CHARLESTON, WV – The University of Mount Olive men's volleyball team secured its first win of the 2026 season Friday afternoon, sweeping Daemen University in straight sets (25-18, 25-14, 25-23) in the UC Invitational hosted by the University of Charleston.

The Trojans put together a balanced and efficient performance, hitting .273 as a team while limiting Daemen to a .076 attack percentage in the match. Mount Olive controlled the tempo throughout, particularly in the opening two sets, before closing out a tightly contested third set to complete the sweep.

Brooks Ignosci and Kory Grant led the offense for UMO leading with 11 kills each, Grant also tallied four digs and three service aces. Setter Jackson Lahey directed the offense with 31 assists, while libero Luca Colombo anchored the back row with 10 digs. 

The Trojans also totaled 6.5 team blocks and held Daemen a .160 and -.033 hitting percentage in the first and second sets, respectively. 

Mount Olive jumped out early in the first set and never trailed, using a strong service run to build separation en route to a 25-18 win. A 11-3 run by the Trojans sparked by tandem duo of Grant and Matthew Ekberg were all UMO needed to vault ahead early and take the set.

The Trojans were even more dominant in the second set, hitting .318 and cruising to a 25-14 victory. Daemen pushed back in the third, but Mount Olive remained composed late, closing the match with a 25-23 decision to seal the straight-set win.

The victory marks a milestone for the Trojans as they move into the win column for the first time this season and build momentum heading into the remainder of their nonconference slate.

Mount Olive will face McKendree tomorrow at 2 p.m. in the final game of the UC Invitational.