FLORENCE, SC – Junior Alexzandra Reed posted her fifth double-double of the season with 22 kills and 11 digs, while frontline teammates Carlie Smith and Shelby Jones each reached double figures in kills as Francis Marion University rallied for a five-set (25-21, 16-25, 23-25, 25-13, 15-10) Peach Belt Conference win over UNC Pembroke, Saturday afternoon (Sept. 27) in women's volleyball action.

Francis Marion improves to 4-8 overall and evens its PBC mark at 2-2, while the Braves drop to 8-9 and 0-4.  FMU will travel to the Peach State for two conference matches next weekend: Friday at GRU Augusta and Saturday at Georgia College.

Reed also posted a .321 hitting percentage and added three service aces and three blocks.  Smith tallied 12 kills and Jones 10, while sophomore middle blocker Caroline Boone added nine kills, five blocks, and three aces. 

Freshman setter Sarah Cushing (25) and senior setter Sloane Shank (19) combined for 44 assists. Shank started the match but left in the opening set with an illness, and then returned in the fourth set and recorded 16 assists on 28 attempts in the final two sets.

Junior libero Jessica Amador led FMU with 18 digs.

Junior Nicole Mathews led UNCP with 13 kills and 21 digs.  Sophomore setter Sabrina Gonzalez dished out 38 assists and dug up 13 balls, while freshman libero Ka'asha Jefferies had a match-high 22 digs.

A 5-0 run by the Patriots snapped a 15-15 deadlock in the opening set and provided decisive in the 25-21 win.  UNCP led from start to finish in the second set.  The Braves trailed nearly the entire third set, but rallied from a late 22-19 deficit with a 6-1 spurt to grab a 2-1 sets advantage.

Francis Marion broke an early 4-4 tie in set four with five consecutive points, a run that spurred a 15-5 run.  In the fifth set, UNCP scored the opening point on a kill by Cecilia Brandon, but FMU answered with three straight points – including an ace from Shank – and never trailed again.

Francis Marion Univ. def. UNC Pembroke 25-21,16-25,23-25,25-13,15-10

UNC Pembroke (8-9 , 0-4 PBC) (Kills-aces-blocks) - Nicole Mathews
13-2-4; Cecilia Brandon 10-0-2; Jada Vernon 9-1-2; Caroline Pridgen
9-0-0; Sabrina Gonzalez 6-2-0; Mallory Davis 4-0-4; Ka'asha Jefferies
0-1-0; Totals 51-6-8.0. (Assists) - Sabrina Gonzalez 38. (Dig leaders)
- Ka'asha Jefferies 22; Nicole Mathews 21; Sabrina Gonzalez 13

Francis Marion Univ. (4-8 , 2-2 PBC) (Kills-aces-blocks) - Alexzandra
Reed 22-3-3; Carlie Smith 12-2-2; Shelby Jones 10-0-3; Caroline Boone
9-3-5; Meagan Fajman 3-0-2; Shelby Schindler 1-0-5; Sloane Shank
0-1-0; Sarah Cushing 0-1-2; Brianna West 0-2-0; Jessica Amador 0-2-0;
Totals 57-14-11.0. (Assists) - Sarah Cushing 25; Sloane Shank 19. (Dig
leaders) - Jessica Amador 18; Alexzandra Reed 11; Brianna West 9

Site: Florence, SC (Smith Univ. Center)
Date: Sep 27, 2014   Attend: 121   Time: 2:08   
Referees: Ronnie Mutter, Randy McLamb
Liberos: Amador (FMU), Jefferies (UNCP)