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Box Score 2 FLORENCE, SC – Francis Marion University used a late comeback on Friday afternoon (Sept. 6) and then ground out a straight-sets win later that evening to sweep a pair of matches on the opening day of the annual FMU Invitational Volleyball Tournament.
Francis Marion (2-0) defeated Mars Hill College in its season opener 25-22, 20-25, 18-25, 25-19, 15-9 and returned to the court on Friday night to best Lees-McRae College 25-15, 25-21, 29-27.
The six-team tournament will conclude on Saturday with matches between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. Admission is free. The Patriots will play a pair of matches on Saturday: Newberry College at 11 a.m. and Mount Olive College at 3 p.m.
In the opening win over Mars Hill (1-1), FMU rallied from 2-1 deficit with wins in sets four and five. The Patriots trailed 9-8 in the fifth and final set, before a kill by junior Emily Sears started a match-ending 7-0 spurt. Senior setter Kailey Smith served the final six points, including a final-point service ace.
Sears led FMU with 16 kills, while senior Jessica Imbimbo had 14, and senior Megan Mooney and sophomore Alexzandra Reed registered 10 each. Smith handed out 52 assists, while junior libero Rebekah Davis dug up 28 balls. Imbimbo added 14 digs. Both Sears and Mooney each registered three service aces.
In the nightcap victory over Lees-McRae (0-2), Imbimbo and Mooney shared team honors with nine kills apiece, while Smith dished out 30 assists and Davis recorded 13 digs. Sears added 11 digs, seven kills, and three aces. Imbimbo also served a trio of aces.
In other action on Friday, Mars Hill defeated Mount Olive 25-20, 25-18, 25-21; Newberry beat Lees-McRae 25-11, 25-12, 25-18; USC Aiken bested Mount Olive 25-23, 25-14, 25-8; and Newberry outlasted USC Aiken 25-20, 25-18, 26-28, 25-22
Francis Marion Univ. def. Mars Hill College 25-22,20-25,18-25,25-19,15-9
Mars Hill College (1-1) (Kills-aces-blocks) - Marissa Wixson 15-0-1;
Toni Cole 12-2-4; MaryKate Griffin 10-0-5; Regan Macomson 5-0-0;
Victoria Kaiser 3-1-0; Hannah Rowe 1-0-0; Hannah Wilson 1-0-0; Maggie
Murphy 0-1-0; Totals 47-4-5.0. (Assists) - Courtney Worthington 23;
Hannah Wilson 13. (Dig leaders) - Maggie Murphy 24; Victoria Kaiser 8;
Marissa Wixson 8
Francis Marion Univ. (1-0) (Kills-aces-blocks) - Emily Sears 16-3-4;
Jessica Imbimbo 14-1-0; Alexzandra Reed 10-0-0; Megan Mooney 10-3-0;
Shelby Jones 6-2-4; Carlie Smith 3-0-0; Kailey Smith 2-2-0; Rebekah
Davis 0-1-0; Totals 61-12-4.0. (Assists) - Kailey Smith 52. (Dig
leaders) - Rebekah Davis 28; Jessica Imbimbo 14; Kailey Smith 8
Site: Florence, SC (Smith Univ. Center)
Date: Sep 06, 2013 Attend: 187 Time: 2:05
Referees: Tad Watson, Michael Holder
FMU Invitational
Liberos: Davis (FMU), Murphy (MHC)
Francis Marion Univ. def. Lees-McRae College 25-15,25-21,29-27
Lees-McRae College (0-2) (Kills-aces-blocks) - Haydn Beatty 10-0-2;
Avalon Liscio 7-0-4; Jordan Banta 6-1-0; Angela Morse 3-0-3; Haylee
Leonard 2-0-3; Candace Niemiec 1-0-0; Jessica Winchester 0-0-1; Totals
29-1-7.0. (Assists) - Jessica Winchester 26. (Dig leaders) - Molly
Corhn 13; Jessica Winchester 9
Francis Marion Univ. (2-0) (Kills-aces-blocks) - Jessica Imbimbo
9-3-0; Megan Mooney 9-0-4; Emily Sears 7-3-1; Shelby Jones 7-0-3;
Alexzandra Reed 7-1-1; Kailey Smith 1-0-4; Caroline Boone 0-1-0; Paige
Perreault 0-0-1; Totals 40-8-7.0. (Assists) - Kailey Smith 30. (Dig
leaders) - Rebekah Davis 13; Emily Sears 11
Site: Florence, SC (Smith Univ. Center)
Date: Sep 06, 2013 Attend: 127 Time: 1:14
Referees: David Mabe, Tad Watson
FMU Invitational
Liberos: Davis (FMU), Corhn (LMC)
