only person in LImestone’s program history to win the ConfCarolinas Player of the Year. Warned earned the award during his first season back in college volleyball following an eight-year break as he finished in the conference’s top five with both a 3.07 kills per game average and a 1.15 blocks per game average. The transfer from Newman University had double-digit kills in 14 matches that season, including a combined 25 kills on a .380 attack percentage in two victories against Sacred Heart. Despite missing part of the 2013 season, Warren still ended his senior season among the team leaders with a 2.36 kills per game average.

Nick Wildes (2014-17)
Awards and honors: 2017 ConfCarolinas All-Tournament Team
Wildes after two years as the starting setter transitioned to libero and ended his college career setting the program record with 734 career digs. In his first season at libero, Wildes was ninth in the nation with a 2.56 digs per game average and had double-digit digs in 10 matches. The libero in the following season was fifth in the country averaging 2.63 digs per game, including a match-high seven digs in a sweep against Belmont Abbey in the ConfCarolinas Tournament quarterfinals.

Eric Zaun (2012-15)
Awards and honors: 2014 Second-Team All-ConfCarolinas, 2013 Third-Team All-ConfCarolinas, 2013 ConfCarolinas All-Tournament Team
Zaun is third in the school’s history with 737 career kills and had back-to-back seasons in the conference’s top 10 for kills. Zaun as a junior was seventh in the ConfCarolinas with a career-best 3.41 kills per game average and had at least 15 kills in eight matches. The outside attacker that season also led the ConfCarolinas averaging 0.42 aces per game, including a season-high five aces in a victory against Coker. Zaun in the previous season finished in the conference’s top 10 with both a 3.14 kills per game average and a 0.29 aces per game average.