Angel Dache recorded 13 kills, while Andreas Lengler added 11 kills and three aces as Mount Olive remained undefeated with a 25-22, 25-18, 25-14 victory over Barton in Conference Carolinas men's volleyball Wednesday at Wilson, N.C. The Trojans are off to their best start in three years.
Mount Olive (3-0 overall, 2-0 Conference Carolinas) led by as many as five points in the first set as setter Ben Casado's kill gave the Trojans a 15-10 advantage. Barton scored five of the next six points as Zach McCalla's kill pulled the Bulldogs within 16-15. But after a Trojan time out, a Barton service error prevented the Bulldogs from tying the set and Mount Olive led the rest of the way.
The Trojans extended their lead to 23-19 after back-to-back aces by Lengler and his kill gave Mount Olive a chance to serve for the set. Barton saved a set point on a side out, but Mount Olive took the set on a Bulldog service error.
Barton (0-1, 0-1) built an 11-9 lead in the second set after an ace by Jordan Robison. Mount Olive came back with five unanswered points as Dache recorded two kills during the run. The Trojans' lead never fell below two points the rest of the way and Mount Olive outscored Barton 6-1 to close out the set.
After spotting Barton the first point of the third set, Lengler had two kills in a 4-0 Mount Olive run and the Trojans led the remainder of the match. Barton pulled within 12-10 after a kill by Robison, but Mount Olive broke the set open with a 7-1 run. Lewis Einarson had kills on back-to-back points during the Trojans' run. Dache's back-row kill gave Mount Olive its first double-digit lead of the night at 24-14 and Einarson recorded a kill on match point.
Mount Olive has won its first three matches of the season for the first time since 2010, when the Trojans got off to a program-best 4-0 start.
Adam Miracle finished with eight kills, two aces and a match-high nine digs for the Trojans. The outside hitter also recorded six assists, while Casado had 28 assists. Dache, who missed all of 2012 with an injury, tallied a .417 hitting percentage as the Trojans hit .353 as a team. Defensively, Richard Hesse led all players with three blocks.
McCalla, Robison and Cameron Hudson led Barton with five kills apiece. Robison, who had no errors in six attack attempts (.833), finished with 14 assists for the Bulldogs. Nick Scalia contributed eight digs.
Mount Olive is at home for the first time this season as the Trojans play host to Erskine in Conference Carolinas action Saturday at Kornegay Arena. Erskine is in its first year of men's volleyball and Saturday's contest is the first-ever meeting between the two teams. Match time is 3 p.m.