BANNER ELK, N.C. – Lees-McRae men's volleyball started its postseason play on the right foot with a 3-1 victory over No. 6 Emmanuel in the quarterfinals of the 2026 Conference Carolinas Men's Volleyball Championship.
THE BASICS
FINAL SCORE: No. 3 Lees-McRae def. No. 6 Emmanuel, 3-1
LOCATION: McNair & Debi Tornow Court– Banner Elk, North Carolina
RECORDS: No. 3 Lees-McRae (13-15/7-7); No. 6 Emmanuel (11-15/6-8)
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- Lees-McRae quickly earned the first set at 25-20 off a .444 hitting percentage and 11 total kills.
- Emmanuel evened the match in the second set with a 25-18 win after hitting .435.
- The Bobcats tallied the third set at 25-22 with a .237 hitting percentage and closed the match in four sets with a 25-19 set win.
- Davide Nicolini led the Bobcats with a team-high 14 kills on a .346 hitting percentage and added six digs. Ben Fincham followed with 12 kills and one service ace in the contest. Jaylen Tolliver collected seven kills on a .417 hitting percentage for the Bobcats.
- Abdirahman Ahmed distributed 40 assists in four sets and recorded seven digs, three aces, and two blocks in the match. Ben Ratliff-Becher had a match-high 12 digs.
- With tonight's win, the Bobcats earned their first victory in the postseason since 2013 when the Bobcats defeated Belmont Abbey in three sets.
UP NEXT:
Lees-McRae continues the tournament run on Saturday, April 18 against No. 2 Mount Olive in Belmont, North Carolina.
For more information on Lees-McRae Athletics, follow the Bobcats on X (@LMCBobcats), on Facebook (Lees-McRae Athletics), and on Instagram (leesmcraeathletics).
