FORT VALLEY, Ga. (Jan. 17) – In the season opener, the University of Mount Olive men's volleyball team totaled 43 kills on a .349 hitting percentage in a 3-0 sweep (27-25, 25-14, 25-23) at Fort Valley State on Friday night in non-conference play.
With the win, the Trojans for a fifth consecutive season started with a 1-0 record after being selected third in the preseason Conference Carolinas poll. It marked the second meeting all-time against Fort Valley State with UMO boasting a 2-0 record in the series. Meanwhile, the Wildcats drop to 0-3 overall after making an appearance in the NCAA Men's National Collegiate Volleyball Championship quarterfinal match in 2024.
Senior
Tate Sandvig led the way in his return to Mount Olive with a game-high 14 kills on a .462 clip with one service ace and six digs over three sets played. Junior
Kory Grant reached double-figures with 10 kills, adding two aces and two blocks. Senior
Holden Maryott registered nine kills on a staggering .727 hitting percentage with two blocks. Junior
Constantinos Iacovou totaled five kills on an impressive .833 clip in the season opener on Friday. Junior
Jackson Lahey guided the offense with 39 assists and tallied a game-high three service aces.
Freshman
Luca Colombo directed the defensive effort with 17 digs in his first collegiate appearance.
In the first set, Fort Valley State established a 4-2 lead before the Trojans responded with three unanswered points to grab a 5-4 edge. The Wildcats reclaimed the advantage by a 7-6 margin, but Mount Olive countered by scoring seven of the next nine points, including a pair of aces by Lahey. With UMO ahead by a 13-9 margin, the Trojans maintained their advantage late into the set before Fort Valley State rallied to take a 25-24 lead. After a timeout, Mount Olive tallied three consecutive points to earn a 27-25 win.
The Wildcats built an early 8-7 edge in the second set before UMO mounted an impressive 13-3 run with three kills and a service ace by Sandvig to hold a 20-11 advantage. The Trojans scored five of the final eight points with a pair of kills from Grant and Maryott to claim a 25-14 victory.
In the third set, FVSU held a 6-3 advantage before Mount Olive stormed back with four straight points, including two aces from Grant, 7-6. The sides exchanged points through the midway point of the set as the Wildcats managed to build a 16-14 edge. The Trojans regained the lead with four straight points before holding a 23-21 lead late in the set. Grant and Maryott produced kills to two of the final three points to seal a 25-23 win.
Mount Olive will face Fort Valley State in a rematch tomorrow, Saturday, Jan. 18, with the start time set for 1 p.m.
