MOC men's volleyball team repeats as conference regular-season champ

By Rudy Coggins
Published in Sports on April 3, 2011 1:51 AM

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MOC Sports Information

MOUNT OLIVE -- Back-to-back champions.

Angel Dache pounded out 15 kills and Mount Olive College successfully defended its Conference Carolinas men's regular-season volleyball crown with a 25-23, 25-17, 17-25, 25-21 conquest of in-state archrival Lees-McRae on Saturday afternoon.

The Trojans (19-6 overall, 7-0 CC) earned the right to host the winner-take-all championship match on April 21. MOC concludes conference play at home Friday against King (Tenn.) College.

Benedikt Schirmers added 12 kills and three service aces in the four-set affair contested inside Kornegay Arena. Adam Miracle chipped in nine kills and seven digs defensively. Jackson Mettechecchi passed out 44 assists and emerged the defensive standout with nine digs.

Chad Mercado led the Bobcats with 15 kills.

Mount Olive grabbed a 17-12 lead in the opening set behind strong play from Tim Ebbecke, Miracle and Schirmers. The Bobcats rallied to within a single point behind kills from Chris Flood and Randy Ramirez, and two Trojan attack errors.

Dache closed out the set with a kill.

Schirmers and Dache sparked a three-point run in the second set. Mercado, an all-conference performer last season, pulled L-MC within 18-16. Mount Olive reeled off four consecutive points on kills from Miracle, Dache and John Nunns.

The Bobcats took the third set.

Tied at 17-17 in the fourth set, Schirmers and Dache combined for three kills to push MOC ahead 20-17. L-MC climbed to within 21-20, but a double-block from Dache and Nunns silenced the surge.

The Trojans tallied four of the final five points, including Metechecchi's kill on match point, to retain their regular-season title.