Mount Olive College digest

Published in Sports on October 14, 2005 2:10 PM

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Women's volleyball

The Mount Olive women's volleyball team returns to the site of its first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance as the Trojans travel to Lock Haven, Pa., to compete in the Lock Haven University Classic.

Mount Olive, ranked No. 8 in the Atlantic Region, takes on regionally sixth-ranked Edinboro (Pa.) today at 3 p.m., then faces top-ranked and nationally 19th-ranked Lock Haven at 7 p.m. Saturday, the Trojans face West Chester (Pa.) at 1 p.m. and conclude tournament play at 5 p.m. against Kutztown (Pa.).

Mount Olive (15-4) has won 14 of its last 16 matches, but is coming off a five-game loss at Converse Sunday, the Trojans' first loss this season in Carolinas-Virginia Athletics conference play. Mount Olive had a two-game lead in the match.

Senior outside hitter Heidi Busch enters this weekend ranked No. 15 on the NCAA II all-time kills list with 2,180 career kills. Busch is 10 kills away from moving into 14th place.

Mount Olive was the No. 6 seed in the Atlantic Regional of last year's NCAA II Women's Volleyball Championship at Lock Haven. The Trojans fell to No. 3 seed Indiana (Pa.) in the first round. Top-seeded Lock Haven won the regional to advance to the national finals.

Notes: Mount Olive plays its first home match since September 24 Tuesday against conference leader Lees-McRae...Lock Haven will be the second nationally-ranked opponent Mount Olive faces this season. The Trojans played No. 12 Florida Southern in September.

Men's soccer

Mount Olive's men's soccer match Saturday is significant in that it's a rematch of last year's conference tournament championship game. It's even more significant as a crucial conference and regional match-up.

Nationally 23rd-ranked Mount Olive plays its first home match in two weeks as the Trojans play host to Belmont Abbey in Carolinas-Virginia Athletics Conference men's soccer Saturday at Trojan Field. Match time is 3 p.m.

Mount Olive (10-3-1 overall, 5-1-0 CVAC) is coming off a 7-0 non-conference win at Chowan Wednesday. Junior Brian Fitzmaurice, who scored the game-winning goal in last Saturday's historic win Queens, recorded his first collegiate hat trick Wednesday.

Mount Olive enters this weekend in third place in the points standings in the CVAC, but is one of three teams with only one conference loss. Mathematically, the Trojans can clinch at least a share of the CVAC regular season title if they win their remaining four conference matches.

Belmont Abbey (5-8-1, 4-2-0) is coming off a 4-1 non-conference loss Wednesday against Catawba. Last Saturday, the Crusaders defeated regionally eighth-ranked St. Andrews 2-0.

The Trojans defeated Belmont Abbey twice in 2004, both by shutout and both on the Crusaders' home field. Mount Olive defeated Belmont Abbey 1-0 in the championship game of last season's CVAC Tournament.

Saturday's match also has implications in the Southeast Region. Mount Olive is ranked No. 3 in this week's poll. Three teams from the region advance to the NCAA II Tournament in November.

Notes: Seven of Mount Olive's 10 wins have been by shutout...USC-Upstate, ranked No. 1 in the region, recorded its second consecutive tie, battling regionally fifth-ranked Lander to a 1-1 tie Wednesday...Queens defeated Lees-McRae 2-0 Wednesday. Lees-McRae, which owns wins over regional powers Clayton State and UNC Pembroke, is ranked No. 4 in the Southeast Region.

Women's soccer

The Mount Olive women's soccer team's sophomores and juniors own a win over every Carolinas-Virginia Athletics Conference team except for one. Saturday, they'll have an opportunity to complete the cycle.

After a one-week break, Mount Olive returns to action Saturday as the Trojans play host to Belmont Abbey in Carolinas-Virginia Athletics Conference women's soccer. Match time is 1 p.m. at Trojan Field.

Mount Olive (10-5-0 overall, 6-1-0 CVAC) is coming off a come-from-behind 3-2 victory at Queens last Saturday. Conference scoring leader Gina Dos Santos scored the tying goal in the 72nd minute and Jessica Smoot followed with the game-winner six minutes later.

The win was the Trojans' sixth in their last seven matches, the only loss coming against regional top 10 Wingate.

Belmont Abbey (11-4-0, 6-1-0) had its eight-match winning streak snapped Tuesday in a 2-1 non-conference loss to Presbyterian. The Crusaders are ranked No. 6 in the Southeast Region.

Mount Olive and Belmont Abbey join Pfeiffer in a three-way tie for second place in the CVAC standings, a half-game behind first-place Barton.

Mount Olive fell 1-0 at Belmont Abbey last year. The Trojans went on to win their remaining regular season CVAC matches, as well as win the CVAC Tournament.

Notes: Mount Olive is 1-1 this season against regionally-ranked teams. The Trojans defeated No. 8 Pfeiffer 3-0 in September...Pfeiffer handed Barton its first conference loss of the season this week. Barton entered the week ranked No. 1 in the region and No. 10 in the nation...Mount Olive's sophomore class has a 17-3-0 record against CVAC opponents.

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