FLORENCE, SC – A balanced hitting attack and a third-set rally catapulted Francis Marion University to a sweep (25-21, 25-23, 25-23) of GRU Augusta, Wednesday night (Sept. 23) in Peach Belt Conference women's volleyball action.

Francis Marion improves to 8-3 overall and moves into sole possession of third place in the PBC standings with a 2-1 mark.  GRU Augusta drops to 7-3 and 1-2.

FMU will make its conference southern trip this weekend, facing pre-season favorite Armstrong State University on Friday at 7 p.m. and Flagler College on Saturday at 2 p.m.  The next home match for the Patriots, who are already within one victory of equaling last season's total, will be Oct. 2 at 7 p.m. against local rival UNC Pembroke.

Junior Caroline Boone continued her stellar play with nine kills, four blocks, and a .500 hitting percentage.  Senior Alexzandra Reed also tallied nine kills, served three aces, and dug up 10 balls, while junior Carlie Smith added eight kills.  Reed is now only 47 kills from 1,000 for her career.

Freshman setter Carrie McGinnis registered 18 assists and seven digs, while junior setter Samantha Hinrichs had 15 assists and six digs. Sophomore libero Shelbi Meek posted a team-high 14 digs.

Junior Rachel Windle led the Jaguars with 12 kills and five blocks, while freshman Savanna Gonzales added 11 kills.  Junior setter Alyssa Latham handed out 30 assists and dug up nine balls, while junior libero Cat DeSilvester recorded a match-high 16 digs and served a pair of aces.

After leading through most of a 25-21 win in set one, Francis Marion scored the final two points to win set two 25-23. A kills by Smith off a set from McGinnis gave the Patriots a 24-23 lead and a GRU Augusta attacking error provided the clinching point.  The second set featured 12 ties and five lead changes.

FMU raced out to an 11-7 lead in the third set only to see the Jaguars answer with a 13-4 run to go on top 20-15.  The Patriots rallied behind the serving of Meek to take a 23-22 advantage.  After a Jaguar kill knotted the score at 23-23, Boone pounded out a kill off a set from McGinnis and GRU Augusta committed an attacking error to send a raucous Sea of Crowd into a frenzy.

Francis Marion Univ. def. GRU Augusta 25-21,25-23,25-23

GRU Augusta (7-3, 1-2 PBC) (Kills-aces-blocks) - Rachel Windle 12-0-5;
Savanna Gonzales 11-0-1; Kailla Baptiste 9-0-0; Jordan Bickett 7-1-2;
Katie Beresford 3-0-0; Alyssa Latham 1-0-0; Paige Elliott 0-1-1; Blair
Bolton 0-0-1; Cat DeSilvester 0-2-0; Totals 43-4-7.0. (Assists) -
Alyssa Latham 30. (Dig leaders) - Cat DeSilvester 16; Alyssa Latham 9;
Kali Boatwright 8

Francis Marion Univ. (8-3, 2-1 PBC) (Kills-aces-blocks) - Alexzandra
Reed 9-3-2; Caroline Boone 9-1-4; Carlie Smith 8-0-2; Kadeeja Griffin
4-0-4; Georgia Garrison 4-0-2; Meagan Fajman 3-0-3; Totals 37-4-9.0.
(Assists) - Carrie McGinnis 18; Samantha Hinrichs 15. (Dig leaders) -
Shelbi Meek 14; Alexzandra Reed 10

Site: Florence, SC (Smith Univ. Center)
Date: Sep 23, 2015   Attend: 349   Time: 1:26    
Referees: Randy McLamb, Tony Hill, D.Perry, L.Carpenter
Liberos: Meek (FMU), DeSilvester (GRU)