Peyton Schirman had a team high 13 kills in a five set loss to Erskine College 25-20 22-25 22-25 25-26 15-12 Saturday afternoon in Due West, S.C. for Conference Carolinas men's volleyball. The Trojans had a 2-1 set lead before Erskine forced a fifth and final set that sealed the comeback win.
In the first set Mount Olive (3-2 Overall, 3-1 Conference Carolinas) picked up the first two points of the set before Erskine (5-1, 3-0) came back to tie the set at two. The set continued to go back and forth as the two teams exchanged the lead six times before the Flying Fleet used a pair of three point rallies to take a 14-10 lead. The Trojans kept it close late in the set and were within one point of tying the game at 19, after a three point rally. Erskine then sided out and countered with a four point rally to secure the first set.
The second set saw the Trojans spark come back as they did not allow Erskine to take the lead until midway through the set after a side out and a five point rally gave the Flying Fleet a 11-9 lead. Mount Olive fought to keep the game within one and tied the game late in the set off a kill from Andrew Sydow to tie the set at 18. Mount Olive surrendered two points to Erskine before putting together two three point rallies to push the Trojans ahead, 24-21. An attack error by Erskine allowed Mount Olive to tie the match up at one.
Set number three played closer as neither team had a substantial rally. Mount Olive had a four point lead late 24-20 in the third set and the Flying Fleet crawled back into the set to come within two. The Trojans had set point three times before Schirman finished the set off with the kill off the set from Tyler Yanez.
The fourth set Mount Olive only had the lead once early in the set. Erskine never allowed the Trojans to come within one point after the early lead as the Flying Fleet ended the set on a seven point rally to force a fifth set.
In the final set Erskine jumped out to the early 2-0 lead. Mount Olive fought back down three to tie the set at six. The Trojans then added two more points to their lead as a three point rally was haulted by Mike Michelau and Erskine trailed by one 8-7.
The Flying Fleet kept the deficit to one just before Mike Mann gave the Trojans a two point lead 11-9. Erskine then sided out and regained the lead 13-11. Robert Poole got a kill to bring Mount Olive to within one point of tying the set; however Erskine finished off the set with the final two points and took the match.
Schirman along with his 13 kills added six digs. Sydow finished with 11 kills. Josh Donahue led the team with 17 digs.
Roberto Perez led all scorers for Erskine with 21 kills.
Mount Olive has a five day break before the travel to Division I Penn State University next Friday January 30. First serve is set for 7 p.m.