Mount Olive College news

Published in Sports on September 28, 2004 1:55 PM

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MOC men to take on top-ranked UNCP

MOUNT OLIVE -- The Mount Olive College men's soccer team has spent the first month of the 2004 season charting new territory, including the program's best-ever start and first-ever regional ranking.

Wednesday's match at Trojan Field against nationally ranked UNC Pembroke could help the Trojans set a course for more uncharted waters -- like an NCAA playoff berth.

Regionally fifth-ranked Mount Olive puts its five-game winning streak on the line Wednesday as the Trojans play host to UNC Pembroke, ranked No. 1 in the region and No. 4 in the nation, in non-conference NCAA Division II men's soccer. Match time is 4 p.m. at Trojan Field.

Mount Olive (8-1-0) is coming off a wild 7-3 victory over Erskine Saturday as Eastern Wayne High School graduate Cory Worrell and freshman Chris Varela scored two goals apiece. Worrell, who ranks fourth in the nation in points per game, has already matched his goal-scoring total from last year with 13 goals. He has scored at least one goal in eight of the Trojans' nine matches this season. Junior Reid Clewis scored a goal and two assists Saturday to give him nine goals and five assists on the season. Senior Warren Atkins has 10 assists on the season, including five in his last three matches. Worrell, Clewis and Atkins hold down the top three spots in the Carolinas-Virginia Athletics Conference in total points.

UNC Pembroke (6-1-0) is coming off a 1-0 victory Saturday over nationally 14th-ranked Clayton College and State. The win came two days after UNCP was upset 3-1 by Division III Methodist, snapping the Braves' 14-match unbeaten streak dating back to last season. UNC Pembroke is led by Trond Myrland, with eight goals.

Mount Olive moved into sole possession of the No. 5 spot in this week's Adidas/NSCAA Southeast Region Division II Men's soccer rankings. The Trojans were tied with Queens at No. 5 last week. UNC Pembroke held on to the No. 1 position in the rankings. This week's national rankings will be announced later today.

In last year's meeting at Pembroke, Mount Olive jumped out to an early 1-0 lead before heavy rains forced the cancellation of the match and it was never rescheduled.

The top three teams from the Southeast Region at the end of the regular season advance to the NCAA II Tournament in November.

Volleyball Trojans

knock off Fayetteville State

MOUNT OLIVE -- Heidi Busch recorded 25 kills and 15 digs, while Anna Luft added a career-high 21 kills as Mount Olive College defeated Fayetteville State 30-23, 29-31, 30-18, 30-19 in non-conference volleyball Monday at College Hall.

The win is the sixth in a row for the Trojans.

Mount Olive (12-4) used three kills by Busch during a 6-2 run to erase an early deficit, but Fayetteville State (8-11) rallied as Shinicka Spears' ace tied the game 13-13. But back-to-back kills by Busch and Ashley Napoles broke the tie and the Trojans led the rest of the game. Luft served consecutive aces for the final two points of the game.

Mount Olive took an early lead in game two, but Fayetteville State went on an 8-2 run to take a 16-11 lead and never trailed again. Fayetteville State used solo and combination blocks by Amanda Flear and Edmonda Richards to thwart Mount Olive rallies as the Broncos built the lead to as many as six points. Trailing 28-23, Mount Olive used a pair of kills by Busch and a pair of hitting errors by Fayetteville State to tie the game 29-29. But FSU's Cassandra Peterson broke the tie with a kill and a Mount Olive attack attempt went long as Fayetteville evened the match at a game apiece.

In game three, Mount Olive jumped out to a 13-2 lead and the Trojans led by double figures most of the game. Fayetteville State got as close as eight points at 24-16, but Luft combined on a pair of double blocks to help the Trojans put the game away. Luft finished with three blocks.

After Fayetteville State scored the first point of game four, Mount Olive scored the next six and went on to build a 12-4 lead. Fayetteville State made a late rally to pull within 23-18, but Busch and Luft combined for five kills during a 7-1 run to close out the match.

Sam Mitchell added 14 kills and a match-high 16 digs for the Trojans, while Sara Christie recorded 45 assists. Fayetteville State was led by Peterson with nine kills and Flear with 22 assists, 10 digs and a match-high six blocks.

Mount Olive returns to action Tuesday evening as the Trojans head to Banner Elk to face six-time defending Carolinas-Virginia Athletics Conference champion Lees-McRae in a CVAC match-up. Match time is 6 p.m.