MOUNT OLIVE — The University of Mount Olive men's volleyball team delivered a commanding performance on its home court Saturday afternoon, sweeping Lees-McRae in straight sets (25-17, 25-20, 25-16) inside Kornegay Arena.

The Trojans controlled the match from the opening serve, using a balanced offensive attack and strong play at the net to secure the three-set victory. Mount Olive hit an efficient .267 as a team while holding Lees-McRae to just a .037 hitting percentage.

Mount Olive set the tone early in the first set, jumping out to a quick lead behind the play of Maksim Kazanov and Brooks Ignosci. A dominant run midway through the set helped the Trojans build separation before closing out a 25-17 win.

The second set proved to be more competitive, with multiple ties throughout. Trailing late, Mount Olive responded with a key scoring run fueled by Kazanov and Kory Grant to regain control. The Trojans capitalized on Lees-McRae errors down the stretch to secure a 25-20 set victory and take a 2-0 match lead.

In the third set, Mount Olive once again found its rhythm offensively. After a brief back-and-forth start, the Trojans used a decisive run behind strong serving and efficient attacking to pull away. Ignosci and Matthew Ekberg played key roles in the final stretch as Mount Olive closed out the match with a 25-16 win.

Kazanov led the Trojans with an efficient performance on the attack, while Ignosci and Ekberg added key offensive contributions. Jackson Lahey directed the offense effectively, helping Mount Olive total 28 assists as a team.

Mount Olive returns home Tuesday to face Barton, hosting the Bulldogs in Kornegay Arena with first serve set for 7 p.m.