GREENVILLE, S.C. (April 19) – The University of Mount Olive men's volleyball program collected all four major awards from the Conference Carolinas while featuring six all-conference selections, as announced by the league office on Friday morning.

Junior setter Jackson Lahey was voted the Conference Carolinas Offensive Player of the Year and became the first-ever setter in league history to garner the honor. Freshman libero Luca Colombo earned a pair of major accolades after being voted the Conference Carolinas Defensive Player of the Year and Freshman of the Year. Head Coach Yigit Erkek was selected as Coach of the Year after delivering the first-ever undefeated record in league play with a 14-0 mark while collecting the regular season title.

A native of Pembroke Pines, Florida, Lahey became the third player in program history to earn the Conference Carolinas Offensive Player of the Year honor. He also secured All-Conference Carolinas First-Team status for a consecutive season. Lahey ranks second in NCAA Division I with 10.88 assists per set while pacing the league with 0.42 aces per set. Additionally, Lahey finished sixth in the conference with 0.82 blocks per set. He produced at least 35 assists and five blocks in 10 matches while tallying five contests with three service aces. Lahey became the all-time assists leader at Mount Olive after surpassing 2,601 assists to claim the program lead. He collected Conference Carolinas Specialist of the Week four times this season.

Colombo made league history, becoming the first-ever Conference Carolinas Defensive Player of the Year and Freshman of the Year in the same season. He is the third player in program history to collect the defensive major award, while being the fifth individual at Mount Olive to earn the freshman honor. Colombo has headlined the Trojan defense and paces NCAA Division I with 3.05 digs per set. He totaled double-digit digs in 13 matches this year while registering a career-high 18 at Erskine in late February. Colombo also received Conference Carolinas Freshman of the Month twice during the 2025 campaign.

Erkek was voted the Conference Carolinas Coach of the Year in just his second season at the helm. Following his return to his alma mater in 2024, he guided the program to the regular season title for the first time since 2021 while posting a perfect 14-0 record in conference action. The Trojans finished the regular season with a 19-3 overall record, the third-most wins in a single-season. As head coach, Erkek has mentored nine all-conference selections and a trio of major award recipients. 

In addition to Lahey and Colombo, junior outside hitter Kory Grant and senior middle blocker Holden Maryott were named to the All-Conference Carolinas First-Team.

A 6-foot-3 outside hitter, Grant has been elite all season offensively for the Trojans, tallying 256 kills on an impressive .320 hitting percentage. He leads the Conference Carolinas with 3.71 kills, 4.25 points, and 8.33 attacks per set, while reaching double-digit kills in 18 matches. Grant produced a pair of 20-kill performances this season against Barton and nationally ranked Lewis. He was named the AVCA National Collegiate Player of the Week for the second time and received all-conference honors for the first time in his career.

Maryott was a force in the middle for the Trojans after tallying 72 blocks at the net while ranking among the top 15 in NCAA Division I with 1.07 blocks per set. He also sits fourth in the country with a .479 hitting percentage following 141 kills in 20 matches played. Maryott eclipsed 200 career blocks this season and ranks fourth all-time in blocks at Mount Olive. He earns all-conference status for the second time in his career.

Mount Olive featured two recipients on the All-Conference Carolinas Second-Team in junior middle blocker Constantinos Iacovou and senior outside hitter Tate Sandvig.

A native of Famagusta, Cyprus, Iacovou delivered his best career season with the Trojans with 172.5 points behind 298 kills, 15 service aces, and 50 blocks in 22 matches of competition. He is one of the elite attacking players in the middle and ranks third in NCAA Division I with a .489 hitting percentage. Iacovou garners all-conference second-team honors for the first time in his career.

In his return to Mount Olive, Sandvig produced a stellar senior campaign and has been a true inspiration to the program despite facing challenges off the court. He finished second on the team with 189 kills on an outstanding .339 clip while competing in 18 matches. Sandvig was also fantastic defensively, tallying 106 digs and 20 blocks while registering 13 service aces. He collects all-conference status for the first time in his career with the Trojans.