FRANKLIN SPRINGS, Ga. – Augusta University volleyball closed out the Lions Den Invitational Saturday with its first win of the 2026 season, defeating Mount Olive 3-1. The Jaguars improved to 1-2 with the 25-23, 16-25, 25-13, 25-17 victory.
Augusta finished the match with 44 kills while hitting .202 and held Mount Olive to a .081 hitting percentage. The Jaguars also recorded 10 service aces and 7.0 team blocks.
Nikol Antova led Augusta with 11 kills, two aces and six digs. Angela Mateos turned in an efficient performance in the middle with six kills on 12 attempts and just one error, hitting .417 while adding four block assists. Essence Jones added 10 kills, while Emma Haren finished with seven.
Moni Anjous made an impact from the service line and defensively, recording five aces and 17 digs. Andrea Rodríguez handed out 27 assists and added nine digs.
The opening set featured eight ties before Augusta pulled out a 25-23 win. Mount Olive answered by taking the second, but the Jaguars responded with their best offensive set of the weekend in the third. Augusta put down 12 kills without an attack error on 21 swings, hitting .571 in a 25-13 victory while holding Mount Olive to .000.
Augusta carried that momentum into the fourth, hitting .259 and limiting Mount Olive to a negative hitting percentage (-.103) to close the match 25-17.
Up Next
Augusta returns home Friday, Sept. 4, to host Lee at noon as part of the USC Aiken/Augusta Invitational.
