FLORENCE, SC – Senior Liz Drewry and junior Megan Mooney combined for 20 kills and a .462 attack percentage to lead Francis Marion University to a three-set sweep (25-21, 25-15, 25-12) of UNC Pembroke, Saturday afternoon (Sept. 22) in the Peach Belt Conference volleyball opener for both schools.

FMU (8-3, 1-0) wins for the fourth straight outing.  The Patriots will play a pair of PBC road matches next weekend: at Lander University on Friday at 7 p.m. and at USC Aiken on Saturday at 2 p.m.  Following the match against the Pacers, FMU will also face Clark Atlanta University at 4 p.m. on Saturday.

Drewry finished with 11 kills, a .409 attack percentage, and eight digs, while Mooney pounded out nine kills in 17 swings with no errors for a .529 percentage.

FMU junior Paige Perreault added nine kills and Jessica Imbimbo eight, while junior setter Kailey Smith handed out 37 assists in only 84 attempts.  Perreault led FMU with 12 digs, while sophomore libero Meghan Peji dug up 11 balls.

Shay Peterson led UNCP (5-9, 0-1) with 10 kills.  Setter Ashlyn Rebok distributed 19 assists and Ashtin Truesdale registered a match-high 15 digs.

The serving of Perreault and Mooney rallied Francis Marion from a 20-17 deficit in set one with the set ending on a Drewry kill.  The Patriots never trailed in set two and then rallied from a 9-5 deficit in set three.  During the rally, Imbimbo served 14 straight points as FMU went from trailing 10-7 to leading 22-10.

(photo by Joel Beachum)