FLORENCE, SC – Junior Emily Sears and senior Jessica Imbimbo combined for 27 kills and a .388 hitting percentage to lead Francis Marion University to a three-set sweep (25-13, 27-25, 25-21) of Peach Belt Conference volleyball newcomer Georgia College, Saturday afternoon (Oct. 5).

FMU extends its winning streak to nine matches, is 11-1 overall, and remains unbeaten in Peach Belt play at 6-0.  Georgia College, in its inaugural year of volleyball, drops to 3-13 and 1-8.

The Patriots will take to the road for three matches this coming weekend, starting with a PBC contest at Columbus State University on Friday at 7 p.m.

Sears came off the bench to hit .458 with a team-high 14 kills, while Imbimbo tallied 13 kills and a .320 hitting percentage. Senior setter Kailey Smith handed out 31 assists and dug up 12 balls for her fourth double-double of the 2013 campaign.

Patriot libero Rebekah Davis registered a team-high 15 digs, while senior middleblocker Megan Mooney recorded four kills and seven blocks.

A trio of Bobcat freshman had seven kills: Rachel Reynolds, Blake Willoughby, and Caroline Long.  Freshman setter Micayla Patterson dished out 29 assists and freshman libero Caroline Ham recorded a match-high 16 digs.

Ignited by a match-opening service ace from senior Paige Perreault, FMU ran off the opening three points and never trailed en route to a 25-13 win in set one.  The Patriots were forced to fight off a set point in the second game, before a service error by the Bobcats and a combined block by Mooney and freshman Carlie Smith provided the winning points in a 27-25 set-two decision.

Francis Marion scored the final four points in set three to snap a 21-21 deadlock.

Francis Marion Univ. def. Georgia College 25-13,27-25,25-21

Georgia College (3-13 , 1-8 PBC) (Kills-aces-blocks) - Caroline Long
7-0-0; Rachel Reynolds 7-0-2; Blake Willoughby 7-0-1; Ashley Savransky
5-0-1; Haley Ashworth 4-0-0; Ashton Bigler 2-0-0; Micayla Patterson
1-1-1; Caroline Ham 0-5-0; Totals 33-6-3.0. (Assists) - Micayla
Patterson 29. (Dig leaders) - Caroline Ham 16; Ella Anastasiades 11

Francis Marion Univ. (11-1 , 6-0 PBC) (Kills-aces-blocks) - Emily
Sears 14-2-3; Jessica Imbimbo 13-1-3; Alexzandra Reed 9-1-1; Megan
Mooney 4-0-7; Kailey Smith 1-1-1; Carlie Smith 0-0-1; Shelby Jones
0-0-1; Paige Perreault 0-2-0; Rebekah Davis 0-2-0; Totals 41-9-9.0.
(Assists) - Kailey Smith 31. (Dig leaders) - Rebekah Davis 15; Kailey
Smith 12; Jessica Imbimbo 8

Site: Florence, SC (Smith Univ. Center)        Date: Oct 05, 2013   Attend: 101   Time: 1:24    
Referees: Robert Webb, Tony Hill                 Liberos: Davis (FMU), Ham (GC)