AIKEN, S.C. (Sept. 2) – The Trojans opened play at the Pacer Invitational on Friday afternoon with a split of two matches, suffering a 3-1 loss to the host USC Aiken before registering a 3-0 win against Auburn Montgomery.
 
With the split, the University of Mount Olive volleyball team sits at 3-3 overall this season while playing programs from five different conferences.
 
Against USC Aiken (5-0) of the Peach Belt Conference (PBC), Mount Olive fell by a 3-1 margin (27-29, 22-25, 25-18, 13-25) after both sides met for the first time since the 2017 campaign. Senior Amara Eziakonwa posted a game-high 15 kills on a staggering .517 hitting percentage, while junior Ele'sia Williams and sophomore Neza Pec tallied nine and eight kills, respectively. Seniors Jenna Myer and Madison Goodman guided the offense with 21 assists each against the Pacers in the loss.
 
Sophomore Morgan Prots finished with a team-high 19 digs, while Pec added 12 digs on Friday. Senior Faith Herman also assisted the defensive effort with 11 digs in the contest. UMO matched a season-high with nine total blocks led by senior Alyssa Jackson with six blocks at the net, while also featuring three players with three blocks.
 
Against Auburn Montgomery (2-4) of the Gulf South Conference (GSC), UMO claimed a 3-1 victory (15-25, 25-23, 25-21, 28-26) led by three players with double-digit kills. Eziakonwa paced the Trojans for a sixth-straight match in kills with 14 on Friday, while freshman Sam Widelski posted a kill/dig double-double behind a season-high 13 kills and 10 digs. Senior Camryn Huber added 12 kills on a .423 clip and totaled eight digs against the Warhawks. Myer directed the offense with a career-high 36 assists and Goodman recorded 19 assists in the win.
 
Prots once again led the defense with 28 digs, while Pec totaled 18 digs and delivered four aces in the match.
 
Mount Olive returns to action at the Pacer Invitational tomorrow, Saturday, Sept. 3, when it faces Lander and Augusta, starting at 10 a.m.