HARROGATE, Tenn. -- Belmont Abbey opened its 2019 men's volleyball season on Saturday earning a split of two matches at Lincoln Memorial. The Crusaders defeated Campbellsville 3-2 (20-25, 25-17, 25-22, 21-25, 15-12) in the morning before falling to the hosts 3-1 (20-25, 25-17, 25-20, 25-20) later in the afternoon.

THE OPENER

• Liam Maxwell tallied 19 kills and hit .455 in the match. He added five aces, nine digs and four blocks.
• Brian Long registered 15 kills and a .636 hitting percentage, while chipping in three digs and four blocks.
• In the deciding set, Belmont Abbey had nine kills and no errors, hitting .529. The Crusaders broke and 11-11 tie with three straight points, then clinched the match on a Campbellsville service error.

THE NIGHTCAP

• Belmont Abbey took the opening set 25-20, but the Railsplitters came back to win the next three.
• Maxwell registered 15 kills and a .324 hitting percentage. He added three aces, five digs and two blocks.
• Long connected at a .667 pace, tallying nine kills and just one error in 12 attempts.
• LMU had a pair of attackers with double-figure kills and outhit the Crusaders overall .276 to .185.

UP NEXT

• Belmont Abbey stays on the road, facing Coker on Jan. 22.