Posted: Feb 21, 2018
MOUNT OLIVE, N.C. --- The University of Mount Olive men's volleyball team fell in five sets to rival Barton College in a midweek Conference Carolinas matchup at Kornegay Arena in Mount Olive, N.C.
GAME INFORMATION
Score: Barton 3, Mount Olive 2 (25-20, 18-25, 23-25, 25-18, 15-13)
Records: Mount Olive (8-4, 5-1), Barton (8-6, 6-0)
Location: Kornegay Arena | Mount Olive, N.C.
How It Happened
Play-by-Play
FIRST SET
- Barton opened the first set holding a slim 8-5 advantage through the first serves of the match.
- UMO trailed by one, 8-7, following a Bulldog error and a kill by Jeff Yasalonis on a setters dump, before Barton went on an 8-1 run to take the 16-9 lead midway through the first set.
- Three consecutive kills by freshman Eric Visgitis gave the Trojans some momentum as they trailed by four, 16-12, forcing a Barton timeout.
- The Bulldogs came out of the timeout on a 6-4 run that gave them a 22-16 lead as Mount Olive called a timeout to recollect and strategize.
- Mount Olive put together four points but were just out of reach as Barton won the set 25-20 taking the 1-0 match lead into the second set.
SECOND SET
- Set two began with both teams going point-for-point as the score tied up five times, last at six-all before Barton took a two-point 9-7 lead.
- The Trojans put together a 7-4 run that gave them a one-point, 14-13 lead as the teams approached the midway mark.
- The scores tied up twice more at 14 and 17 all before the Trojans got three consecutive points on a Monaghan kill and a pair of Bulldog errors taking the 20-17 lead into a Barton timeout.
- The Bulldogs managed to ice Kian Hollevoet who was having a nice run serving as he served into the net, but Mount Olive profited from three Barton errors and two Trojan blocks, including a triple block by Yasalonis, Eric Visgitis and Bret Rutledge, to win set two 25-18 and tie up the match at one set apiece.
THIRD SET
- Mount Olive carried the momentum from the second set into the third set as they quickly went up 10-2 over the Bulldogs.
- Barton pulled within three points, 17-14, following the UMO timeout and continued to close the gap trailing by one, 21-20, late in the third set.
- The Trojans took a three-point, 24-21 lead, but consecutive points for the Bulldogs put the lead at just one point, 24-23 and match point for UMO.
- A kill by Monaghan gave Mount Olive the two-point, 25-23, lead to win the third set and take the 2-1 match lead heading into the fourth.
FOURTH SET
- Momentum started with Mount Olive who took a 4-2 lead but switched as Barton went on a 6-1 run taking the 8-5 lead over the Trojans.
- UMO fought back to tie the set at 11 all before two Bulldog kills and a Trojan error gave BC the 14-11 lead.
- Mount Olive hung with Barton as they trailed 17-16 midway through the set before the Bulldogs put together an 8-2 run to close out the set 25-18 and force a fifth set as the match was tied up at two sets per team.
FIFTH SET
- The fifth set was as competitive as one would imagine with rivals pitted against each other in a battle to the end.
- Barton gained a three-point lead, 4-1 early on but Mount Olive came from behind to tie it up at seven all.
- The Bulldogs again went ahead holding a 10-8 lead but the Trojans went on a 4-1 run taking the 12-11 lead forcing a Barton timeout.
- Mount Olive scored one point following the timeout as the Bulldogs held off the Trojans with a 4-1 run to win the fifth set 15-13 and the game 3-2.
KEY STATS
- Brad Monaghan led the Trojans with 17 kills on 40 attempts while hitting .300%. He also added seven digs and assisted on a block.
- Jerell Rogers had a good game with 13 kills on 22 attempts to hit for .545% while digging up three balls and tallying three solo blocks.
- Eric Visigitis was a part of seven blocks on the night including two solo blocks and five assisted stops. He also put down four kills which included three straight in the first set.
- Jeff Yasalonis led the assist category with 41 on the night while also tallying two kills, an ace, five digs, a solo block and two assisted blocks.
- Josh Donahue had his best night of the season with 16 digs and four assists in the game.
UP NEXT
Mount Olive returns to Kornegay Arena as they host Conference Carolinas opponent King on Friday afternoon in a 2 p.m. matchup. The Trojans follow with a noon game on Saturday against Lees-McRae to wrap up the six-game homestand for the Trojans.