UMO rallies from 2-set deficit to defeat Emmanuel

By Rudy Coggins
Published in Sports on January 17, 2015 11:24 PM

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rcoggins@newsargus.com

MOUNT OLIVE -- Fortunate?

Yes.

Satisfied?

Not by any means.

University of Mount Olive overcame a two-set deficit to defeat Conference Carolinas newcomer Emmanuel (Ga.) College 25-18, 23-25, 22-25, 25-20, 15-7 inside Kornegay Arena on Saturday afternoon. Setters Tyler Yanez and Jeff Yasalonis combined to distribute 50 assists among seven hitters in the five-set affair.

Freshman Peyton Schirman recorded his second 15-kill outing of the season, including two kills and a service ace in the decisive fifth set. Teammates Andrew Sydow, Kian Hollevoet and Bret Rutledge provided 11 kills apiece.

"Very fortunate," Yanez said. "Obviously, we could have played better, but a win is a win no matter how you get it."

Yasalonis directed the Trojans' offense in the opening set. UMO fell behind 3-0, tied the set at 3-3 on Hollevoet's first kill of the match and kept the Lions (0-2 overall, 0-2 CC) within arm's length.

Freshman opposite Robert Poole tooled an Emmanuel solo block to give the Trojans their biggest advantage, 19-14. The teams traded a couple of sideouts before consecutive unforced errors by the Lions closed out the first set.

Coming off a three-set loss to Barton on Friday evening, Emmanuel fell behind 4-0 in the second set. A 7-1 run during the middle of the set put the Trojans on their heels and they needed another 11/2 sets to swing momentum back in their favor.

The Lions' hitters, who cranked out 55 kills on the day, found some seams to terminate points as the Trojans failed to close out blocks -- especially on the outside. Emmanuel recorded a combined 26 kills in the second and third sets, and appeared poised to claim a four-set win -- which would have been the program's first in four meetings against UMO.

"Once they start to see that I trust we are going to come back and they start to actually believe it, it makes a big, big difference," UMO head coach David Heller.

Two crucial solo blocks and Yanez's setter-dump kill energized the Trojans in the fourth set. The Lions closed to within three points on two occasions before Schirman answered with back-to-back kills to seal the set and even the match at 2-all.

UMO reeled off eight of the first nine points in the fifth set.

"We just stopped making stupid errors ... hitting the ball 30 feet out of bounds, hitting right in the middle of the net and hitting at the block," Yanez said. "(The fifth set) we played like we just know how to play. We play so much better when we're ahead.

"Once we're up, we feel like we're unstoppable."

The Trojans (2-1, 2-0) begin a five-game road swing Friday at conference nemesis Limestone, and are the guests of defending league tournament champion Erskine on Saturday.