WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – The University of Mount Olive women's volleyball team opened the 2016 season with a split on the first day of the 2nd Annual Spike Out Hunger Classic.
GAME 1 INFORMATION
Score: Winston-Salem State 3, Mount Olive 2 (18-25), (25-22), (24-26), (25-22), (10-15)
Records: Mount Olive 0-1 (0-0); Winston-Salem State 1-0 (0-0 CIAA)
Location: Whitaker Gymnasium
HOW IT HAPPENED
Play-by-Play
FIRST SET
-Trailing 13-10, UMO mounted a 3-1 run to cut WSSU's lead to just one, forcing a Rams' timeout.
-Coming out of the timeout, WSSU amassed a 6-1 run to take control en route to a 25-18 victory.
-Both teams struggled in the first set, with WSSU out-hitting UMO ,128-.093.
SECOND SET
-UMO jumped out to an 8-5 lead before the Rams responded with an 8-4 run of their own to take a 13-12 lead.
-After the WSSU run, the Trojans roared back with a 5-0 run before taking the set 25-22.
-Junior Britni Johnson helped fuel UMO in the second set victory with five kills.
THIRD SET
-Highlighted by six ties, Mount Olive fought to keep the set close before taking its first lead at 17-16.
-The Trojans increased their lead to 23-21 but were unable to stave off WSSU, as the Rams mounted a 5-1 run to capture a 26-24 set victory.
FOURTH SET
-The Trojans jumped out to their largest lead at 9-4, driven by back-to-back WSSU attacking errors and a service ace junior MacKenzie Call.
-The Trojans held the lead for much of the set with the Rams only holding five leads.
-UMO finished off the set on a 4-0 run capped off by a service ace by freshman Kamber Skeen.
FIFTH SET
-Mount Olive fell behind 5-1 early on but fought to keep the set close, coming within two points at 8-6.
-WSSU hit .667 (10-15) in the all-important fifth set victory, while the Trojans hit .250 (7-16)
KEY STATS
-Britni Johnson led the way with 16 kills on 43 total attacks.
-Kamber Skeen was tops for the Trojans with 36 assists and 15 digs in her UMO debut
GAME 2 INFORMATION
Score: Mount Olive 3, Kutztown 2 (25-27), (25-21), (24-26), (25-23), (15-13)
Records: Mount Olive 1-1 (0-0); Kutztown 0-1 (0-0 PSAC)
Location: Whitaker Gymnasium
HOW IT HAPPENED
Play-by-Play
FIRST SET
-UMO played the part of the aggressor early in the first set, holding its largest lead at 12-8
-Kutztown came into its own as the set progressed, grabbing the lead at 18-17 after a 4-0 run
-The Trojans stormed in front 24-20 before committing a few mistakes and allowing the Bears to pull off a 7-1 run to close the set.
-Both teams hit poorly in an error-filled first set, as UMO just edged Kutztown, .000 to -.038, in hitting percentage.
SECOND SET
-Once again, the early portions of the set saw Mount Olive dominate, as the Trojans amassed a 14-8 lead at its largest point.
-As was the story most of the evening, Kutztown worked itself back into the set, clawing within two at 23-21.
-The Trojans shut down Kutztown's comeback efforts with a kill by Britni Johnson that sealed the set victory.
THIRD SET
-Kutztown came alive in the third set, taking the initial 1-0 lead and holding onto it until the latter parts of the set.
-Despite Kutztown's early stronghold on the advantage, UMO racked up a 23-20 lead late, part of a 10-3 run
-The Trojans' late-set lead was once again taken away, as the Bears ended the set on a 6-1 run to earn the set win.
FOURTH SET
-Mount Olive flexed its muscle in set four, hitting .387 as a team and committing just four errors.
-The Trojans held the lead early in the set before relinquishing the advantage to Kutztown again at 13-12.
-UMO had an answer for the Bears late, as UMO overcame a 23-22 deficit to take the set victory 25-23.
FIFTH SET
-In what was a close contest in every set, the fifth set proved no different, as the lead never topped five.
-Looking to secure their first victory of the season, the Trojans grabbed the initial 1-0 lead and never relinquished in the 15-13 set win.
-Freshman Natalie Perez delivered the victory off an assist from junior Casey Fiechter on match point.
KEY STATS
-Britni Johnson, once again, led the Trojans with 21 kills.
-Casey Fiechter helped power UMO with a team-high 19 digs.
-Kamber Skeen racked up 43 assists to lead the Trojans.
NOTABLES
-The victory is UMO's first since a 3-2 triumph over Pfeiffer on October 16, 2015.
-The win is also head coach Jennifer Charles' first victory at the University of Mount Olive.
UP NEXT
The Trojans will return to action tomorrow (Sept. 3) in the second and final day of the 2nd Annual Spike Out Hunger Class against Slippery Rock University at 9 a.m. and Chowan University at 11 a.m. in Winston-Salem, N.C.