FRANKLIN SPRINGS, Ga. – The University of Mount Olive women's volleyball team opened the 2026 season in impressive fashion Friday, earning a pair of 3-0 victories over Mars Hill and Fort Valley State at the Shaw Athletic Center.
The Trojans began the day with a sweep of Mars Hill, winning 25-22, 25-17 and 26-24 before returning to the court later in the day to defeat Fort Valley State by scores of 25-15, 28-26 and 25-22. The two victories give Mount Olive a 2-0 record to begin the season.
Against Mars Hill, Mount Olive received a balanced offensive effort, finishing with 48 kills and a .242 hitting percentage.
Olivia Melvin paced the attack with 13 kills, while
Kaitlyn Landis and
Danielle Parker each added 11.
Rachel Clark hit an impressive .467 with seven kills, while
Lyndsay Reid directed the offense with 30 assists.
The Trojans showed their resilience in the third set against the Lions. After Mars Hill built a late advantage, Mount Olive battled back to force a 24-24 tie before securing the final two points to complete the sweep.
Mount Olive carried that momentum into its second match of the day against Fort Valley State. The Trojans jumped out to a 25-15 victory in the opening set before taking the second set, 28-26, and closing out the match with a 25-22 third-set win.
Kaitlyn Landis and
Danielle Parker led Mount Olive with 11 kills apiece against Fort Valley State, while
Lyndsay Reid tallied 36 assists and four service aces. Landis also contributed 12.5 points, while
Kaitlyn Koel added eight kills and 10.5 points.
As a team, Mount Olive recorded 45 kills against Fort Valley State while hitting .211. The Trojans also registered nine service aces and 56 digs in the sweep.
With two sweeps on opening day, Mount Olive begins the season 2-0 and will look to continue its strong start when it returns to the court. The Trojans face Augusta in the final day of the Lions Den Invitational tomorrow at 12:30 p.m. at Shaw Athletic Center.
