Trojans secure win at Erskine

DUE WEST, S.C. – Behind a .385 clip as a team and three players with double-digit kills, the Trojans stunned league-leading Erskine by a 3-1 margin in Conference Carolinas action on March 17 by scores of 25-18, 25-14, 24-26, 25-17.

With the win, the University of Mount Olive men’s volleyball team improved to 6-12 overall with a 2-6 mark in conference play. Meanwhile, Erskine dropped to 11-9 this season with a 6-3 record in league action.

Sophomore Tate Sandvig led the team with 14 kills with three aces and six digs. He paces the program in kills (149) this season while being tied for the team lead in service aces (16). Junior Hayden Frear finished with 13 kills, while senior Pedro Gonzalez tallied 10 kills. Freshman Jackson Lahey directed the offensive effort with 40 assists, while adding three blocks and four digs.

Senior Trevor Treser paced the defense with 12 digs, while Frear had eight and Sandvig had six. UMO controlled the net with 12 total blocks with Gonzalez and junior Justin Gregory each tallying seven.

In the first set, Mount Olive established a 13-6 lead following a trio of kills by Sandvig before the Flying Fleet closed the gap with three straight points, 13-9. Both sides traded the next eight points until the Trojans scored six of the following nine points to take a 23-16 advantage. Erskine trailed 24-18 following a kill before UMO claimed the set with a kill by sophomore Holden Maryott, 25-18.

The Trojans raced out to a 9-3 advantage in the second set after scoring six straight points before the Flying Fleet managed to cut the deficit to 14-10. Mount Olive responded with a 7-2 run, including a pair of kills by Gregory, to extend the lead to 21-12. UMO scored four of the final six points of the set to secure a 25-14 victory.

After both teams exchanged points over the opening half of the third set, Erskine registered four consecutive points to take a 14-10 edge. Mount Olive managed to trim the deficit to 15-13 before going on a 5-2 rally to take the lead, 18-17. The Trojans reached match point 24-23 late in the set before the Flying Fleet countered with three straight points to win the set by a 26-24 margin.

In the fourth set, Erskine took an early 11-8 advantage before UMO answered with three consecutive points to tie the match at 11-11. The Flying Fleet tallied back-to-back points, but the Trojans mounted a 9-1 run to take a 20-14 lead. After trading the next five points, Mount Olive secured the road win behind three-straight kills with Frear delivering the game-winner, 25-17.

— From University of Mount Olive Athletics