MOC sports previews

Published in Sports on October 5, 2004 1:55 PM

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MOC volleyball team back on the road vs. Shaw

Over the weekend, the Mount Olive College volleyball team took a 12-hour bus trip to compete in a tournament in Pennsylvania. Tonight, the team will make a considerably shorter road trip as the Trojans head to Raleigh to face Shaw in non-conference action. Match time is 6 p.m.

Mount Olive (15-7) posted a 3-2 record at the Holiday Inn Classic at Clarion, Pa. The Trojans lost in the semifinals to tournament host and regional power Clarion. In the first round of bracket play, Mount Olive recorded the second-highest hitting percentage in Division II history in a three-game match. Against Lycoming, the Trojans tallied 46 kills and only two errors in 63 attempts for a .698 hitting percentage. The all-time Division II record is .729.

Junior outside hitter Heidi Busch extended her streak to 24 consecutive matches with 10 or more kills. Last week's Carolinas-Virginia Athletics Conference Volleyball Player of the Week ranks eighth in the nation and first in the CVAC in kills per game with a 5.16 average. Freshman outside hitter Sam Mitchell ranks fifth in the CVAC with 3.44 kills per game. Sophomore outside hitter Anna Luft, whose .416 hitting percentage leads the CVAC, is questionable for tonight's match as she nurses an ankle injury.

In last year's meeting, Mount Olive won at Shaw in three games. Shaw (4-6) is coming off a five-game victory over Winston-Salem State last Thursday.

Men's soccer -- Trojans to host Coker

The Mount Olive College men's soccer team hopes to remain perfect in conference play as the Trojans play host to Coker Wednesday in Carolinas-Virginia Athletics Conference men's soccer. Match time is 4 p.m. at Trojan Field.

Mount Olive (9-2-0 overall, 5-0-0 CVAC) is the lone remaining unbeaten and untied team in the CVAC after defeating Belmont Abbey 2-0 Saturday.

Eastern Wayne graduate Cory Worrell scored both goals for the Trojans, breaking a scoreless tie in the 29th minute and adding an insurance goal with less than five minutes remaining in the match. Worrell has 15 goals this season and ranks in the top five in the nation in goals and points per game. Senior midfielder Warren Atkins, who assisted on both goals Saturday, is tied for second in the nation in assists per game. He leads the CVAC in assists with 12, while teammates Reid Clewis and Erik Small are tied for second with six apiece.

Coker (0-4-1, 0-2-1) is coming off a 5-0 loss to Queens Saturday. Coker defeated Mount Olive 3-2 in last year's meeting.

Mount Olive is currently in second place behind Queens in the points standings in the conference. The conference awards three points for a conference win and one point for a tie. Queens (6-0-1) leads the CVAC with 19 points, followed by the Trojans with 15 points.

Women's soccer --

Set to start new streak

What do you tell your team after you have a school-record winning streak come to an end? Mount Olive College head women's soccer coach Chris Shaw told his team to start a new streak.

Mount Olive will try to start a new winning streak Wednesday as the Trojans play host to Coker in Carolinas-Virginia Athletics Conference women's soccer. Match time is 2 p.m. at Trojan Field.

Mount Olive (9-2-0 overall, 4-2-0 CVAC) had its eight-match winning streak come to an Saturday as the Trojans fell to conference leader Belmont Abbey 1-0 Saturday. Sophomore forward Melanie Cobb, who ranks in the top 10 in the nation in goals and points per game, had scored at least one goal in seven consecutive matches prior to Saturday. The Trojans have already eclipsed its school record for most wins in a season and is one win away from most conference wins in a season. The Trojans won four conference matches in 2000.

Coker (0-6-2, 0-3-0) is coming off a 3-1 loss to Queens Friday. Coker defeated Mount Olive 6-0 in last year's meeting.