BRISTOL, Tenn. – The third seeded King University men's volleyball team dropped the first two sets of their Conference Carolinas Men's Volleyball Championship quarterfinal match to sixth seed University of Mount Olive. However, the Tornado came storming back to win the final three sets and take the match 3-2 following a 15-13 fifth-set victory.
THE BASICS
FINAL SCORE: No. 3 King 3, No. 6 Mount Olive 2(15-25, 23-25, 25-22, 25-21, 15-13)
LOCATION: Student Center Complex; Bristol, Tenn.
RECORDS: King 14-15; Mount Olive 11-17
HOW IT HAPPENED
First Set
- King jumped ahead early as an Aaron Milstead kill gave the Tornado a 4-2 advantage.
- However, the Trojans came back and gained a 12-8 advantage following a 4-0 run.
- Mount Olive later scored eight straight points to take a 21-10 lead at the Trojans took the set 25-15.
Second Set
- King jumped out to a 6-1 lead following a 5-0 spurt that was capped by a block from Jackson Carroll and Kellan Kennedy.
- The Tornado withstood a Mount Olive run and held the advantage around four points for the majority of the set.
- However, the Trojans closed with a 6-0 run to take the set 25-23.
Third Set
- The Tornado again grabbed the early lead and extended the lead to 12-9 on back-to-back kills from Kennedy and Warren Davis.
- Carroll extended the King lead to 23-18 before the Trojans made one final run.
- Davis ended the spurt with a kill and gave King a chance at set point with a kill as the Tornado took the set 25-22.
Fourth Set
- A block from Carroll and Kennedy followed by a Davis kill gave King an early 5-1 lead.
- Mount Olive came back to take a 7-6 lead before the teams traded points.
- A Milstead kill and Trojan attack error evened the tally at 17 before King took a 19-18 lead following a Milstead kill and ace.
- After two Mount Olive points, King scored five straight points to take a 24-20 lead.
- Davis then gave King the 25-21 win with a kill.
Fifth Set
- A block from Kennedy and Davis followed by a Davis kill gave King the first two points of the set.
- The Tornado held that advantage and led 9-5 following a Milstead kill and block from Davis and Milstead.
- Mount Olive came back and pulled within 10-9 as the teams traded points.
- A Milstead kill gave King a chance at match point before a Davis kill gave King the 15-13 win, taking the match 3-2.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- Davis led King with 26 kills and 12 digs while Milstead followed with 12 kills.
- Jack Sarnowski handed out 52 assists and added 13 digs.
- Justin Sawyer led the back row with 17 digs while Kennedy paced the front row with five blocks.
FOR THE FOES
- Tate Sandvig led Mount Olive with 18 kills while Hayden Frear added 15 kills.
- Justin Gregory chipped in with 14 kills.
- Trevor Tresor led the back row with 32 digs.
- Jackson Lahey handed out 50 assists and added 10 digs.
BEYOND THE BOX SCORE
- The 17 digs for Sawyer set a career-high.
- Davis also set a career-high with 26 kills. It is also his fifth match this season with at least 20 kills and second straight.
UP NEXT
- The Tornado will take on second seed Erskine College in the second semifinal on Friday night at 7:30 p.m. in the Student Center Complex.
