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The best players in Lincoln Memorial’s program history are earning a college men’s volleyball national award as the decade comes to a close.
Off the Block announced on Saturday the seven players selected to the Lincoln Memorial 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.
Lincoln Memorial in 2017 became the second university in Tennessee to start a NCAA Division I-II men’s volleyball season. The Railsplitters in their first three years have two winning seasons and won back-to-back IVA championships.
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.
Lincoln Memorial All-Decade Starting Lineup presented by Off the Block
Setter: AJ Risavy
Opposite: Evan Cory
Outside attacker: Joshua Riblett
Outside attacker: Jordan Walley
Middle attacker: Pedro Carvalho
Middle attacker: Marcus Molina
Libero: Logan Kerley
Pedro Carvalho (2017 – present)
Awards and honors: 2019 National Blocker of the Year finalist, 2019 Off the Block All-Independent Team, 2019 IVA All-Tournament Team, 2018 National Blocker of the Year finalist, 2018 Off the Block All-Independent Team, 2017 Off the Block All-Independent Team
Carvalho led the nation in blocks for back-to-back season, including having a career-best 1.54 blocks per game average in 2018. The middle attacker averaged 1.45 blocks per game last season highlighted by having a combined 10 blocks in the IVA Tournament to help the Railsplitters win their second straight championship. Carvalho also followed up a career-best .410 attack percentage in 2018 with a .408 attack percentage in 2019. Among his top offensive performances last season featured a season-high 13 kills on a .750 attack percentage in a four-game victory against Lees-McRae.
Evan Cory (2017 – present)
Awards and honors: 2019 Division II National Player of the Year finalist, 2019 IVA Tournament MVP, 2019 Off the Block Independent Teams Player of the Year, 2019 Off the Block All-Independent Team, 2019 IVA Tournament All-Tournament Team, 2018 Off the Block All-Independent Team, 2017 Off the Block All-Independent Team
Cory finished the last two years in the nation’s top 25 for kills, including ending the 2019 season eighth in the nation with a 4.04 kills per game average. The opposite en route to becoming the first player in Lincoln Memorial program history to win the Independent Teams Player of the Year also had a nation-best 0.64 aces per game average last season. In addition, Cory has hit more than .300 in each of the last two seasons and during that span had at least 20 kills in eight matches.
Logan Kerley (2018 – present)
Awards and honors: N/A
Kerley as a freshman led the team and was in the nation’s top 25 with a 2.22 digs per game average. The libero had double-digit digs in 10 matches highlighted by a season-high 20 digs against Erskine. In addition, Kerly last season transitioned from libero to outside attacker and finished with a 1.22 digs per game average.
Marcus Molina (2017-18)
Awards and honors: N/A
Molina was among the team leaders with both a .360 attack percentage and a 0.80 blocks per game average in his final season with the Railsplitters. The middle attacker in the 2018 IVA Tournament finals also had a season-high six blocks and seven kills on a .545 attack percentage to help Lincoln Memorial beat Coker. In the program’s inaugural season, Molina finished second on the team with a 0.70 blocks per game average.
Joshua Riblett (2017-18)
Awards and honors: 2017 Off the Block All-Independent Team
Riblett in the program’s inaugural season led the team with a 2.92 kills per game average, including having a season-high 26 kills in a near upset victory against Mount Olive. The outside attacker the following season was among the team leaders averaging 2.15 kills per game. In addition, Riblett in his final college match had 17 kills on a .361 attack percentage as Lincoln Memorial beat Coker in the 2018 IVA Tournament finals.
AJ Risavy (2018 – present)
Awards and honors: 2019 Off the Block All-Independent Team, 2019 IVA All-Tournament Team, 2018 Off the Block Independent Teams Freshman of the Year, 2018 Off the Block All-Independent Team
Risavy guided the offense to more than a .300 attack percentage in 12 matches during the 2019 season as Railsplitters won a program record 18 matches and won their second consecutive IVA championship. The setter also ended last season eighth in the nation with a 9.98 assists per game average. As a freshman, Risvay helped Lincoln Memorial hit more than .300 in nine matches along with contributing both a career-high 144 digs and 56 blocks.
Jordan Walley (2017-19)
Awards and honors: N/A
Walley during the 2019 season had double-digit kills in six matches and averaged 2.15 kills per game. In addition, Walley coming off the bench had 10 kills on a .318 attack percentage as Lincoln Memorial nearly upset Ohio State. The outside attacker the previous season also had 13 kills while hitting .364 to help Lincoln Memorial sweep Queens in the IVA Tournament semifinals to reach the finals for the first time in program history.