MOC volleyball remains unbeaten
By MOC Sports Information
Published in Sports on September 26, 2009 11:12 PM
MOUNT OLIVE -- Racey Bartley and Alicia Mote shared match-high honors with 17 kills apiece to help Mount Olive rally from two sets down and fight off five match points to outlast Lees-McRae 10-25, 17-25, 25-23, 25-23, 21-19 in Conference Carolinas women's volleyball Friday at Kornegay Arena.
The win moved Mount Olive into sole possession of first place in the Conference Carolinas standings and left the Trojans as the lone remaining team unbeaten in conference play. Mount Olive and Lees-McRae entered Friday's contest tied for the conference lead.
The Trojans are off to their best start in conference play since 2005, when they got off to a 10-0 start in the conference. Mount Olive won the regular season title that year with a 19-1 mark.
Mount Olive (5-12 overall, 5-0 Conference Carolinas) trailed 14-11 in the fifth set before a Lees-McRae service error saved one match point. Mote's attack on the next point went long and began to trigger a Lees-McRae celebration, but the ball had been tipped by a front row player and the Trojans were still in the match. Mount Olive tied the set on a Bobcat attacking error and Bartley's kill gave the Trojans their first match point, but Whitney Justice's kill kept Lees-McRae alive.
Lees-McRae (9-5, 4-1) fought off two Mount Olive match points and had a chance to serve for the match after Justine Congdon's ace gave the Bobcats an 18-17 lead. But Mote's kill saved a match point and after a Lees-McRae side out, Kailey Preece's kill saved another match point.
Bartley's kill put Mount Olive back on top 20-19 and a Lees-McRae cross-court attack from the left side went just wide to give Mount Olive the dramatic victory.
A Trojan victory, let alone a five-set match, didn't seem likely in the early going as Mount Olive recorded a .024 hitting percentage in the first two sets. Lees-McRae served 10 of its 20 aces in the first two sets, including seven by Megan Epperson. Epperson finished with a match-high 10 aces.
Skislak finished with 10 kills to go with two aces for Mount Olive. Mote served a team-high three aces and completed a double-double with 12 digs, while Christiane Maul added 11 digs. Maul and Preece had three blocks apiece.
Justice led three Lees-McRae players in double figures with 16 kills and added a match-high six blocks. Epperson had 13 kills for a double-double of her own, while Taylor Clendenin added 12 kills. Megan Mitchell finished with 42 assists, while Luana Rocha led all players with 14 digs.
Mount Olive returns to action Saturday as the Trojans play host to Belmont Abbey in a Conference Carolinas match-up. Match time is 2 p.m. at Kornegay Arena. Lees-McRae travels to Barton Saturday at 2 p.m. in a Conference Carolinas contest.