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Box Score 2 FLORENCE, SC – Junior Emily Sears combined for 39 kills on Saturday (Sept. 7) as Francis Marion University split a pair of matches on the final day of the annual FMU Invitational Volleyball Tournament.
An unbeaten Newberry College squad held off FMU for a 25-23, 25-21, 21-25, 25-17 win on Saturday morning, but the Patriots (3-1) returned to the court later in the day and rallied for a 20-25, 25-21, 25-19, 25-14 victory over Mount Olive College (0-3).
Francis Marion will return to action on Friday with a 4 p.m. home match against Erskine College, before opening Peach Belt Conference play on Saturday evening against Flagler College.
In the loss to the Wolves, Sears tallied 20 kills, seven digs, and three service aces, while sophomore Alexzandra Reed pounded out 12 kills. Senior setter Kailey Smith recorded 41 assists, senior Jessica Imbimbo dug up a team-high 14 balls, and senior Megan Mooney had eight total blocks – one shy of her career high.
After Francis Marion won the third set to trim the Newberry advantage to 2-1, the Wolves opened the fourth set with a serving error, but followed that miscue with three straight points and never trailed again.
In the win over Mount Olive, Sears posted a double-double with 19 kills and 11 digs. Smith again registered 41 assists and added three service aces and three blocks. Junior libero Rebekah Davis led FMU with 21 digs, while freshman middle blocker Caroline Boone came off the bench to record six kills and 6 blocks.
After dropping the opening set to the Trojans, Francis Marion responded by holding Mount Oliver to a .074 hitting percentage over the final three sets.
The 3-1 season start matches the opening the Patriots had last season en route to an 18-12 record.
Emily Sears
Newberry College def. Francis Marion Univ. 25-23,25-21,21-25,25-17
Newberry College (3-0) (Kills-aces-blocks) - Samantha Parrish 17-1-4;
Logan Hayward 12-1-3; Jessica King 11-1-4; Amanda Soper 7-0-4; Rachel
Moran 5-1-1; Alexus Horton 4-0-4; Elayni Stokes 1-0-0; Lisa Ross
1-0-0; Chelsea Mayor 0-1-0; Totals 58-5-13.0. (Assists) - Rachel Moran
49. (Dig leaders) - Elayni Stokes 12; Samantha Parrish 12; Logan
Hayward 9
Francis Marion Univ. (2-1) (Kills-aces-blocks) - Emily Sears 20-3-2;
Alexzandra Reed 12-0-2; Jessica Imbimbo 8-0-3; Megan Mooney 4-0-8;
Shelby Jones 2-0-1; Alex Matz 2-0-0; Brianna West 1-0-0; Kailey Smith
0-1-1; Caroline Boone 0-1-0; Totals 49-5-9.0. (Assists) - Kailey Smith
41. (Dig leaders) - Jessica Imbimbo 14; Rebekah Davis 11
Site: Florence, SC (Smith Univ. Center)
Date: Sep 07, 2013 Attend: 103 Time: 1:42
Referees: David Mabe, Michael Holder
FMU Invitational
Liberos: Davis (FMU), Stokes (NC)
Francis Marion Univ. def. Mount Olive College 20-25,25-21,25-19,25-14
Mount Olive College (0-3) (Kills-aces-blocks) - Lauren Lee 9-0-3;
Dezirae Mackey 9-1-7; Carly White 7-0-3; Danielle Plante 6-0-3; Sarah
Watkins 3-0-3; Alysha Tyms-Burnett 2-0-0; Charnel Austin 2-0-0; Nicole
Sparks 1-0-0; Elyse Keating 0-0-2; Nicole Karas 0-1-0; Totals
39-2-12.0. (Assists) - Elyse Keating 31. (Dig leaders) - Nicole Sparks
20; Lauren Lee 17; Nicole Karas 15
Francis Marion Univ. (3-1) (Kills-aces-blocks) - Emily Sears 19-0-2;
Megan Mooney 7-0-1; Caroline Boone 6-2-6; Paige Perreault 5-0-1;
Carlie Smith 5-1-0; Jessica Imbimbo 5-0-0; Shelby Jones 1-0-0; Kailey
Smith 1-3-3; Sloane Shank 0-0-1; Brianna West 0-1-0; Rebekah Davis
0-2-0; Totals 49-9-8.0. (Assists) - Kailey Smith 41. (Dig leaders) -
Rebekah Davis 21; Brianna West 12; Emily Sears 11; Jessica Imbimbo 10;
Kailey Smith 8
Site: Florence, SC (Smith Univ. Center)
Date: Sep 07, 2013 Attend: 127 Time: 1:46
Referees: Michael Holder, Tab Watson
FMU Invitational
Liberos: Davis (FMU), Sparks (MOC)
