MOUNT OLIVE, N.C. --- Junior Brady Markle cranked out a match-high 19 kills, but the Lees-McRae men's volleyball squad fell 14-25, 25-20, 20-25, 12-25 in a Conference Carolinas match against Mount Olive Friday evening at the Kornegay Arena in Mount Olive, N.C.
The Trojans (10-8, 8-5 CC) used a strong offensive attack by hitting better than .520 in all but one set while a trio of players had at least 10 kills. The Bobcats' (2-12, 1-9) Markle (York, Pa.) has amassed 19 or more kills on four occasions this season.
Consecutive kills from Victor Fraga Leal followed by back-to-back aces from Bret Rutledge sparked a 4-0 Trojan run, 8-4, in the opening set.
A trio of Markle kills shaved the deficit to three, 12-9.
UMO stretched the lead out eight, 18-10, after a 6-1 run.
The Trojans hit .556 in the opening frame.
Sophomore Rudy Klaas (Dakar, Senegal) jumpstarted LMC's offense in the second with a service ace and block assist.
Trailing by two, the Bobcats dominated the rest of the set thanks to a 9-2 run, while John Sobel (Holbrook, N.Y.) and Keenan Freitas (Mountain View, Hawaii) notched a kill each.
Drew Blecher (York, Pa.) dished out four assists in the run and finished with 33 on the evening.
LMC suffocated UMO's offense by holding it to a -.067 clip.
The third set was a see-saw battle while both teams exchanged kills for a good portion of the set.
The Trojans broke away from a 17-all tie with a 4-0 run and used strong play from Andrew Sydow. Sydow cranked out a kill and block assist.
Markle contributed a kill, but UMO was able to stave off the rally thanks to a service ace and Bobcat service error.
LMC swung at a team-best .296 clip in the set.
The Trojans led wire-to-wire and hit a match-high .622 while claiming the final set.
Sobel finished with nine kills while Freitas led both squads with eight digs.
LMC travels to Wilson, N.C. to battle Barton at 2 p.m. Saturday, March 21.
- LMC -
