Trojans Sail Past Saints In Conference Carolinas Men's Volleyball Quarterfinals

Photo credit to UMO student James Benson.
Photo credit to UMO student James Benson.

MOUNT OLIVE, N.C. --- The No. 3 seeded University of Mount Olive men's volleyball team sailed past the sixth-seeded Limestone College Saints in straight sets on Tuesday evening in the quarterfinal round of the 2018 Conference Carolinas Men's Volleyball Championship tournament at Kornegay Arena in Mount Olive, N.C. Josh Donahue highlighted the night be earning his 1,000th career dig on the 24th point of the final set to push the Trojans to victory.

GAME INFORMATION
Score: Mount Olive 3, Limestone 0 (25-21, 25-18, 25-19)
Records: Mount Olive (16-12, 11-5), Limestone (8-20, 5-11)
Location: Kornegay Arena | Mount Olive, N.C.

How It Happened
Play-by-Play

FIRST SET

  • The Trojans opened the first set going up 7-3 over the Saints on four Limestone errors and three kills, one by Eric Visgitis and two from Brad Monaghan.
  • A 5-2 run by Limestone tied the set up at nine all before Mount Olive countered with a 6-2 rally taking a 15-11 lead forcing the Saints to call timeout. Three kills and three errors combined for the 6-2 run.
  • UMO increased their lead to five, 19-14, but the Saints pull back within two on three consecutive points putting the score at 19-17. 
  • Two Robert Poole kills and a Limestone error put the Trojans back ahead by five, 22-17, forcing the Saints to call timeout yet again.
  • Coming out of the break, Limestone scored four points to Mount Olive's two which put the score at 24-21. 
  • A kill by E. Visgitis gave the Trojans the set point as they took the first game 25-21.

SECOND SET

  • Set two was much closer as the teams sat nearly equal at 6-5 after the first 11 services with Mount Olive holding the slim lead.
  • UMO went on a 6-1 run that put the host team up six points, 12-6, as the Saints called a timeout following three straight errors.
  • The Saints came out of the timeout on a 7-4 rally pulling within three points, 16-13, of the Trojans.
  • Mount Olive went on a 5-2 rally that included three Limestone errors and two kills, one each by Bret Rutledge and Monaghan, that put the score at 21-15.
  • The Trojans held off the Saints, scoring the final two points of the set, to win 25-18 and take a two-set match lead.

THIRD SET

  • Mount Olive held an early 5-2 lead on three Saints errors and a kill each by Poole and E. Visgitis.
  • A 7-4 run by Limestone knotted the third set at nine points each.
  • After two more ties at 10 and 11 points, the Trojans went on a four-point run forcing Limestone to call timeout as UMO led 15-11.
  • The Saints tried to rally coming out of the timeout, but the Trojans held on to their lead throughout the remainder of the set to win 25-19 and take the match 3-0.

KEY STATS

  • Robert Poole and Brad Monaghan each had nine kills while Bret Rutledge was just behind with eight.
  • Jeff Yasalonis recorded a double-double with 21 assists and 16 digs in the three-set win.
  • Josh Donahue collected the 11 digs he needed to reach the 1,000 career dig mark and also threw in eight assists on the evening.
  • Yigit Erkek led the Trojans front-line defense with six total blocks on the night including a solo and five assisted blocks.

UP NEXT

Mount Olive is back in action on Friday, April 20, in the semifinals of the 2018 Conference Carolinas Men's Volleyball Championship Tournament. They will face the No. 2 seeded Barton College Bulldogs at King University in Bristol, Tenn., with a time still to be determined.