Kellan Hollingsworth's service run and net play by Peyton Schirman and Andrew Sydow sparked a late spurt as University of Mount Olive extended its winning streak to four – including three wins in three consecutive days – with a 25-23, 26-24, 23-25, 25-23 victory over King University in Conference Carolinas men's volleyball Saturday at Kornegay Arena. Schirman shared match-high honors with 16 kills, while Sydow added 11 kills and a match-high seven blocks.
Mount Olive (7-3 overall, 6-2 Conference Carolinas) won the first two sets and came within two points of a three-set sweep. The Trojans used a pair of blocks by Sydow and a pair of kills by Kian Hollevoet to take an 8-3 lead in the fourth set. King (3-9, 1-6) came back with four unanswered points on a pair of kills by Jeff Sprayberry and a pair of blocks by Jon Wheaton.
The set was tied twice before a pair of kills by Wheaton capped a 5-1 run and gave the Tornado an 18-14 lead. The Trojans were still down 21-18 when setter Jeff Yasalonis' second-ball kill in the middle triggered a Mount Olive scoring run. Hollingsworth, who saw action late in third set, came off the bench to serve for the Trojans.
After a King attack error, Mount Olive tied the set and then took the lead for good on blocks by Schirman and Sydow on back-to-back points. Another Tornado attack error capped Hollingsworth's four-point service run and the Trojans' 5-0 scoring run. Schirman's kill gave Mount Olive a 24-22 lead and after a side out, Sydow's kill in the middle sealed the win.
Mount Olive built a 17-12 lead in the opening set after Hollevoet sandwiched a pair of aces around a block by Mike Mann and Yasalonis to finish a four-point run. Hollevoet was awarded the second ace when King was called for being out of rotation. King rallied to tie the set 23-23, but Mount Olive used a Tornado service error and Schirman's kill to take the first set.
Neither team led by more than two points in the second set, which saw 19 ties. King served for the set at 24-23, but Mount Olive survived three overpasses and Schirman's kill evened the score. After a King attack error, Sydow's block on the Tornado left side gave the Trojans a two-set advantage.
King jumped out to an 8-3 lead in the third set after a pair of blocks by Wheaton. Mount Olive battled back to take a 23-22 lead, but King tied the set on Sean Luhman's kill. The Tornado forced a fourth set on kills by Nick Drooker and Sprayberry.
Hollevoet and Robert Poole added 11 kills apiece to give Mount Olive four players in double figures. Trojan libero Ryan Thomas recorded a career-high 19 digs, while Yasalonis finished with 52 assists.
Sprayberry finished with 16 kills for King, while Wheaton added six blocks.
Saturday's contest concluded a stretch of three home matches in three days for Mount Olive. The Trojans return to action next Saturday with a Conference Carolinas match-up at Erskine. First serve is 2 p.m. at Due West, S.C. The match is the first of five consecutive road matches for the Trojans.