FAIRFAX, Va. (Feb. 4) – After posting a season-low 26 kills on a .108 hitting percentage, the University of Mount Olive men's volleyball team suffered a 3-0 loss on Saturday versus No. 14 Lewis at the DC Challenge on the campus of George Mason.

With the loss, the Trojans fall to 4-3 this season before entering conference play next week with a pair of road matches. The match also served as a reunion for head coach Omar Sanchez, who played three seasons at Lewis as a student-athlete. Meanwhile, the Flyers improve to 6-5 overall after opening the year with a competitive slate.

Junior Hayden Frear paced the team with seven kills while adding two aces and three digs in three sets played. Senior Pedro Gonzalez tallied six kills on a .333 clip, while junior Justin Gregory and sophomore Tate Sandvig each recorded five kills in the loss. Freshman Jackson Lahey directed the offense with 24 assists while totaling two aces.

Sandvig led the defensive effort with six digs and Gregory produced five digs against the Flyers. At the net, Gonzalez and Sandvig tied with two blocks.

Lewis took the opening set by a 25-21 margin after delivering 15 kills on a .367 hitting percentage. After both teams exchanged points to begin the set, the Trojans recorded four-straight points to build a 12-9 lead. The Flyers countered with an 11-4 rally to take a 20-16 advantage before maintaining their four-point lead to win the first set, 25-21.

In the second set, Lewis established a 2-0 lead after leading the set wire-to-wire behind a .467 clip. The Flyers raced out to an early 9-5 advantage before it was halted by a service error. Lewis regained its offensive rhythm with a 10-1 run that included six errors by UMO to take a comfortable 19-7 lead. Mount Olive managed four kills late in the set, but Lewis retained its solid lead to win the second set, 25-14.

The Flyers completed the sweep in the third set despite 11 ties and seven lead changes. UMO mounted an early 7-1 run in the third to hold a 10-6 advantage with a pair of kills from Gonzalez. Lewis rallied to tie the contest at 11-11 before the Trojans scored three of the next four points to reclaim the lead, 14-12. The Flyers regained the lead with three straight points before Mount Olive stormed back to grab a 19-18 advantage with a service ace from Frear. Lewis sealed the win following a 7-1 run to close the third set with a 25-20 victory.

Mount Olive returns to the court Friday, Feb. 10, when it travels to face Belmont Abbey in its Conference Carolinas opener at 7 p.m.