Aiken, S.C. - The Mount Olive women's volleyball team faced two opponents from the Peach Beach Conference in USC Aiken and Augusta, losing to both on Saturday in the first day of the USCA Invitational. 

The Trojans played USC Aiken first, falling 3-1 to the Pacers. UMO tallied the second most kills this season against the Pacers, tallying 59 as a team. Breanna Reisinger (14) and Olivia Melvin (17) led the way for the Trojans, combining for 31 as a pair.

Melvin collected her second double-double of the season, as she also collected 15 digs along with her 17 kills. She leads the team in kills this season (60), with Reisinger following behind her (47).

Mount Olive took set one over the Pacers, retaking the lead at 3-2 and never relinquishing it. The Trojans led by as much as six at its highest in the first. 

The Pacers didn't give up though, going on a 5-0 run at the end of the set to bring themselves within two points (24-23), but it was futile behind a kill by Melvin to win the set for Trojans 25-23 over USC Aiken.

In set two, the Trojans went on a 7-1 run to take a 11-6 lead over the Pacers. In that run, Melvin collected two kills and a service ace with Ashlyn Haynie having one kill. 

The Trojans and Pacers battled back and forth in the second set, exchanging pairs of points, as both took advantage of any and all opportunities. With the Pacers at a 22-20 lead, an USCA attacking error and a kill by Reisinger, the Trojans tied it at 22-points a piece.

A kill by Rachel Clark and Anna Sommer of USCA, the score was tied at 23-23. A Pacer kill and block won them the set two 25-23.

Tied at 1-1 each in sets won, the third set saw neither team take a lead bigger than four over each other. Each team fought hard to prevent runs from the other. The Pacers took a 25-22 win in set three.

Set four the Pacers won 25-18 after a couple of late game runs. The Trojans responded with some runs of their own on kills and aces by Melvin, kills by Reisinger, and ace by Breanna Tanton, but it wasn't enough in the 3-1 loss to the Pacers.

Against Augusta, the Trojans fell in straight sets to the Jaguars in the teams' fifth ever meeting.  Melvin led the team in kills with nine as Carolina Sheaffer collected her first 20-plus dig performance of the season (28), only four off from tying her career-high.

Tanton and Lyndsay Reid each tallied double-digit assists, with Tanton totaling 16 and Reid collecting 12.

The Trojans were close to taking a set against the Jaguars in the second, after tying it in multiple instances in the set. The Trojans had brought themselves within one point of the Jags on a kill by Reisinger and a Jaguar attacking error (23-22).

An attacking error gave the Jags a 24-22 lead, but a service error gave the ball right back to the Trojans at 24-23. A bad set called on the Trojans yielded the second set to Augusta, 25-23.

The Trojans started set three on a 5-1 run, backed on kills by Reisinger from Tanton and a handful of Jaguar mishaps (two bad sets and two attacking errors). UMO led by as much as eight over the AU in the third set.

A 5-0 run at the 12-9 mark gave the Trojans a 17-9 lead. Tanton led the charge for the Trojans in that run totaling two assists and a service ace. Reisinger also secured a kill in the run.

The Jaguars took a 21-19 lead over the Trojans, with Melvin keeping the Trojans in the battle with timely kills. Melvin scored the last three points for the Trojans in the loss. UMO would fall 25-21 in the last set, to fall 3-0 to the Jags.

Mount Olive competes against Carson-Newman tomorrow at 11 a.m. on the last day of the USCA Invitational in Aiken, S.C.