CVAC volleyball - Trojans come up short on Senior Day

By MOC Sports Information
Published in Sports on October 16, 2006 1:46 PM

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MOUNT OLIVE -- Mount Olive seniors Anna-Marie Luft and Nikki Murphy celebrated Senior Day with career performances, but an improbable comeback came up short as the Trojajns fell to regionally sixth-ranked Converse 30-28, 30-20, 30-32, 27-30, 15-10 in Carolinas-Virginia Athletics Conference volleyball Sunday at Kornegay Arena.

Luft recorded career highs of 23 kills and 23 digs, while Murphy finished with 31 digs, her second-highest single-match dig total. Lauren Mueller led Converse with match highs of 26 kills and seven blocks.

Mount Olive (7-15 overall, 6-8 CVAC) fought off a pair of game points in game one after a kill and a service ace by Sam Mitchell, who shared team-high honors with 23 kills. But Converse (15-8, 10-4) held on for the win in the first game, then broke open a close contest in game two to take a two-game lead.

The Trojans trailed by as many as six points in game three and was still down 26-21 when Mitchell recorded kills on four consecutive points on Murphy's service during a 5-0 run to tie the game. Converse came back to take a 29-27 lead, but the Trojans fought off two match points on a double block by Racey Bartley and Joanie Werling, followed by a kill by Alicia Mote. After a side out gave Converse another match point, Luft tied the game at 30-30 with a kill, then combined with Corie Skislak on a block to set up game point for the Trojans. Mount Olive won the next point on a Converse overpass.

Luft recorded three early kills in game four as Mount Olive jumped out to a 5-0 lead. Converse chipped away at the lead and Mueller's block put the All-Stars on top 14-13. Leading 21-19, Converse appeared to be on its way to a win as Brittney Ogez's service run extended the All-Stars' lead to 27-19. But after a Trojan side out, Mallory Peavler went on a 10-point service run to close out the game. Peavler served a pair of aces and Skislak's block tied the game at 27-27. Mitchell's kill put Mount Olive back on top and after a Converse error, Luft's kill capped an 11-0 run and forced a fifth game.

The Trojans led 9-5 in game five after a block by Luft and a kill by Mote, but this time it would be Converse that would go on a run to seal the win. Sarah Javdan-Inalloo's kill put Converse ahead to stay at 11-10 as the All-Stars scored the final seven points of the match, the last six coming on Baye Williamson's serve.

Werling finished with a career-high 60 assists for Mount Olive, while Bartley and Mote tallied nine kills apiece. Defensively, Peavler established a career high with 23 digs, while Mitchell added 21 digs. Peavler also served a match-high three aces.

Javdan-Inalloo tallied 19 kills for Converse, while Melanie Wallace added 12 kills and a match-high 33 digs. Michelle Sloan added 22 digs and Allison Ralston finished with 41 assists.

Mount Olive plays its final six regular season matches on the road, starting Tuesday with a CVAC contest at Coker. Match time is 6:30 p.m. at Hartsville, S.C. Converse heads to Wilson today at 6:30 p.m. to take on Barton in CVAC action.