Posted: Feb 10, 2017
Mount Olive, N.C. --- After a sluggish start, the University of Mount Olive men's volleyball team bounced back to defeat North Greenville, 3-1, in Conference Carolinas action in Kornegay Arena on Friday evening in Mount Olive, N.C.
GAME INFORMATION
Score: Mount Olive 3, North Greenville 1 (21-25, 25-18, 25-16, 25-19)
Records: Mount Olive (6-4, 5-0 CC) North Greenville (3-8, 3-2 CC)
Location: Kornegay Arena, Mount Olive, N.C.
How It Happened
Play-by-Play
FIRST SET
- The Trojans stayed step-for-step with NGU through the first 12 points as UMO and the Crusaders were tied at six.
- A 9-4 run by NGU forced a Mount Olive timeout as the Crusaders jumped out to a 15-10 advantage.
- UMO inched back within three on multiple occasions late in the opening set, but the Trojans could draw no closer as NGU earned the 25-21 first set win.
- In the opening set, NGU hit a scorching .452 while the Trojans hit .286.
SECOND SET
- Turning the tables on the Crusaders, UMO opened the second set with a 15-11 lead.
- A 5-1 spurt for UMO including a pair of kills by junior Robert Poole and a kill from senior Andrew Sydow pushed the Trojans' lead to six at 22-16.
- NGU got back within five in the final few points, but the Trojans ended the set with back-to-back points to capture the 25-18 win in the second set.
THIRD SET
- UMO kept its foot on the accelerator in the third frame as the Trojans sprinted out to an 11-4 lead on a 4-0 run capped off by a service ace by junior Kian Hollevoet.
- The lead ballooned to eight for Mount Olive at 18-10 on the heels of back-to-back kills by Hollevoet.
- The Trojans ended the set with a 3-0 run to earn the 25-16 third set win.
FOURTH SET
- In what would be the deciding fourth set, NGU played with urgency and opened the frame with a 7-4 advantage.
- The Trojans chipped away at their deficit before tying the set at 11.
- Senior Andrew Sydow delivered a kill to give UMO its first lead of the set at 17-16.
- After an NGU timeout, the Crusaders tied the set again at 17, but UMO answered right back with a 6-0 run to pull away and take a 23-17 lead.
- In the final points, the Trojans and Crusaders traded points as UMO secured the match victory with a 25-19 fourth set victory.
KEY STATS
- Recording the second most kills of his career, Poole led the Trojans with 20 kills to go along with a .424 hitting percentage.
- Just shy of double-digit kills were seniors Alex Palmatier (9) and Andrew Sydow (8) and juniors Kian Hollevoet (8) and Bret Rutledge (8).
- Junior Jeff Yasalonis led the way with 37 assists while Hollevoet contributed a team-best 11 digs.
Up Next
Mount Olive hits the court next on Saturday at 2 p.m. when the Trojans host Limestone in Kornegay Arena in Mount Olive, N.C.