AUGUSTA, GA – Junior Georgia Garrison pounded out a career-high equaling 25 kills while hitting at a .412 clip to lead Francis Marion University to a four-set (25-21, 25-19, 21-25, 25-18) road win over Augusta University, Friday night (Sept. 15) in the Peach Belt Conference volleyball opener for both squads.

The Patriots (3-5, 1-0) will complete their weekend road trip with a 2 p.m. conference match at Lander University on Saturday.  The next home contest for FMU will be on Sept. 19 against Southern Wesleyan University at 7 p.m.

Garrison posted her 25 kills on 41 swings with only four attack errors, while also leading FMU with 18 digs.  Sophomore Lenee' Blot added eight kills and senior Erika Hartings seven kills.

Junior setter Carrie McGinnis handed out 44 assists, while sophomore libero Natalie Vaughn dug up 14 balls and served three aces.

Savanna Gonzales led Augusta (6-4, 0-1) with 11 kills, while Holland Martin registered 17 digs and four service aces.

After winning the opening set, FMU took a 2-0 advantage with a 25-19 victory in set two.  The Patriots hit .400 as a team in the second set and Vaughn served the final three points, including a pair of aces.

After dropping set three, Francis Marion fell behind 5-2 in the fourth set, but rebounded with a 7-1 run to take the lead for good at 9-6.  Garrison finished the win with a kill on match point as first-year head coach Lauren Baufield was victorious in her first PBC outing.

Francis Marion Univ. def. Augusta University 25-21,25-19,21-25,25-18

Francis Marion Univ. (3-5, 1-0 PBC) (Kills-aces-blocks) - Georgia
Garrison 25-0-1; Lenee' Blot 8-1-1; Erika Hartings 7-0-1; Shelbi Meek
4-0-0; Carrie McGinnis 4-1-0; Veronica Lane 3-0-0; Kayla Arthur 2-0-1;
Natalie Vaughn 1-3-0; Cortney Bowen 0-0-2; Totals 54-5-3.0. (Assists)
- Carrie McGinnis 44. (Dig leaders) - Georgia Garrison 18; Natalie
Vaughn 14; Erika Hartings 9; Natalie Ferrell 8

Augusta University (6-4, 0-1 PBC) (Kills-aces-blocks) - Savanna
Gonzales 11-0-2; McKenzey Beck 7-2-1; Jessica Hedrick 6-0-3; Savanna
Roy 6-0-1; Chloe Allen 6-1-1; Natalia Gouveia 4-0-0; Shea O'Farrell
2-0-0; Madeline Weiss 2-0-2; Kenya Stokes 1-0-0; Payton Murchie 0-1-0;
Holland Martin 0-4-0; Totals 45-8-6.0. (Assists) - McKenzey Beck 16;
Brooklyn Holthaus 12; Payton Murchie 10. (Dig leaders) - Holland
Martin 17; McKenzey Beck 13; Kenya Stokes 9; Natalia Gouveia 8

Site: Augusta, Ga. (Christenberry Fieldh)
Date: Sep 15, 2017   Attend: 322   Time: 1:48   
Referees: Andy Miller, Joe Liguori