Robert Poole had a match-high 13 kills and set up Kian Hollevoet's winning kill with two digs on match point as University of Mount Olive swept Pfeiffer University 25-22, 25-20, 25-23 in Conference Carolinas men's volleyball Thursday at Kornegay Arena. Peyton Schirman added 12 kills for the Trojans, while Hollevoet recorded four of his 10 kills in Mount Olive's final five points.
Mount Olive (5-3 overall, 4-2 Conference Carolinas) built a 12-9 lead in the final set as Hugo van Garderen sparked a Trojan run with a service ace that hit the top of the tape and rolled down the Pfeiffer side of the net. The Trojans led through most of the set until Pfeiffer rallied to take a 21-20 lead on Jonathan Martinez's solo block on the left side.
Hollevoet sandwiched a pair of kills around another Martinez kill, then added a kill to break a 22-22 tie. Martinez answered with another kill for Pfeiffer, but a Falcon service error gave Mount Olive its first match point.
Hollevoet served and Poole prevented a Pfeiffer kill with a dig on the right side, but the Trojans gave Pfeiffer a free ball opportunity. The Falcons appeared to have a kill on the Trojan overpass, but Poole reached with his right arm and hit the ball high in the air, giving setter Jeff Yasalonis time to get under the ball. Yasalonis set the ball just left of the middle to Hollevoet, who drove the ball off the back row to seal the win.
The opening set saw both teams exchange two-point leads and a wild point that had each team celebrating prematurely before Poole put home a kill for Mount Olive to tie the set 15-15. Schirman's ace broke the tie and Hollevoet followed with a kill as the Trojans never trailed again in the set.
Pfeiffer (7-4,7-2) rallied to tie the set 18-18 on a kill by Wyatt Hamilton, but Poole's kill put Mount Olive ahead to stay. Poole scored Mount Olive's last two points on kills to put the Trojans up a set.
Mount Olive led from the start in the second set and middle hitter Mike Mann electrified the crowd with an emphatic straight-down kill to give the Trojans a 22-18 lead. Mount Olive took a two-set lead after a double block on the right side by Schirman and Andrew Sydow on set point.
Schirman finished with a career-high11digs for his first collegiate double-double. He also had two aces and two blocks. Yasalonis finished with 34 assists.
Sonny Hirini narrowly missed a double-double for Pfeiffer with 10 kills and nine digs. Harrison Lutz had 28 assists and a match-high three aces, including back-to-back aces in the third set to give the Falcons a 3-1 lead.
Thursday's contest was the first of three Conference Carolinas home matches in three days for Mount Olive. The Trojans play host to Lees-McRae College Friday at 7 p.m., then entertain King University Saturday at 2 p.m. at Kornegay Arena.