MOUNT OLIVE – The University of Mount Olive men's volleyball team dropped a four-set decision to Emmanuel (Ga.) on Senior Day, falling 3-1 (25-22, 25-20, 22-25, 27-25) Saturday afternoon inside Kornegay Arena.

Mount Olive (14-8, 11-3 Conference Carolinas) battled throughout the afternoon, highlighted by a strong third-set response and a tightly contested fourth set that came down to the final points.

The Lions edged the Trojans in the opening set before building momentum with a second-set victory to take a 2-0 lead.

The Trojans answered in the third set, turning in their most efficient offensive frame of the match with a .324 hitting percentage to extend the contest. Mount Olive recorded 15 kills in the set while committing just three errors, showcasing a balanced attack to pull within 2-1.

In the fourth, both teams traded points in a back-and-forth battle that featured nine ties and multiple lead changes. Despite pushing the set beyond the 25-point mark, Mount Olive was unable to close it out as Emmanuel secured the final points to claim the match.

Offensively, Matthew Ekberg led the Trojans with 17 kills, while Kory Grant added 15 on a .364 hitting percentage. Jackson Lahey dished out 21 assists, and Luca Colombo anchored the defense with a match-high 18 digs.

With the regular season now complete, Mount Olive has secured the No. 2 seed in the 2026 Conference Carolinas Men's Volleyball Championship, earning a first-round bye into the semifinal round. The Trojans will await their opponent as they look to make a deep postseason run.