FLORENCE, SC – Junior libero Jessica Amador and freshman hitter Meagan Fajman helped rally Francis Marion University to possibly its most improbable volleyball win in history, a five-set victory (15-25, 25-13, 16-25, 28-26, 15-10) over Shorter University, Friday night (Sept. 5) on the opening day of the FMU Invitational Tournament.

Earlier on Friday afternoon, the 2-0 Patriots swept past the University of Mount Olive in three sets (25-14, 25-17, 25-20). 

In other action on Friday, Mount Olive defeated Mars Hill University 20-25, 25-13, 20-25, 25-15, 15-13; Shorter defeated Erskine College 22-25, 25-21, 25-23, 25-18; Lander University beat Mars Hill 25-18, 25-16, 25-14; and Lander defeated Erskine 25-21, 25-22, 25-18.

The tournament will conclude on Saturday with action beginning at 9 a.m. and continuing through 9 p.m.  The Patriots will then Erskine at 1 p.m. and Mars Hill at 5 p.m.  Admission is free.

In the come-from-behind win over Shorter, Francis Marion trailed two-sets-to-one and was down 22-9 in the fourth set.  Helped by a pair of attack errors by the Hawks and kills by junior Alexzandra Reed and sophomore Caroline Boone, FMU trimmed the deficit to 23-13.  Amador then stepped to the serving line and served for 10 straight Patriot points – including four service aces – as Francis Marion knotted the score at 23-23.

Shorter would later take a 26-25 advantage, but the Hawks were issued a red card and penalized a point for a second instance of delaying the match.  With the score now tied at 26-26, sophomore Chiquita Rivers served the final two points to give FMU the win – capped by a kill from Reed.

The Patriots trailed only once (3-2) in the fifth and deciding set.  Fajman, who did not play in the opening two sets of the match, contributed a pair of kills and a huge solo block as the Patriots went on to claim the 15-10 win. 

Reed led Francis Marion with 13 kills and 13 digs, while Boone chipped in eight kills.  Senior setter Sloane Shank handed out 28 assists, while Amador dug up a match-high 22 balls and finished with five service aces.

In the victory over Mount Olive, Reed registered a team-high 11 kills with no attack errors and a .407 hitting percentage.  Boone and sophomore Carlie Smith each pounded out nine kills, Shank dished out 29 assists and recorded seven digs, while junior Brianna West finished with four aces and eight digs.

The Patriots hit over .400 as a team in each of the first two sets and finished with a team hitting percentage of .349.  FMU also served 13 aces, while holding the Trojans to a .101 hitting percentage.

After never trailing during the opening two sets, the third set featured six ties and seven lead changes.  A late 5-0 run behind the serving of Shank erased a 16-15 Mount Olive advantage and keyed FMU to the decisive third-set win.

 

Francis Marion Univ. def. Shorter University 15-25,25-13,16-25,28-26,15-10

Shorter University (1-1) (Kills-aces-blocks) - Jasmine Crook 14-1-0;
Elizabeth Dowd 9-3-0; Erica Baker 8-0-3; Lauren Meyer 6-0-2; Anna
Graham 6-0-0; Kelsi Jones 6-1-3; Dena Pierce 1-1-0; Cheyenne Frady
0-3-0; Totals 50-9-5.0. (Assists) - Cheyenne Frady 24; Dena Pierce 17.
(Dig leaders) - Jasmine Crook 21; Dena Pierce 14; Elizabeth Dowd 14;
Cheyenne Frady 12; Cheyenne McLemore 12

Francis Marion Univ. (2-0) (Kills-aces-blocks) - Alexzandra Reed
13-2-2; Caroline Boone 8-0-1; Carlie Smith 7-0-2; Sloane Shank 4-2-2;
Shelby Schindler 3-0-3; Meagan Fajman 3-0-1; Chiquita Rivers 1-0-4;
Jessica Amador 0-5-0; Totals 39-9-8.0. (Assists) - Sloane Shank 28.
(Dig leaders) - Jessica Amador 22; Alexzandra Reed 13; Sarah Cushing
9; Brianna West 8

Site: Florence, SC (Smith Univ. Center)
Date: Sep 05, 2014   Attend: 157   Time: 2:01   
Referees: Charley Yang, Michael Holder
FMU Invitational Tournament in Florence, SC
Liberos: Amador (FMU), McLemore (SU)

Francis Marion Univ. def. Univ. of Mount Olive 25-14,25-17,25-20

Univ. of Mount Olive (1-1) (Kills-aces-blocks) - Britni Johnson 5-1-1;
Ellen Morgan 4-2-0; Dezirae Mackey 4-0-1; Sarah Robertson 4-0-0;
Alysha Burnett 2-0-0; Montgomery Register 2-0-0; Danielle Plante
2-0-0; Sarah Watkins 1-0-0; Mackenzie Call 1-0-0; Marissa Turnage
1-0-0; Totals 26-3-1.0. (Assists) - Samantha Winfield 12; Aubrey
McKinney 11. (Dig leaders) - Britni Johnson 11; Casey Fiechter 5

Francis Marion Univ. (1-0) (Kills-aces-blocks) - Alexzandra Reed
11-0-2; Carlie Smith 9-3-2; Caroline Boone 9-0-1; Chiquita Rivers
7-2-3; Sloane Shank 3-1-1; Shelby Schindler 0-0-3; Jessica Amador
0-3-0; Brianna West 0-4-0; Totals 39-13-6.0. (Assists) - Sloane Shank
29. (Dig leaders) - Brianna West 8; Sloane Shank 7

Site: Florence, SC (Smith Univ. Center)
Date: Sep 05, 2014   Attend: 229   Time: 1:02   
Referees: Michael Holder, Dave Mabe
FMU Invitational Tournament
Liberos: Amador (FMU), Fiechter (UMO)