Box score
BANNER ELK, N.C. --- The Lees-McRae College
women's volleyball team posted 12 service aces and seven blocks en
route to a three-set sweep of Mount Olive College on Friday night
in Conference Carolinas action.
Lees-McRae (4-6, 2-0 CC) won the match by scores of 25-20,
25-20, and 25-16, holding Mount Olive (4-5, 1-1 CC) to a -.042
hitting percentage while attacking at a .207 clip of its own.
Senior Megan Epperson (St. John, Ind.) paced the Bobcats with a
match-high 10 kills, while Taylor Clendenin (Statesville, N.C.) and
Lauren Fox (Garland, Texas) added seven and six kills,
respectively. Megan Mitchell (Minden, Nev.) posted a match-high 26
assists, while Sariah Suryadevara (Cincinnati, Ohio) and Clendenin
added contest-bests of 10 digs and four service aces,
respectively.
Carly White led the way for Mount Olive with eight kills on 20
swings, as Destiny Ma'ave-Kuewa added 13 assists. Lauren Lee
chipped in 10 digs, while Dezirae Mackey added four kills.
Lees-McRae started strong in the first set, opening an early
10-4 lead before pushing the margin to 14-5 on a well-placed dump
by Mitchell. After the Bobcats stretched the margin to 17-7, Mount
Olive stormed back with a 10-5 run, cutting the lead to 22-17 on a
service ace by Charnel Austin. The Trojans would then cut the lead
to 23-20 with a 3-1 spurt before the Bobcats responded, closing out
the set with back-to-back points.
The second set proved to be a tightly contested affair, as
neither team gained more than a three-point advantage until midway
through the frame, when the Bobcats went on a 5-1 run to claim a
20-15 lead on a service ace by Dana Oliver (Davie, Fla.). Mount
Olive stayed within striking distance for the duration of the set,
cutting the lead to 20-17 before the Bobcats responded, closing out
the frame with a 5-3 spurt that was capped by an Epperson kill.
Lees-McRae battled through the early moments of the third set,
rallying from a 3-1 deficit to claim a 12-8 advantage on three
straight Clendenin aces to cap a 5-0 run. The Bobcats continued to
dictate play over the next several plays, pushing the margin to
19-10 with a 7-2 run that was capped by a Mitchell service ace.
Mount Olive answered with a 4-1 spurt, closing the gap to 20-14
before the Bobcats regained control, closing out the set and the
match on a Fox kill to cap a 5-2 spurt.
The Bobcats return to the court on Saturday, hosting Barton
College, University of North Carolina at Pembroke, and Concord
University in a set of five scheduled matches. Lees-McRae will take
on Barton in conference play at 11 a.m. to kick off the day,
followed by Barton vs. UNC Pembroke at 1 p.m., and the Bobcats
against UNC Pembroke at 3 p.m. Pembroke will then square off
against Concord at 5 p.m., as the Bobcats wrap up with the day with
a 7:30 p.m. match against Concord.
- LMC -
