Trojans Play "Lights Out" Volleyball In Loss To North Greenville

Trojans Play "Lights Out" Volleyball In Loss To North Greenville

University of Mount Olive played "lights out" volleyball, but the Trojans fell to North Greenville University 25-20, 25-16, 25-21 in Conference Carolinas women's volleyball Friday at Kornegay Arena. Play was halted early in the third set after a brief power outage shut off the lights in the arena.

In the opening set, a solo block by Alysha Burnett and Megan Hight's ace helped stake Mount Olive to a 10-6 lead. After a North Greenville timeout, Taylor Dupes recorded a kill for a side out, then served an ace during a six-point service run. Kills by Britni Johnson and Montgomery Register helped the Trojans rally to tie the set. But a Trojan attack error put North Greenville back on top 15-14 and the Crusaders led the remainder of the set.

Nicole Karas' ace pulled Mount Olive within 10-7 in the second set, but North Greenville scored six of the next eight points to break the set open. The margin grew to as many as seven points before Mackenzie Call came off the bench for three kills and Danielle Plante added a solo block to pull the Trojans within 18-14. North Greenville then scored the next four points as Emily Tyms had a pair of kills and Ashlyn Wilkinson served an ace to help the Crusaders take a two-set lead.

In the third set, Register combined on three blocks in Mount Olive's first four points and the Trojans grabbed a 7-3 lead before a power outage halted the match. When play resumed nine minutes later, the Trojans scored the next three points on a kill by Shelby Wyatt, an ace by Register and a block by Karas and Sarah Watkins. After the two teams exchanged side outs, Kenzie Pierce sparked an 11-0 North Greenville run with a pair of kills and three aces to give the Crusaders a 15-11 lead.

Mount Olive rallied to tie the set 17-17 after Johnson sandwiched a pair of kills around a block by Register and Watkins. North Greenville scored the next three points, but back-to-back aces by Johnson capped a three-point Trojan run to tie the set 20-20. Yomi Adeyeye put North Greenville back on top with a kill and the Crusaders sealed the win Sara Miller's attack on match point caught the back line.

Johnson led the Trojans with eight kills, while Watkins had a match-high five blocks and Register added four blocks. Casey Fiechter shared match-high honors with 11 digs. Karas finished with 20 assists.

Adeyeye led all players with 10 kills for North Greenville, while Madison Pogue had 25 assists and three second-ball kills. Pierce led all players with four aces and Dupes added three aces, while Megan Steading added 11 digs.

Mount Olive is back in action Saturday as the Trojans play host to Southern Wesleyan University in a Conference Carolinas match-up. Match time is 2 p.m. at Kornegay Arena.