NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. -- Zach Puentes tallied 17 kills and Jibriel Elhaddad added a career-high 11 kills and three blocks, leading top-seeded Belmont Abbey to a 3-0 (25-19, 25-15, 25-23) victory over No. 4 Mount Olive in the semifinals of the Conference Carolinas Men's Volleyball Tournament.

The Crusaders improve to 20-4 on the season, while the Trojans complete their campaign at 17-10. 

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Joseph Morris dished out 34 assists, while adding eight digs and a team-high four blocks.
• Matthew Staskunas registered seven kills and a team-high nine digs. He also served all three of the Crusaders' aces.
• Belmont Abbey hit .416 as a team (46k-9e-89a), while limiting the Trojans to a .250 hitting percentage.
• The first two sets saw The Abbey hit its way to a 2-0 lead with percentages of .379 and .650.
• In the third set, the Crusaders led 18-14, but saw UMO score seven straight points for a 21-18 advantage. But The Abbey closed out the match with seven of the next nine points.

UP NEXT

• Belmont Abbey faces No. 2 seed North Greenville in tomorrow's championship match. It starts at 6:30 at the North Charleston Athletic Center.
• The teams split the two meetings during the regular-season, each winning 3-1 at home.
• The tournament winner earns an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament April 30 - May 4 in Long Beach, Calif.