A pair of call reversals on back-to-back plays helped Mount Olive save three match points, but Pfeiffer completed its comeback from a two-set deficit with a 19-25, 19-25, 25-20, 25-14, 16-14 victory over the Trojans in Conference Carolinas men's volleyball Tuesday at Kornegay Arena. Alex Rivero recorded a match-high 18 kills, but it wasn't enough to prevent the Trojans' first-ever loss to the Falcons in five meetings.

Mount Olive (2-8, 1-1 Conference Carolinas) fell behind 7-1 in the final set after committing five attack errors in the first eight points, two on blocks by Pfeiffer's C.J. Coatsworth. The Trojans pulled within 13-11 on Adam Miracle's kill, but Caleb Brophy's kill gave Pfeiffer (3-1, 3-0) match point and set the stage for a bizarre sequence.

Brophy, one of four Falcons with a double-digit kills total, appeared to have his second straight kill as the ball landed in the Trojans' back row. Pfeiffer players came off the bench to celebrate, but a net error was called and the match continued. David Frazee's apparent kill triggered another Falcon celebration, but the point was reversed on another error as Mount Olive pulled within 14-13.

Alex Vazquez recorded a kill to tie the set and save the third match point. But Brophy answered with another kill and Quentin Moore put home his team-high 15th kill to seal the win. After a long look at the first official to make sure the point stood, the Falcons again poured onto the floor in celebration.

Late spurts helped Mount Olive pull away in the first two sets as the Trojans compiled a .298 hitting percentage. Mount Olive scored six of the final eight points of the first set as Rivero's kill triggered the run and John Nunns served an ace on set point. In the second set, Rivero's kill sparked a 6-2 run to give the Trojans a 21-15 lead. Nunns and Vazquez combined on a block on set point.

Six consecutive Trojan attack errors - five unforced - gave Pfeiffer a 6-0 lead in the third set and the Falcons never trailed. Mount Olive got as close as 20-18 after back-to-back kills by Nunns and Lukas Hoelzl. But Pfeiffer pulled away as Moore had a kill and Coatsworth tallied a kill on set point after two more Trojan attack errors.

Pfeiffer held an early one-point lead in the fourth set when Falcon setter David Specian's second-ball kill ignited a run of five unanswered points to extend the lead to 14-8. Mount Olive got as close as four points, but Moore had two blocks and a kill and Brophy added an ace during a 7-0 run to give Pfeiffer a double-figure lead at 22-11. After the Trojans saved a pair of set points, a double block by Coatsworth and Konstantin Weise sent the match into the deciding fifth set.

Hoelzl and Nunns finished with nine kills apiece for Mount Olive, while Vazquez added eight kills. Nunns led all players with seven blocks. Setter Jackson Metichecchia notched a double-double with 43 assists and 12 digs, while Dan Arnold recorded a match-high 13 digs. The Trojans finished with 38 attack errors - 11 on Pfeiffer blocks - in 140 attempts for a .100 hitting percentage.

Brophy recorded a double-double for Pfeiffer with 12 kills and 12 digs, while Coatsworth and Frazee each added 10 kills. Coatsworth had six blocks and Frazee finished with five blocks. Specian tallied 49 assists and nine digs.

Mount Olive swept the regular season series against Pfeiffer in each of the first two years men's volleyball became a conference sport. Tuesday's loss was only the third at home in conference play in Trojan men's volleyball history.

Mount Olive returns to action Saturday as the Trojans travel to Gaffney, S.C., to take on Limestone in Conference Carolinas play. Mount Olive fell to Limestone in January at the season-opening MOC Volleyball Festival. Match time is 3 p.m.