MOUNT OLIVEÂ - The University of Mount Olive women's volleyball team opened the 2026 Pickle Invitational with a split on Friday inside Kornegay Arena, earning a 3-1 victory over Georgia College before falling 3-1 to Coker.
Mount Olive opened the tournament with a strong performance against Georgia College, taking the match in four sets, 25-15, 18-25, 25-23, 25-20.
The Trojans were led offensively by Kaitlyn Landis, who recorded 10 kills, while
Olivia Melvin added 12 kills.
Kaitlyn Koel contributed nine kills, and
Lyndsay Reid directed the offense with 36 assists.
Defensively, Kacey Gore paced Mount Olive with 29 digs, while Koel added 12. The Trojans also recorded nine team blocks in the victory.
In the nightcap, Mount Olive battled Coker but came up short in four sets, falling 25-21, 25-17, 21-25 and 25-22.
Melvin led the Trojans with 16 kills, followed by Landis with nine and Rachel Clark with eight. Reid once again led the offense with 41 assists.
Gore anchored the Mount Olive defense with 21 digs, while Cooper added 22 digs and Koel finished with 22. The Trojans recorded 53 total digs in the match.
With the split, Mount Olive moves to 5-2 overall on the season.
The Trojans return to action on Saturday for the final day of the Pickle Invitational, facing Wingate at 1 p.m. before taking on Fayetteville State at 7 p.m. inside Kornegay Arena.
