University of Mount Olive posted a school record .857 hitting percentage in a first-set win, but Erskine College came back to win the next three sets to hand the Trojans a 15-25, 25-23, 25-23, 25-18 loss in Conference Carolinas men's volleyball Friday at Kornegay Arena. The Trojans recorded 18 kills and no errors in 21 attempts in the opening set.
In the first set, a service ace by Tyler Yanez and a pair of aces by Robert Poole helped Mount Olive (4-5 overall, 4-3 Conference Carolinas) turn a two-point lead into a double-digit advantage at 18-8. The margin never fell below eight as a second-ball kill by Yanez and an off-speed kill by Mike Mann brought the lead back to double figures at 24-14. After a side out, an Erskine service error on set point gave Mount Olive the opening set.
Erskine (9-3, 6-1) jumped out to an 11-6 lead in the second set as Mike Michelau and Andres Talavera each had a pair of kills. The Trojans rallied as Mann combined on a pair of blocks during a 6-1 run to tie the set 16-16. Mount Olive took a 23-22 lead when a block by Mann and Poole capped a 12-shot point. Erskine tied the set on a kill by Michelau and Roberto Perez followed with an ace. After a Trojan timeout, Michelau and Mike Kawa combined on a block to even the match at a set apiece.
The Flying Fleet scored the initial point of the third set and led the entire set. Mount Olive saved three set points before Erskine held on for the win. In the final set, Erskine used a Trojan service error to break a 7-7 tie and the Flying Fleet went on to lead the remainder of the set.
Andrew Sydow finished with 12 kills and four blocks for Mount Olive, while Bret Rutledge added 11 kills. Yanez, Mann and Poole each recorded three blocks. Yanez also had 45 assists.
Perez led all players with 16 kills for Erskine, while David Gandy recorded 50 assists. Kawa had a match-high five blocks.
Mount Olive concludes its weekend homestand Saturday as the Trojans play host to Barton in a Conference Carolinas contest. Match time is 2 p.m. at Kornegay Arena.