MOUNT OLIVE – The University of Mount Olive women's volleyball team dropped a five-set thriller to Lees-McRae on Saturday afternoon at Kornegay Arena, falling 3-2 (23-25, 15-25, 25-18, 28-26, 15-12).
The Trojans (9-12, 5-8 Conference Carolinas) opened the match with a strong first set, edging the Bobcats 25-23 before carrying that momentum into the second set with a convincing 25-15 victory to take a 2-0 lead.
Lees-McRae (7-15, 7-6 Conference Carolinas) responded in the third set, claiming a 25-18 win to extend the match. Mount Olive battled through a tightly contested fourth set, which featured multiple lead changes and extended rallies, but the Bobcats pulled away late to take a 28-26 decision and force a fifth set.
In the decisive set, the Trojans continued to battle, but Lees-McRae secured the 15-12 victory to complete the comeback.
Kaitlyn Koel led Mount Olive with 11 kills, while Rachel Clark added 10 kills and Danielle Parker contributed eight kills on an efficient .467 hitting percentage. Olivia Melvin also recorded eight kills, and Lyndsay Reid paced the offense with 42 assists. Kacey Gore anchored the defensive effort with 30 digs, while Marleigh Cooper added 27 digs.
The Trojans will return to action Monday, Oct. 13, traveling to Pembroke, North Carolina, to face UNC Pembroke. First serve is scheduled for 6 p.m.
