BELMONT, N.C. --- The University of Mount Olive men's volleyball team defeated the Crusaders of Belmont Abbey College in four sets on Friday evening at the Wheeler Center in Conference Carolinas men's volleyball action in Belmont, N.C. Jarrod Ferguson and Luke Visgitis led the Trojan attack with ten kills apiece.
GAME INFORMATION
Score: Mount Olive 3, Belmont Abbey 1 (25-16, 19-25, 25-21, 25-23)
Records: Mount Olive (4-6, 4-1 CC), Belmont Abbey (5-3, 2-2 CC)
Location: Wheeler Center | Belmont, N.C.
How It Happened
Play-by-Play
FIRST SET
- Mount Olive got the game going with the first three points on a kill by Luke Visgitis and back-to-back Shane Yeo service aces.
- Belmont Abbey responded with an 8-3 run to go ahead 8-6, but three consecutive UMO points on a Jarrod Ferguson kill and two Crusader errors swung the lead back in the Trojans favor.
- Following four ties in the score, the Trojans went ahead by three, 15-12 on two BAC errors and a solo block by Eric Visgitis.
- Six more UMO points forced the Crusaders to call a timeout trailing 21-15.
- After the timeout, the Trojans closed the set on a 4-1 run to win the opening frame 25-16.
SECOND SET
- Belmont Abbey unleashed their fury to being the second set on a 10-0 run.
- A service ace by Eric Visgitis pulled the Trojans within eight points, 15-7, following a 7-5 run by UMO.
- Mount Olive cut the lead to four points, 16-12, after a 5-1 run that included four Trojan kills and a BAC error.
- UMO scored seven more points throughout the remainder of the set but ran out of time as the Crusaders won set two 25-19.
THIRD SET
- The teams we fairly even through the start of the third set as the score sat 11-7 with Mount Olive holding the four-point lead.
- Abbey put down four consecutive kills to knot the score at 11 all before Mount Olive reclaimed a two-point lead, 14-12, on a pair of kills and a BAC error.
- The Crusaders went on a five-point run taking a 17-14 lead midway through the set.
- Mount Olive countered by knotting the score at 19 all and took the 21-19 lead on a BAC error and double block by Yeo and Eric Visgitis.
- Though Belmont Abbey tried to rally, the Trojans held off the Crusaders to win the third set 25-21.
FOURTH SET
- UMO took the early 6-5 lead following three kills and three BAC errors, but the Crusaders went on a 5-0 run to go up 10-6 into a Mount Olive timeout.
- The Crusaders held a seven-point lead, 17-10 following a second Trojan timeout.
- Mount Olive subbed in Tobi Azeez who brought new energy to the court and sparked a Trojan rally that knotted the score at 22 all following a 12-5 run by UMO. Six kills, four BAC errors, a Yeo service ace and a triple block by Tobi Azeez, Iyanu Adebisi and Eric Visgitis, contributed to the run.
- Belmont Abbey called a timeout and scored the first point afterward, but two Azeez kills and an Abbey attack error gave UMO the final three points to win the third set 25-23 and the match 3-1.
KEY STATS
- Jarrod Ferguson and Luke Visgitis led the Trojan attack with ten kills apiece.
- Iyanu Adebisi tallied 13 digs along with seven kills.
- Shane Yeo collected 33 assists of the teams' 37.
- The Trojans as a team recorded 26 blocks including two solo and 24 assisted.
UP NEXT
Mount Olive will have a week off from competition before returning to the friendly confines of Kornegay Arena for a pair of Conference Carolinas contests in Mount Olive, N.C. The Trojans will host the Bobcats of Lees-McRae College on Friday, February 15 at 7 p.m. and follow on Saturday, February 16, with a 12 p.m. match against the Tornado of King University.