University of Mount Olive

MOUNT OLIVE – The University of Mount Olive women's volleyball team dropped a pair of hard-fought matches Saturday as the Trojans closed out the 2026 Pickle Invitational at Kornegay Arena.

Mount Olive opened the final day of the tournament against Wingate before facing Fayetteville State in the final match of the invitational.
Against the Bulldogs, the Trojans fell 3-1, dropping the match by set scores of 25-19, 25-21, 19-25 and 25-17. Mount Olive battled back in the third set to extend the match, recording 15 kills while hitting .343 in the frame.

Kaitlyn Landis led the Trojans offensively with 13 kills, while Olivia Melvin added nine kills. Kaitlyn Koel contributed seven kills, and Danielle Parker recorded six while posting a team-high .500 hitting percentage.
Lyndsay Reid paced Mount Olive with 22 assists, while Kacey Gore anchored the defensive effort with 25 digs. The Trojans finished the match with 76 total digs.

In the final match of the Pickle Invitational, the Trojans battled Fayetteville State in a five-set thriller but came up just short in a 3-2 loss.
After dropping the opening set 25-18, Mount Olive responded with a strong performance in the second set, rallying to earn a 26-24 victory and even the match. Fayetteville State regained the advantage with a narrow 25-23 win in the third set, putting the Trojans one set away from defeat.

Mount Olive refused to go away, however, mounting another comeback in the fourth set. The Trojans once again edged the Broncos by a 26-24 score to force a decisive fifth set.

The Trojans continued to battle in the final frame and narrowed the deficit late, but Fayetteville State held on for a 15-11 victory to claim
the match.

Olivia Melvin led Mount Olive with 12 kills, while Kaitlyn Landis, Naomi Hill and Kaitlyn Koel each added nine kills in the five-set battle.

The Trojans will look to bounce back as they return to Kornegay Arena for their next contest against UNC Pembroke on Wednesday, Sept. 9. First serve is scheduled for 6 p.m.