BANNER ELK, N.C. (Sept. 30) – Senior Morgan Prots eclipsed 1,500 career digs on Saturday afternoon, as the Trojans stretched their winning streak to six straight following a 3-0 sweep over Lees-McRae in Conference Carolinas play.

With the win, the University of Mount Olive women's volleyball program improved to 11-5 this season with a 5-0 record in conference action. Mount Olive earns its fourth consecutive win over the Bobcats and remains one of two teams still undefeated in league play. Meanwhile, Lees-McRae saw its four-game winning streak snapped to fall to 7-5 overall behind a 4-1 mark in conference action.  

Junior Karoline Cox led the Trojans with 11 kills on a .647 hitting percentage with two blocks, two digs, and an ace. Fellow junior Ashlyn Stone delivered eight kills and recorded three digs, while senior Neza Pec tallied eight kills on a .386 clip. Senior Jenna Myer registered her first assist/dig double-double of the season with 14 assists and 11 digs. Freshman Lyndsay Reid guided the offense with 15 assists and four digs in the win.

Senior Morgan Prots directed the defensive effort with 19 digs and added five assists against the Bobcats. She surpasses 1,500 career digs and becomes just the fourth player in program history to accomplish the feat. Myer also reached double-digit digs and Pec totaled eight digs on Saturday. Junior Callie Mullins and sophomore Kate Carter controlled the net with four blocks a piece.

In the first set, the Bobcats managed to build an early 9-6 advantage following a block at the net before UMO scored three of the next four points to cut the deficit to 10-9. The match would be tied twice at the midway point of the set before the Trojans scored four straight points to take an 18-14 lead. The sides traded the following six points before UMO registered four of the final five points to take the set by a 25-18 margin.

The Bobcats established an 8-5 lead to start the second set before the teams exchanged the next 10 points. Lees-McRae extended the advantage to 15-11 behind three consecutive points, but the Trojans closed the gap to 17-16 after capitalizing on a pair of service errors. After back-to-back points by the Bobcats, UMO answered with five straight points to take a 21-19 lead. Lees-McRae rallied to tie the match twice as the score was 25-25 before an attack error and a kill by Pec sealed the set, 27-25.

In the third set, the Bobcats built an 11-5 advantage behind six kills, but Mount Olive rallied to tie the contest at 14-14. The lead changed sides five times late in the third set before the Trojans took the lead with three consecutive kills, 23-21. Lees-McRae trimmed the deficit to 24-23 before Stone delivered te game-clinching kill to secure the win, 25-23.

Mount Olive returns to divisional play on Wednesday, Oct. 4, when it travels to face UNC Pembroke at 7 p.m.