BANNER ELK, N.C. – With his three solo blocks in tonight's match, senior
Ethan Gardner is now the program's all-time leader with 62 career solo blocks in his four-year career, but his record-breaking performance was not enough as visiting King clinched the straight-set victory over the host Bobcats in the team's final regular-season home contest.
THE BASICS
FINAL SCORE: King (Tenn.) def. Lees-McRae, 3-0 (25-21, 25-23, 25-15)
LOCATION: Williams Gymnasium – Banner Elk, North Carolina
RECORDS: King (Tenn.) (9-12/6-7), Lees-McRae (2-17/2-11)
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- Gardner and Michael Marsans both finished with a team-high six kills, with Marsans tallying a solo block and four block assists.
- Max Kuntz also finished with four block assists, while Riley Chapman tallied 20 assists.
- Lees-McRae matched King point-for-point in the opening set until the Tornado tallied four consecutive points and held onto the advantage for a 25-21 win in set one.
- The Bobcats responded early in the second set to shift momentum and held a 15-10 lead.
- King rallied to recapture the lead and use a final kill to clinch a 25-23 win in the second set.
- The Tornado claimed the conference victory with a 25-15 win in set three.
- Lees-McRae held a slim 2-1 advantage in service aces, while King held a 46-24 edge in kills.
FOR THE FOES:
- Three Tornadoes finished with double-digit kills, led by Diego Marcano who finished with a game-high 15 kills.
- JT Deppe chipped in 32 kills and a team-high seven digs.
UP NEXT:
The Bobcats will close their regular season on Tuesday as they visit King in a conference showdown.
For more information on Lees-McRae Athletics, follow the Bobcats on Twitter (@LMCBobcats), on Facebook (Lees-McRae Athletics), and on Instagram (leesmcraeathletics).
