Angel Dache shared match-high honors with 14 kills and Garrett Dimm added 12 kills as University Mount Olive defeated Lees-McRae College 25-20, 25-15, 28-26 in Conference Carolinas men's volleyball Friday at Kornegay Arena. Dache served three aces, while Dimm and Quaid Marin each served two aces to spark the Trojans to a season-high eight aces.
Mount Olive (3-6 overall, 2-2 Conference Carolinas) trailed by as many as three points in the third set and was down 24-22 after a Trojan attack attempt was blocked by Kevin Morrison and Matt Harpenau. Dache's kill saved one set point and a Lees-McRae attack error tied the set. The Bobcats went back on top 25-24 on a kill by Harpenau, but Steven Cruse's kill saved a third set point for the Trojans.
Another Lees-McRae attack error gave Mount Olive its first match point, but the Bobcats stayed alive on another kill by Harpenau. Lees-McRae appeared to have another set point when Dache's cross-court kill from the left side went long, but a touch was ruled at the net to give Mount Olive its second match point. A Bobcat attack went long to give the Trojans the match.
In the opening set, Mount Olive used a pair of blocks by Marin and Andrew Sydow on its way to the first six points and Dache's ace gave the Trojans their biggest lead at 10-3. Lees-McRae (5-3, 1-1) chipped away and Harpenau's ace brought the Bobcats within 18-16.
The Trojans scored four of the next five points on a kill by Dache to go with two Lees-McRae service errors and an attack error as Mount Olive pulled away. Dache registered a kill on set point.
The second set was tight until Lewis Einarson's kill broke a 9-9 tie and triggered an 8-2 run to put Mount Olive ahead to stay. Cruse's ace and Dimm's kill helped Mount Olive build the lead to 22-15 and the Trojans scored the final three points to take a two-set advantage.
Cruse finished with seven kills for Mount Olive, while Sydow added three blocks. Marin recorded 34 assists for the Trojans, while Dimm and Josh Donahue had six digs apiece.
Brady Markle led Lees-McRae with 13 kills and Harpenau added eight kills. Randy Ramirez recorded 31 assists, while John Lucas led all players with four blocks.
Mount Olive concludes its weekend homestand Saturday as the Trojans play host to King in a Conference Carolinas match-up. Match time is 1 p.m. at Kornegay Arena. Saturday's contest is the Trojans' last home match until March 11.