The Lancaster Bible College men's volleyball team is set to go at the NCAA Division III National Tournament on Thursday night, as the Chargers battle Benedictine (Ill.) in the NCAA Division III Quarterfinals at 7:30 p.m. The Chargers earned a bye into the quarterfinal round, and have advanced this far in the tournament for the second time in program history.
 
Lancaster Bible hasn't played a match since March 20 when the Chargers defeated Penn St. Altoona, 3-0, as the team had trouble scheduling matches late in the season, and then when it did schedule a doubleheader with No. 1 Springfield, the team was forced into quarantine due to COVID-19 protocols. Regardless of the break, Lancaster Bible is set to go, and has been ranked inside the AVCA Division III Top 15 Poll throughout the regular season.
 
NCAA Division III National Tournament Preview Podcast
Lancaster Bible Head Coach Jade Brubaker joined the Horse with No Name Podcast this past week to discuss the team's chances at the NCAA Division III National Tournament, as well as the winding road this season has been. The podcast can be found on Anchor, as well as Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
 
Team Records
No. 7 Benedictine: 14-3
No. 12 Lancaster Bible: 11-3
 
How They Got Here
Benedictine: The Eagles defeated Endicott, 3-0 in the NCAA Division III First Round, as they swept the Gulls, 25-23, 25-22, 25-20…Benedictine had 39 kills in the match, led by Jacob Grygo's 13.
Lancaster Bible: The Chargers were one of four teams to receive a first-round bye, and will be in the NCAA Quarterfinal round for the second time in program history…Lancaster Bible's previous trip to the quarterfinal round came in 2018, when the Chargers advanced there and faced top-seeded Springfield who dispatched Lancaster Bible, 3-0.
 
Statistically Speaking
Benedictine: In 17 matches this season, the Eagles have 698 kills and have a .294 attack percentage…Benedictine also has 79 aces, and 124.5 total blocks…Grygo leads the team with 212 kills this season, while Chase Olson is next with 137…Nathan Klimisch is next with 136 kills, and Mike LeGros leads the team with 490 assists…The Eagles have had 40 or more kills in a match eight times this season, including four matches with more than 50, and a season-best 62 in a five-set win over Dominican on February 25.
 
Lancaster Bible: The Chargers have 511 kills in 14 matches this season, and have a .246 hitting percentage…Lancaster Bible has 101 aces so far this season, and 62 total blocks to go with 474 digs…Kyran Flahive leads the team with 105 kills, while Kole Horst and Elijah Herb each have 90…Reuben Kemrer has 388 assists, and Flahive paces the team with 23 aces…Hunter Davis and Caleb Roberts each have 24 blocks for the Chargers.
 
Team Notes
Benedictine: The Eagles are 6-1 away from home this season and have won four of their past five matches…Both Grygo and Olson were named to the 2021 NVA/AVCA All-American Second Team…This is the first time Benedictine has ever been to the NCAA Division III National Tournament…This is the first time Benedictine has played a team from Pennsylvania this season…The Eagles are 2-1 in five-set matches this season.
 
Lancaster Bible: This is the second trip to the NCAA Division III National Tournament for the Chargers, as the team also took part in the 2018 NCAA Division III National Tournament…In 2018, the Chargers defeated Rivier, 3-2 in the First Round, before falling to No. 1 Springfield, 3-0…Kyran Flahive, Zac Keating, and Kole Horst were also members of the 2018 squad, while current assistant coach Kasey Gentry was also on the 2018 team…Lancaster Bible is 4-3 away from home this season, though three of those matches were the NCCAA National Invitational, as the Chargers battled NAIA scholarship schools to kick off the season…The Chargers have lost to just one NCAA Division III opponent this season, as they fell to Southern Virginia on February 12.
 
How to Follow
The game will be broadcast via the Old Dominion Athletic Conference…Live Stats will also be provided by Benedictine.