Men's Volleyball Takes No. 10 Ball State To Four Sets

Men's Volleyball Takes No. 10 Ball State To Four Sets

Kian Hollevoet and Brad Monaghan recorded 10 kills apiece and University of Mount Olive took the opening set against nationally 10th-ranked Ball State University before falling to the Cardinals 21-25, 25-18, 25-19, 25-12 in non-conference men's volleyball Sunday at Muncie, Ind. Sunday's contest was the Trojans' third in a row against a national top 15 team. Monaghan's kills total was a career high.

Mount Olive (8-7) never trailed in the opening set, which saw 13 ties. Andrew Sydow's kill broke a 14-14 tie and Mike Mann followed with back-to-back blocks to put the Trojans ahead to stay. The two teams traded side outs before a Trojan attack error pulled Ball State within 21-20.

The Trojans earned a side out on a Cardinal ball handling error and Sydow's block gave Mount Olive a 23-20 lead. After a Trojan attack error, Mount Olive capitalized on a Cardinal service error and attack error to take a one-set lead.

Sydow's kill opened the second set, but Ball State (15-5) scored the next three points to take its first lead of the match. Mount Olive got as close as 9-7 after a kill by Robert Poole, but Ball State came back with a 5-2 run and the Trojans never got closer than four points the remainder of the set.

Ball State led by as many as six points in the third set before kills by Monaghan and Bret Rutledge pulled the Trojans within 16-13. The Cardinals scored the next four points and the margin never fell below six the rest of the way. In the fourth set, back-to-back kills by Monaghan cut Ball State's lead to 13-7, but the Cardinals went on to build the margin to double digits.

Mann finished with nine kills and three blocks for Mount Olive, while Poole served a pair of aces. Jeff Yasalonis recorded 38 assists.

Brendan Surane led Ball State with match highs of 13 kills and nine blocks.

All of Mount Olive's remaining contests are in Conference Carolinas play. The Trojans travel to Misenheimer, N.C., Tuesday to take on Pfeiffer University. Mount Olive won the first meeting in three sets February 18 at Kornegay Arena. Match time is 7 p.m.