Box Score FLORENCE, SC – Francis Marion University won the opening two sets by identical scores, but Lander University rallied to claim the final three sets to take a marathon 22-25, 22-25, 25-21, 25-23, 15-12 win, Friday evening (Sept. 18) in Peach Belt Conference women's volleyball action.
Francis Marion drops to 6-3 overall and 0-1 in the PBC, while Lander improves to 8-2 and 1-0. FMU will return to the Smith University Center court on Saturday (Sept. 19) to battle undefeated USC Aiken (8-0, 1-0) at 2 p.m.
WATCH GAME REPLAY
Junior Caroline Boone led Francis Marion with 15 kills, while senior Alexzandra Reed tallied 14 kills and 14 digs. Junior Carlie Smith added 11 kills, while freshman Georgia Garrison registered nine kills and a career-high 20 digs. Sophomore Kadeeja Griffin recorded seven kills and a team-high seven blocks.
FMU sophomore libero Shelbi Meek dug up 19 balls, while junior setter Samantha Hinrichs and freshman setter Carrie McGinnis handed out 27 and 26 assists respectively.
Junior Khiani Kelly paced Lander with 20 kills and five blocks. Sophomore setter Ali Kirk dished out 52 assists and dug up 15 balls.
Francis Marion rallied three times in the final set to tie the score – the final occasion at 12-12 on an attack error by the Bearcats. However, a serving error by the Patriots gave Lander the lead for good and the Bearcats closed the match on a kill by Halle Dotson and then blocks by Kendall Korte and Reyonia Whipple on a Patriot attack.
Lander University def. Francis Marion Univ. 22-25,22-25,25-21,25-23,15-12
Lander University (8-2, 1-0 PBC) (Kills-aces-blocks) - Khiani Kelly
20-0-5; Halle Dotson 17-0-2; Tarryn Angermeier 12-1-5; Kendall Korte
7-2-3; Ali Kirk 1-0-1; Reyonia Whipple 0-0-6; Julia Ferreira-Alves
0-1-0; Totals 57-4-11.0. (Assists) - Ali Kirk 52. (Dig leaders) -
Julia Ferreira-Alves 24; Kendall Korte 19; Mallory Taylor 17; Ali Kirk
15; Kaitlyn Harrison 11; Tarryn Angermeier 8
Francis Marion Univ. (6-3, 0-1 PBC) (Kills-aces-blocks) - Caroline
Boone 15-0-4; Alexzandra Reed 14-0-4; Carlie Smith 11-0-4; Georgia
Garrison 9-2-1; Meagan Fajman 9-0-1; Kadeeja Griffin 7-0-7; Samantha
Hinrichs 1-0-0; Carrie McGinnis 0-1-0; Shelbi Meek 0-2-0; Totals
66-5-11.0. (Assists) - Samantha Hinrichs 27; Carrie McGinnis 26. (Dig
leaders) - Georgia Garrison 20; Shelbi Meek 19; Alexzandra Reed 14;
Samantha Hinrichs 9; Caroline Boone 8
Site: Florence, SC (Smith Univ. Center)
Date: Sep 18, 2015 Attend: 221 Time: 2:11
Referees: Glenn Goudy, Joe Liguori, D. Perry, J. Allen
Liberos: Meek (FMU), Ferreira-Alves (LU)