BRISTOL, Tenn. – The University of Mount Olive women's volleyball team dropped a close 3-0 match to King University on Friday night at the Student Center Complex. 

Mount Olive now stands at 12-14 overall and 10-8 in conference play, while King improves to 11-14 overall and 9-9 in the league.

In the opening set, both teams traded runs early before King built a 10-5 lead. The Trojans answered with back-to-back block assists by Rachel Clark and Breanna Reisinger, and Reisinger added a kill to cut the deficit to one. UMO surged ahead 20-17 after a 6-1 run sparked by a King service error and kills from Danielle Parker, Kaitlyn Landis, and Kacey Gore. King responded with a late 3-0 push to take the set, 25-22.

The Trojans started strong in set two, jumping to an 8-3 lead behind five early kills from Olivia Melvin and two from Landis. The Tornadoes rallied to close within two, and the teams traded runs throughout the set. Down 21-20, UMO regained the lead after kills by Reisinger and a Gore service ace. King tied it at 23 before the Trojans reclaimed the advantage on a Reisinger-to-Lyndsay Reid connection. King fought back to force extras and edged out the Trojans, 28-26, to go up 2-0 in the match.

Set three stayed tight, with UMO tying it at 21-21. King pulled ahead 23-21, and a Melvin kill brought the Trojans within one. Despite another late push, the Tornadoes secured the 25-23 win to close the match.

Reisinger led the Trojans with 11 kills, followed by Melvin with 10 and Landis with seven. Reid and Breanna Tanton combined for 32 assists, while Gore, Tanton, and Marleigh Cooper each recorded double-digit digs. Gore finished with a team-high 20. Clark tallied four block assists, Reisinger added three, and both Landis and Parker contributed two.
 
Mount Olive returns to action Saturday at Lees-McRae for a 1 p.m. match in Banner Elk.