Posted: Apr 13, 2019
MOUNT OLIVE, N.C. --- The Mount Olive Trojans fell to the Saints of Limestone College in five sets on Saturday afternoon in the quarterfinals of the Conference Carolinas Men's Volleyball Championship Tournament at Kornegay Arena in Mount Olive, N.C.
GAME INFORMATION
Score: Limestone 3 - Mount Olive 2 (28-26, 25-22, 24-26, 23-25, 15-13)
Records: Mount Olive (11-16 | 9-7), Limestone (14-12 | 8-8)
Location: Kornegay Arena | Mount Olive, N.C.
How It Happened
Play-by-Play
FIRST SET
- The opening set, set the precedent for the remainder of the match as the teams were neck-and-neck throughout the entire set.
- UMO found a four-point lead, 15-11 about midway through the set.
- The Saints remained calm and came back to knot the score at 19 all.
- Mount Olive reached set point, 24-22, following a 5-3 run, unfortunately, the Trojans could not close out the set as the Saints went on a 6-2 run to win set one 28-26.
SECOND SET
- After starting set two tied at 5-5, the Saints took a slight 8-6 advantage following three consecutive errors by the Trojans.
- The Trojans knotted the score up three more times, at eight, 10, and 11-all, before Limestone scored three straight to take a 14-11 lead into a Mount Olive timeout.
- Following the timeout, the Trojans went on a 7-3 run taking an 18-17 lead causing Limestone to call a timeout to regroup.
- The Saints came out of the timeout with some gusto as they closed out the set on an 8-4 run winning set two 25-22.
THIRD SET
- Limestone looked as if they were going to take the match in three sets after beginning the third frame on a 6-3 run.
- Mount Olive battled back to take an 8-7 lead following a 5-1 run that included three kills and two Saint errors.
- The Saints came back to take a 13-12 lead forcing UMO to call a timeout.
- Following the break in action, the Trojans went on on a 6-3 run taking an 18-16 lead into a Limestone timeout after Shane Yeo served up an ace.
- After the timeout, Limestone went on an 8-4 run taking a 24-23 lead but the Trojans dug deep to pull out the three points needed to take the set from the Saints 26-24 and force extra sets.
FOURTH SET
- The fourth set was another battle of back and forth between the two squads as neither team gained control until midway through the set when the Trojans gained a four-point, 14-10, lead heading into a Limestone timeout.
- UMO held on to a razor-thin lead throughout the next part of the set as they led 17-15 following an attack error by Azeez that made UMO call timeout.
- A 6-5 run by the Trojans gave the home team a 23-20 lead following a Brad Monaghan ace as the Saints called their second timeout of the set.
- The Saints climbed within one of the Trojans, 24-23, but a well-timed kill by Luke Visgitis gave UMO set point winning 25-23 and forcing a fifth set.
FIFTH SET
- After sitting tied at four-four, the Saints opened up a four-point 11-7 lead following a 7-3 run by Limestone.
- After they called a timeout, the Trojans went on a 6-3 rally pulling within a point, 14-13, but Limestone put down a kill for the final point to win the set 15-13 and the match 3-2.
KEY STATS
- Tobi Azeez led the Trojan attack with 18 kills on 37 attacks.
- Eric Visgitis was close behind with 15 kills while his brother Luke Visgitis tallied 13 kills.
- Jarrod Ferguson joined the previous three in double-digits with 11 kills.
- Shane Yeo came within two assists of tying his career-high after tallying 62 in the five-set loss.
- Joel Roberts fortified the back line with 17 digs while Azeez was close behind with 13 of his own.
UP NEXT
Mount Olive's season comes to a close in the quarterfinals of the Conference Carolinas Men's Volleyball tournament. UMO finished their season with an 11-16 overall record and a 9-7 conference mark.