MALIBU, Calif. –  The No. 6 Pepperdine men's volleyball team (8-3, 1-0 MPSF) swept the Rail Splitters of Lincoln Memorial (7-6) to go an even 1-1 on the week.
 
"Tonight the guys played with great energy," head coach Jonathan Winder said. "We passed quite a bit better and were able to run a more efficient offense. Happy to get a win tonight and excited for conference play next week."
 
Defense shined in Firestone Fieldhouse tonight. Out-blocking Lincoln Memorial 9-0, the Waves held the visitors to just a .181 hitting percentage.
 
Set one was highlighted with five kills a piece from Cole Hartke and Ryan Barnett. The Rail Splitters couldn't string more than three points together in the opening set as the Waves were aggressive on offense and disruptive on defense. Ending the first with James Eadie behind the service line, the Waves took set one 25-16.
 
 Similarly in set two, Pepperdine controlled the service line for the majority of play. Hartke and Grant Lamoureux split the title of most kills in the second with four apiece. Eadie paced the set, serving for 10 total points, including seven consecutive as Pepperdine spread the love in kills. In his collegiate debut, Daniel Devine stepped behind the service line for set point, recording his first ace to put Pepperdine up 2-0 with a repeat set score of 25-16.
 
In the closest set of the night, the third and final of the match saw seven ties and two lead changes. As the match teetered back-and-forth, three consecutive errors by the Rail Splitters with a pair of kills from Ryan Barnett and Cole Hartke, gave the Waves a cushion as they closed out the match with a 25-18 win in set three.
 
PEPPERDINE VS. LINCOLN MEMORIAL
 
PEPPERDINE ATTACK BY SET
Set      K         E         TA       Pct 
1         15       1         24      .583
2         13       0         23       .565
3         15       2         27       .481
 
LINCOLN MEMORIAL ATTACK BY SET
Set      K         E         TA       Pct 
1         8         3         18       .278
2         13       6         36       .194
3         11       8         29       .172
 
 
The Waves are not back home until March 11, restarting conference play on the road with a match against Jessup on deck. First serve is slated for 7 p.m. Friday and the match will be available to stream on B1G+ (subscription required) with live stats available at www.pepperdinewaves.com
 
GAME NOTES
• As with every match this season, Cole Hartke led the Waves with 14 kills, hitting .520 tonight.
• Ryan Barnett rivaled Hartke, recording 13 kills of his own with a hitting percentage of .478.
• Barnett led the Waves in points with 17.5 accounted for.
• Jacob Reilly had a solid defensive night with 16 receptions and just one error.
• Andrej Polomac led the team in digs with seven.
• James Eadie had a hand in a team-high five blocks tonight.
• Daniel DeVine recorded his first collegiate ace tonight.
 
ABOUT PEPPERDINE MEN'S VOLLEYBALL
Pepperdine men's volleyball boasts one of the richest histories in collegiate volleyball, with five NCAA National Championships. Four of those championships came under the direction of Hall of Fame coach Marv Dunphy who totaled 612 victories in 34 seasons at the helm. With 19 NCAA Appearances and 63 All-Americans, the program has consistently been a destination for top talent across the country. Under current head coach Jonathan Winder, the Waves reached the NCAA Final Four in his third season at the helm in 2025.
 
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