Box Score FLORENCE, SC – Despite a combined 44 kills from the frontline tandem of Alexzandra Reed and Caroline Boone, Francis Marion University lost a hard-fought four-set decision (26-24, 22-25, 25-18, 25-23) to Lander University, Tuesday evening (Oct. 28) in Peach Belt Conference women's volleyball action.
FMU sees its modest two-match winning streak snapped and the Patriots fall to 8-16 overall and 4-10 in the Peach Belt. Lander improves to 19-6 and 7-6.
Francis Marion will close out its home schedule this weekend, hosting Georgia College on Friday at 7 p.m. and GRU Augusta on Saturday at 2 p.m. for Senior Day.
Reed registered 25 kills, only two shy of her career high, and 14 digs to post her 12th double-double of the year, including her third in as many matches. Boone, who celebrated her birthday on Tuesday, registered 19 kills – only one shy of her career high set on Friday – while recording a .531 hitting percentage. The 6-2 middle blocker was nearly unstoppable in the opening two sets as she tallied 12 kills on 15 swings with no errors for an .800 hitting percentage.
Senior setter Sloane Shank handed out a career-high 57 assists and dug up 15 balls. For the third straight match, junior libero Jessica Amador set a career high for digs, upping her personal best to 30 on Tuesday.
Sydney Tracy and Kendall Korte led Lander with 14 kills apiece, while setter Jessica Register tallied 42 assists and 16 digs and libero Julia Ferreira-Alves had 28 digs.
Francis Marion took control of set one from the outset, leading by as many as eight points at 14-6 and 15-7. However, Lander slowly rallied to knot the score at 23-23. FMU served for the set at 24-23, but the Bearcats ran off three straight points to deflate the Sea of Red crowd of 500 in the Smith University Center.
The Patriots regrouped and captured set two after the teams fought through 15 ties and seven lead changes. Lander won the pivotal set three after breaking a 17-17 deadlock with a 6-0 spurt.
The fourth set saw Lander take an early 4-1 lead, but the Patriots rallied to within 12-10. After the Bearcats went up 16-11, FMU would again rally, this time to tie the match at 20-20. An attack error by Lander gave Francis Marion its first lead of the set at 22-21, but with FMU up 23-22, the Bearcats recorded the final three points to win the match.
Lander University def. Francis Marion Univ. 26-24,22-25,25-18,25-23
Lander University (19-6 , 7-6 PBC) (Kills-aces-blocks) - Kendall Korte
14-0-4; Sydney Tracy 14-0-0; Tarryn Angermeier 10-0-2; Kate Schwartz
5-1-4; Kaitlyn Peperone 2-0-2; Reyonia Whipple 1-0-0; Jessica Register
1-0-1; Sarah Bradley 0-2-0; Julia Ferreira-Alves 0-2-0; Totals
47-5-7.0. (Assists) - Jessica Register 42. (Dig leaders) - Julia
Ferreira-Alves 28; Jessica Register 16; Kendall Korte 9; Kaitlyn
Harrison 8
Francis Marion Univ. (8-16 , 4-10 PBC) (Kills-aces-blocks) -
Alexzandra Reed 25-1-2; Caroline Boone 19-0-1; Chiquita Rivers 7-0-0;
Shelby Jones 7-0-1; Shelby Schindler 4-0-3; Carlie Smith 1-0-0; Totals
63-1-4.0. (Assists) - Sloane Shank 57. (Dig leaders) - Jessica Amador
30; Carlie Smith 15; Sloane Shank 15; Alexzandra Reed 14; Sarah
Cushing 9
Site: Florence, SC (Smith Univ. Center)
Date: Oct 28, 2014 Attend: 500 Time: 1:55
Referees: Tony Hill, Tad Watson
Liberos: Amador (FMU), Ferreira-Alves (LU)
