HIGH POINT, N.C. - Six members of the University of Mount Olive's men's volleyball team were named to the 2018 Conference Carolinas All-Conference teams as announced by the league office on Friday afternoon. UMO lead all institutions with six representatives while Barton and King each placed four on the All-Conference teams.
Highlighting the All-Conference nods are a pair of first-team honorees in Robert Poole and Josh Donahue. Bret Rutledge was the lone Trojan to make the second team while the third team was loaded with three Trojans in Brad Monaghan, Luke Visgitis, and Jeff Yasalonis.
Poole, the 2018 Conference Carolinas Murphy Osborne award winner, currently sits fourth in the conference in kills per set with 3.28, third in kills (308), and first in service aces per set averaging 0.73 with 69 on the year. Poole became the UMO men's volleyball career kills record holder passing the former mark of 960 kills held by Angel Dache.
Donahue joins Poole on the all-conference first-team. On the season, Donahue has collected 244 digs and tallied his 1,000th career dig in the 2018 Conference Carolinas Men's Volleyball Championship Tournament quarterfinal match versus Limestone College on April 18th. He currently sits fourth in the conference rankings in digs per set with a 2.49 average and third in total digs with 244.
Rutledge was the lone Trojan to earn a spot on the all-conference second-team following one of his best seasons in a Trojan uniform. He has played in 89 sets tallying 232 kills for a 3.61 kill per set average. He assisted his teammates eight times, served up 38 aces, dug up 126 attacks while blocking 42 shots. Rutledge is 11th in kills per set, 12th in kills, and tied for sixth in aces in the conference rankings.
Mount Olive placed three on the all-conference third-team in Monaghan, Visgitis, and Yasalonis. Monaghan has 210 kills, seven assists, eight aces and 100 digs on the season to go along with 35 total blocks. The New Zealand native sits 15th in kills per set and total kills on the season in the conference ranks.
Luke Visgitis has amassed 129 kills on 268 attacks, averaging 1.55 kills per set and a .347 hitting percentage. He leads the team in total blocks with 56 and is tied for 14th in the conference rankings.
Rounding up the UMO awards is senior setter Jeff Yasalonis. Yasalonis has collected 874 assists and 164 digs on the season as well as 38 total blocks and 13 service aces. The Yardley, Pennsylvania native, took over the UMO career assists record and also eclipsed the 2,500 career assists mark earlier this season.
Mount Olive takes to the court tonight against the No. 2 seeded Barton College Bulldogs in the semifinals of the 2018 Carolinas Men's Volleyball Championship tournament. First serve is set for 7:30 p.m. in Bristol, Tenn. following the first semifinal game between King University and Belmont Abbey College.
All-Conference Carolinas First Team
Jeff Sprayberry, King
Angelos Mandilaris, Barton
Liam Maxwell, Belmont Abbey
Robert Poole, Mount Olive
Aleksa Brkovic, Barton
Nick Drooker, King
Josh Donahue, Mount Olive
All-Conference Carolinas Second Team
Kiel Bell, King
Vasilis Mandilaris, Barton
Jon Wheaton, King
Matthew McManaway, North Greenville
Bret Rutledge, Mount Olive
Oscar Fiorentino, Barton
Rob Valentine, Belmont Abbey
All-Conference Carolinas Third Team
Brad Monaghan, Mount Olive
Francisco Salinger Cenzual, Limestone
Luke Visgitis, Mount Olive
Anthony Savage, Limestone
Jackson Gilbert, North Greenville
Jeff Yasalonis, Mount Olive
Florian Ruhm, Limestone
Offensive Player of the Year
Angelos Mandilaris, Barton
Defensive Player of the Year
Rob Valentine, Belmont Abbey
Freshman of the Year
Francisco Salinger Cenzual, Limestone
Coach of the Year
Ryan Booher, King
Regular Season Men's Volleyball Champions
Barton College & King University