MILLEDGEVILLE, GA – Senior Carlie Smith pounded out a career-high 19 kills, including five in the final set, to lead Francis Marion University to a five-set win over Lander University 20-25, 25-21, 25-17, 19-25, 15-11, Friday afternoon (Nov. 18) in the quarterfinals of the 2016 Peach Belt Conference Women's Volleyball Tournament.

The fourth-seeded Patriots improve to 16-12 and advance to the semifinals for the first time since 2008.  That 2008 squad was also the last FMU team to earn a bid to the NCAA Division II National Tournament.

Francis Marion will face top-seeded Flagler College on Saturday at 2 p.m. in Milledgeville, Ga., with the winner moving on the tournament title match on Sunday at 2 p.m., also on the Georgia College campus.  Flagler swept by eighth-seeded Columbus State University in three sets on Friday morning.

Senior middleblocker Caroline Boone followed Smith with 17 kills and four blocks.  Freshman Lenee' Blot equaled her career high with 11 kills, while posting a .346 hitting percentage and four blocks.

Sophomore Georgia Garrison added nine kills and 15 digs, while sophomore setter Carrie McGinnis handed out 49 assists and dug up a career-high 29 balls.  Freshman libero Natalie Vaughn chipped in 21 digs.

Halle Dotson led Lander (21-11) with 24 kills and five blocks, while setters Sophia Perkins (30) and Katie Haake (21) combined for 51 assists.  Amanda Medlock and Hannah McManus led the Bearcats defensively with 21 digs apiece.

After dropping the opening set in which they never led, FMU rallied to even the match in set two.  The Patriots scored the first four points and raced to a 10-3 advantage.  The margin grew to 15-7 before the Bearcats stormed back to tie the set at 18-18.  Snapping a 19-19 deadlock with the help of two kills each from Boone and junior Erika Hartings, FMU closed the set with a 6-2 spurt.

The third set featured seven ties and four lead changes in the early going, but an 8-0 run behind the serving of Garrison erased an 8-7 deficit and put the Patriots ahead to stay.  The fourth set was also tightly contested with 12 tries and six lead changes.  An 8-2 outburst by Lander to finish the set evened the match back up.

Francis Marion registered the opening three points of the fifth and final set and never trailed.  The Bearcats pulled to within 14-11, but a kill by Boone off a set from McGinnis concluded the match.