MOUNT OLIVE, N.C. – The King University women's volleyball team took their first Conference Carolinas win of the season in impressive fashion on Friday night. The Tornado swept the University of Mount Olive behind a balanced attack from Kayley Holtzclaw and Julie Ward.

THE BASICS
FINAL SCORE: King 3, Mount Olive 0 (25-20, 25-23, 25-16)
LOCATION: Kornegay Arena; Mount Olive, N.C.
RECORDS: King 9-6, 1-1 Conference Carolinas; Mount Olive 2-11, 0-3 Conference Carolinas

HOW IT HAPPENED

First Set

• The Tornado grabbed the lead early and gradually extended their advantage to 7-3 following kill from Rebekah Hill.
• However, the Trojans started to chip away at their deficit, eventually evening the tally at 18.
• King answered with a 4-0 run to gain separation down the stretch, started by an Abby Anderson kill.
• Remi Thele gave King the 25-20 win and capped the 5-1 spurt that closed the set with one of her five kills in the match.

Second Set

• Mount Olive had the advantage in the early going of the second set, but the Tornado went on a 5-0 run, capped by a Victoria Gause kill to gain an 11-8 advantage.
• The Tornado stretched their lead to 18-13, but the Trojans came back to even the set at 20 before Holtzclaw responded.
• She got the offense going with a kill before Ward ended the 25-23 win with back-to-back kills.

Third Set

• That momentum carried over to the third set for King as they opened up a 4-0 lead behind a pair of kills from Thele.
• The lead stayed there before King scored four straight, opening up a commanding 18-11 lead following a Georgia Davis kill.
• King later scored the final five points of the set, taking the frame 25-16 behind a pair of Ward kills.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• Holtzclaw paced the King offense with 11 kills and hit .350 in the match.
• Ward matched those 11 kills and added 11 digs for the double-double.
• Anderson handed out 33 assists and added nine digs.
• Sydney Pigage led the defense with 13 digs.

FOR THE FOES

• Ania Keene led Mount Olive with six kills and eight digs.
• Kamber Skeen handed out 13 assists and Andrea Rivera-Reyes led the defense with 19 digs.

BEYOND THE BOX SCORE

• The double-double for Ward was her sixth of the season.

UP NEXT

• King stays on the road to take on Barton College in Wilson, N.C. at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday.
• Mount Olive hosts Lees-McRae College on Saturday.