NORTH CHARLESTON, SC (Nov. 22) – The No. 2 seeded University of Mount Olive women's volleyball program was unable to overcome unforced errors on Friday night in a 3-0 loss to No. 6 seed UNC Pembroke in the Conference Carolinas Tournament Semifinals.
With the loss, the Trojans finish the 2024 season with a 20-8 overall record following a third straight trip to the league semifinals. Mount Olive will bring home the East Division title for the first time in program history after a third consecutive 20-win campaign. Meanwhile, the Braves improves to 17-17 this season and return to the conference tournament finals.
Senior
Callie Mullins finished with 10 kills on a .333 hitting percentage, adding one block and three digs. Fellow senior
Ashlyn Stone registered her 14th kill/dig double-double this year behind 10 kills and 11 digs over three sets. Freshman
Olivia Melvin totaled seven kills, two aces, one block, and three digs in her first postseason appearance. Sophomore
Lyndsay Reid guided the offense with 17 assists and 11 digs against the Braves. Junior
Breanna Tanton surpassed 1,000 career assists after recording 17 assists, two aces, and five digs on Friday.
Freshman
Kacey Gore led the defensive effort with 14 digs and junior
Caroline Sheaffer contributed nine digs. Sophomore
Danielle Parker controlled the net with three blocks.
UNCP established a quick 9-3 advantage in the opening set behind six kills and a pair of service aces. After the sides traded points, Mount Olive managed to close the deficit to 20-14 as Stone and sophomore
Kaitlyn Landis combined with four kills. UNC Pembroke scored five of the final seven points to take the first set by a 25-16 margin.
In the second set, the Trojans built a solid 9-3 edge after capitalizing on four attacking errors by the Braves. UNC Pembroke would respond with an impressive run to tie the match at 14-14 before eventually taking a 20-17 edge. The second set featured four different ties in the closing stretch before three straight points by the Braves led to a 28-26 victory.
Mount Olive held an early 9-6 advantage in the third set, but UNCP rebounded by scoring five of the next seven points to tie the contest at 11-11. The Trojans countered with three consecutive points behind a pair of service aces by Tanton. The Braves once again answered with an 8-2 rally to grab a 19-16 edge before the sides traded the following seven points. With UNCP ahead 22-20, the Braves tallied three of the final five points to secure the sweep, 25-22.
