BANNER ELK, N.C. --- Freshman Hector Serviat paced all players with 11 kills junior Keenan Freitas posted a match-high 11 digs while the Lees-McRae men's volleyball team was downed 18-25, 17-25, 28-30, by Mount Olive in Conference Carolinas action Friday evening at Williams Gymnasium in Banner Elk, N.C.
The Trojans (12-10, 11-6 CC) had four players with eight kills or more while Jeff Yasalonis dished out 34 assists. The Bobcats (1-23, 0-16) amassed 12 block assists.
Serviat (Miami, Fla.) clipped double digit kills for the third time this season.
Senior Drew Blecher (York, Pa.) contributed 26 assists.
A quartet of UMO players delivered a kill as part of an 11-4 run to open play.
The Trojans kept the lead at seven, 16-9, despite kills from Serviat and junior John Sobel (Holbrook, N.Y.).
Sobel turned in seven kills and a pair of digs.
LMC shaved the deficit to five, 21-16, following shaky play from UMO and an ace from Sobel.
The Trojans staved off the rally after a kill from Robert Poole and a block.
Both teams exchanged blows to begin the second set before consecutive kills from UMO's Ivan Trifunovic and a Bobcat setting error gave the visitors a 12-8 advantage.
LMC trailed 16-12 following a combined block from Mark Shayka (Hamilton, Va.), Rudy Klaas (Dakar, Senegal) and Blecher.
UMO responded with an 8-2 run and took advantage of a service error to conclude the set.
The final set proved to be an entertaining one while neither team never led by more than three.
The Trojans used a Trifunovic kill to take a 19-16 lead.
The match produced three 3-0 runs to tie it at 22.
UMO's Peyton Schirman caught fire and ripped of three kills while three different Bobcats produced a kill.
Kills from Shayka and Serviat put LMC up 27-26.
The Trojans finished the contest on a 4-1 run to conclude play.
Freitas (Hilo, Hawaii) had two assists and produced eight digs in the third.
LMC welcomes Barton for a CC tilt Saturday, April 9 at 2 p.m. in Williams Gym for Senior Day. Blecher will be honored prior to the contest.
- LMC -
