MOUNT OLIVE (Sept. 14) – The University of Mount Olive volleyball program closed out the final day of the Mount Olive Invitational by splitting two matches with a 3-0 loss against Concord before posting a 3-1 victory over Shaw in Kornegay Arena on Saturday.
UMO holds a 2-4 record after competing in a pair of invitationals to begin the 2024 season while facing five schools from four different conferences. Mount Olive posted a 1-3 record at its home tournament which featured a highly competitive field.
Against Concord (1-7) of the Mountain East Conference (MEC), the Trojans were limited to a .126 hitting percentage after totaling 21 attacking errors in a 3-0 loss (19-25, 22-25, 22-25). Junior
Sam Widelski and freshman
Olivia Melvin tied for the team lead with nine kills while senior
Ashlyn Stone finished with six kills and 15 digs. Sophomore
Lyndsay Reid guided the offense with 26 assists while junior
Breanna Tanton contributed seven assists against the Mountain Lions.
Junior
Caroline Sheaffer and Stone led the defensive effort with 15 digs while freshman
Kacey Gore reached double-figures with 10 digs.
Against Shaw (5-2) of the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA), Mount Olive totaled 58 kills on a .288 clip with 14 service aces in a 3-1 win (25-14, 23-25, 25-18, 25-22). Stone delivered a game-high 20 kills on a .439 hitting percentage while contributing 22 digs, six assists, and five service aces. Melvin finished with 16 kills, two aces, and six digs against the Lady Bears in four sets played. Sophomore
Kaitlyn Landis registered 13 kills on a .313 clip with seven digs. Reid directed the offense with 42 assists and added 11 digs on Saturday night.
Stone directed the defense with 22 digs while Sheaffer finished with 15 digs in the fourth match of the weekend. Reid and Gore reached double-digit digs with 11.
Mount Olive returns to Kornegay Arena on Tuesday, Sept. 17, to face Virginia Union in non-conference play, starting at 6 p.m.
All-Tournament Team
Kayli Cleaver, RS/OH, Lenoir-Rhyne
Kamille Patrick, MB, Shaw
Makayla Neelands, OH/OPP, Edinboro
Chloe Thompson, OH, Concord
Olivia Melvin, OH, Mount Olive
