FLORENCE, SC – Sophomore Alyssa Hansen registered a match-high 22 kills, including four in the decisive fifth set, as Francis Marion University outlasted Augusta University for a 21-25, 25-18, 28-26, 20-25, 15-9 win, Friday night (Nov. 8) in Peach Belt Conference volleyball action.

Francis Marion moves to 17-12 overall and 4-6 in the PBC, only a game-and-a-half behind the fourth-place Jaguars who fall to 21-8 and 5-4.  FMU sweeps the season series from Augusta.

The Patriots will host Georgia College on Saturday at noon for its annual Senior Day match.  Prior to first service, FMU will honor its lone senior, libero Natalie Vaughn.

Sophomore setter Finn Millians distributed 52 assists, only two shy of her career high set on Tuesday in a road win at UNC Pembroke.  She also dug up 12 balls and chipped in four kills. Vaughn paced FMU with 24 digs, 10 of which transitioned into kills.

Hanson added seven digs and three blocks to her stat line.  Junior Kayla Arthur posted 14 kills, while sophomore Iyanla Thigpen added 10 kills and a team-high five blocks.

Junior Chloe Allen led Augusta with 16 kills, while libero Holland Martin posted 20 digs.

After splitting the first two sets, the third set turned into a contest of runs.  Francis Marion tallied the opening three points, but the Jaguars responded with a 12-3 spurt to take a 12-6 advantage. Trailing 13-8, FMU rallied with a 10-2 run to go back on top 18-15.  The match was then tied at 18, 19, 23, 24, 25, and 26.  The Patriots actually trailed 26-25, but used a service error by Augusta on set point, a Jaguar attacking error, and finally a kill by Hansen to take the marathon contest, 28-26.

FMU never led in the fourth set as Augusta fought off defeat.  The Patriots did rally to knot the score at 19-19, but the Jaguars took six of the final seven points to force a fifth game.  FMU used kills by Thigpen and Hansen to take a 2-0 advantage the Patriots would not relinquish.   A pair of kills by Arthur and a double-block by Thigpen and junior Courtney Abdur-Rahim allowed Francis Marion to open an 8-4 advantage as the teams traded sides of the court.  Later, a dump set (kill) by Millians and a solo block by Thigpen helped FMU to an 11-7 lead.  Hansen finished the match with a kill to the backline of the Augusta lineup.

Post-match comments from FMU head coach Lauren Baufield and sophomore Alyssa Hansen

Francis Marion Univ. def. AUGUSTA 21-25,25-18,28-26,20-25,15-9

AUGUSTA (21-8,5-4 Peach Belt) (Kills-aces-blocks) - Chloe Allen
16-4-2; Nicolette Ramos 12-1-1; Kylie Martin 11-2-1; Madison Malloch
11-0-3; Jessica Hedrick 7-0-5; Hanna Siefert 2-0-1; Kassie Till 1-0-0;
Holland Martin 0-3-0; Payton Murchie 0-2-0; Nedu Evans 0-0-1; Totals
60-12-7.0. (Assists) - Payton Murchie 30; Kassie Till 11; Samantha
Zittrauer 10. (Dig leaders) - Holland Martin 20; Kylie Martin 15;
Nicolette Ramos 8; Payton Murchie 8

Francis Marion Univ. (17-12,4-6 Peach Belt) (Kills-aces-blocks) -
Alyssa Hansen 22-0-3; Kayla Arthur 14-0-1; Iyanla Thigpen 10-0-4;
Courtney Abdur-Rahim 7-2-2; Lily Walton 5-1-3; Finn Millians 4-0-1;
Totals 62-3-7.5. (Assists) - Finn Millians 52. (Dig leaders) - Natalie
Vaughn 24; Courtney Abdur-Rahim 14; Alexis Watts 12; Finn Millians 12

Site: Florence, SC (Smith Univ. Center)
Date: 11/08/19       Attend: 211   Time: 2:10
Referees: Moses Brown, Ron Zintek
Line judges: Jamie Banks, Tracie Howell