FLORENCE, SC – Sophomore Alexzandra Reed recorded 10 kills and five blocks, while senior setter Kailey Smith handed out 24 assists to help carry Francis Marion University to a three-set sweep (25-18, 25-13, 25-18) of UNC Pembroke, Wednesday evening (Sept. 25) in Peach Belt Conference women's volleyball action.

Playing before a Sea of Red Night crowd of 553, Francis Marion won its seventh straight match to remain unbeaten in PBC play at 4-0 and to up its overall mark to 9-1, the best season start since 1998. It marks the fourth time in program history the Patriots have opened conference play 4-0.  FMU started 5-0 in 2006, 8-0 in 1999, and 11-0 in 1998.

The Patriots are off this weekend, but will return to action with a pair of Peach Belt home matches on Oct. 4 against GRU Augusta and Oct. 5 against Georgia College.

Senior middleblocker Megan Mooney followed Reed with nine kills on 16 swings and a .500 hitting percentage.  She also assisted on four blocks.  Junior libero Rebekah Davis tallied a match-high 23 digs.

Freshman Sabrina Gonzalez led UNCP (6-9, 0-4) with 10 kills and 10 digs, while freshman setter Shekinah-Joy Toloumu registered 21 assists and 11 digs.  UNCP junior libero Danielle Brown dug up 12 balls.

Francis Marion ran off to a quick 7-1 lead in the opening set and never trailed en route to the 25-18 win.  In set two, the Patriots closed with a 14-2 run to snap an 11-11 deadlock.  Davis served seven times and senior Jessica Imbimbo six times during the spurt.  Set three was knotted at 12-12 before FMU ran off four straight points with Reed serving and the Patriots went on to the 25-18 deciding victory.

FMU held the Braves to a .000 hitting percentage for the match: 27 kills and 27 errors in 114 swings.

Francis Marion Univ. def. UNC Pembroke 25-18,25-13,25-18

UNC Pembroke (6-9, 0-4 PBC) (Kills-aces-blocks) - Sabrina Gonzalez
10-0-2; Caroline Pridgen 6-0-2; Sarah Bower 5-1-2; Morgan Westphal
4-0-2; Danielle Brown 1-0-0; Shekinah-Joy Toloumu 1-0-0; Cecilia
Brandon 0-0-5; Totals 27-1-7.0. (Assists) - Shekinah-Joy Toloumu 21.
(Dig leaders) - Danielle Brown 12; Shekinah-Joy Toloumu 11; Sabrina
Gonzalez 10

Francis Marion Univ. (9-1, 4-0 PBC) (Kills-aces-blocks) - Alexzandra
Reed 10-0-5; Megan Mooney 9-1-4; Emily Sears 5-0-0; Shelby Jones
3-0-4; Kailey Smith 2-0-2; Jessica Imbimbo 2-0-3; Carlie Smith 1-0-0;
Caroline Boone 1-0-1; Alex Matz 1-0-0; Totals 34-1-11.0. (Assists) -
Kailey Smith 24. (Dig leaders) - Rebekah Davis 23; Paige Perreault 7

Site: Florence, SC (Smith Univ. Center)
Date: Sep 25, 2013   Attend: 553   Time: 1:17    
Referees: Tad Watson, Tony Hill
Liberos: Davis (FMU), Brown (UNCP)
Sea of Red Night at Francis Marion