FLORENCE, SC – Freshman Georgia Garrison pounded out a career-high 25 kills in a Saturday morning (Sept. 10) win, while senior Caroline Boone registered a career-high 24 kills in an afternoon victory as Francis Marion University finished its annual FMU Invitational Volleyball Tournament with a perfect 4-0 mark.

On Saturday morning, FMU defeated Newberry College in five sets (25-13, 21-25, 25-19, 18-25, 15-12) and returned to the court several hours later to dispense of Emmanuel College in three sets (25-22, 25-16, 25-23) to improve to 6-2 on the season.

The Patriots will open Peach Belt Conference this coming weekend by traveling to Lander University on Friday (Sept. 16) for a 7 p.m. match and then play at USC Aiken on Saturday, Sept. 17, at 2 p.m.

In the marathon match with Newberry, Garrison hit .386 while posting her 25 kills.  She also dug up 15 balls.  Senior Carlie Smith also recorded a double-double with 12 kills and 18 digs, while junior Erika Hartings and Boone managed 12 and 10 kills respectively. 

Sophomore setter Carrie McGinnis dished out a career-high 56 assists and compiled 13 digs, while junior libero Shelbi Meek tallied a match-high 28 digs.

In the fifth and deciding set, a kill by Garrison off a McGinnis assist broke an 11-11 deadlock.  An attack error by the Wolves caused by blocks from sophomore Chloe Attram and Smith and then a kill by Smith extended the Patriot advantage to 14-11 and helped enabled FMU to capture the win.

In the sweep of the Lions, Boone collected 24 kills on only 32 swings with one error.  She also added four block assists.

Garrison and Smith added eight kills apiece, while McGinnis handed out 41 assists and Meek dug up a team-high 10 balls.

Francis Marion hit .353 as a team with only 12 attack errors.

FMU trailed for the majority of the opening set, but a late 5-0 spurt erased a 19-17 Emmanuel lead and catapulted the Patriots to the victory.  Francis Marion opened each of the second and third sets with 6-0 runs and never trailed.

Francis Marion Univ. def. Emmanuel College 25-22,25-16,25-23

Emmanuel College (2-6) (Kills-aces-blocks) - Sarah Neill 10-2-0; Erica
Burnham 8-0-1; Julie de Blanck 7-2-1; Mia McKensey 4-0-3; Abby
Bradford 2-0-0; Jessica Gray 2-0-0; Stephanie Hardy 2-0-0; Bethany
Winston 0-1-0; Nikki Kraning 0-1-0; Totals 35-6-4.0. (Assists) -
Stephanie Hardy 29. (Dig leaders) - Erica Burnham 15; Bethany Winston
9; Nikki Kraning 9

Francis Marion Univ. (6-2) (Kills-aces-blocks) - Caroline Boone
24-1-4; Carlie Smith 8-2-2; Georgia Garrison 8-0-0; Erika Hartings
6-0-2; Megan Dash 1-0-0; Carrie McGinnis 1-0-1; Chloe Attram 0-0-1;
Natalie Vaughn 0-1-0; Totals 48-4-5.0. (Assists) - Carrie McGinnis 41.
(Dig leaders) - Shelbi Meek 10; Georgia Garrison 9

Site: Florence, SC (Smith Univ. Center)
Date: Sep 10, 2016   Attend: 125   Time: 1:16   
Referees: Charley Yang, Ronnie Mutter
FMU Invitational Tournament in Florence, SC
Liberos: Meek (FMU), Winston (EC)

Francis Marion Univ. def. Newberry College 25-13,21-25,25-19,18-25,15-12

Newberry College (2-5) (Kills-aces-blocks) - Logan Hayward 16-1-1;
Andie Meredith 11-1-1; Toni-Anne Whitlow 11-0-2; Madison DarbyMcClure
9-2-2; Sidra Triplett 6-0-2; Mary Siebert 1-0-0; Natalie Willis 0-0-1;
Kensley Jordan 0-1-0; Totals 54-5-5.0. (Assists) - Natalie Willis 41.
(Dig leaders) - Kensley Jordan 26; Natalie Willis 18; Logan Hayward
18; Mary Siebert 16

Francis Marion Univ. (5-2) (Kills-aces-blocks) - Georgia Garrison
25-1-0; Carlie Smith 12-2-1; Erika Hartings 12-0-1; Caroline Boone
10-1-2; Chloe Attram 5-0-3; Carrie McGinnis 1-2-1; Natalie Vaughn
0-1-0; Totals 65-7-5.0. (Assists) - Carrie McGinnis 56. (Dig leaders)
- Shelbi Meek 28; Carlie Smith 18; Georgia Garrison 15; Carrie
McGinnis 13; Natalie Vaughn 11

Site: Florence, SC (Smith Univ. Center)
Date: Sep 10, 2016   Attend: 111   Time: 1:58   
Referees: Charley Yang, David Mabe
FMU Invitational Tournament in Florence, SC
Liberos: Meek (FMU), Jordan (NC)