CENTRAL, S.C. (Oct. 21) – After hammering 14 service aces on Friday night, the University of Mount Olive women's volleyball team blanked Southern Wesleyan in a 3-0 sweep in Conference Carolinas action.
With the win, the Trojans improve to 17-8 this season with a 10-2 record in league play. Mount Olive reaches 17 wins for the first time since the 2008 campaign and keeps pace in the conference standings with UMO and UNCP only having two losses in the league play. Meanwhile, the Warriors drop to 3-20 overall behind a 1-13 mark in conference action.
Senior
Amara Eziakonwa led the team with a game-high 10 kills on a .333 hitting percentage in three sets. The Florida native paces the team in virtually every offensive category this season and ranks second the conference with a .374 clip this year. Fellow senior
Camryn Huber finished with seven kills, three digs and two blocks, while sophomore
Karoline Cox registered a season-high seven kills on a .429 hitting percentage. Seniors
Madison Goodman and
Jenna Myer guided the offense with 17 and 14 assists, respectively.
For the 10th time this season, sophomore
Morgan Prots eclipsed at least 20 digs after totaling a match-high 22 against SWU. Mount Olive reached double-digit service aces for the 15th time this season with sophomore
Neza Pec pacing the team with four while Eziakonwa added three aces in the contest.
In the first set, UMO established a 1-0 advantage after totaling 13 kills in the opening set. The Trojans built a 9-7 lead before producing a 7-1 run to stretch the advantage to 16-8. Southern Wesleyan scored four of the following six points to cut the deficit to 18-12. Mount Olive countered with a 7-2 rally, and freshman
Caroline Sheaffer finished the set with a service aces, 25-14.
The Trojans extend the lead to 2-0 after the second set featured eight ties and five lead changes. The Warriors generated a 12-8 advantage before UMO notched five-straight points to take a 13-12 lead. Southern Wesleyan posted four of the following six points to reclaim a 16-15 advantage before Mount Olive totaled back-to-back points. The Warriors answered with a 6-2 run to stretch the lead to 22-19 before UMO closed the set by scoring six of the final seven points, 25-23.
Mount Olive conquered SWU in the third set to record the sweep after tallying 13 kills on a .346 clip. The Trojans raced out to an 8-2 advantage behind a pair of service aces from Pec before tacking on six-consecutive points to hold a 14-2 lead. Both sides exchanged the next seven points before UMO scored three unanswered, 21-6. The Warriors countered by scoring four of the following six points before a kill from Eziakonwa and an ace by Pec sealed the win, 25-10.
UMO returns to conference play tomorrow, Saturday, Oct. 22, when it travels to face North Greenville at 2 p.m.
