FLORENCE, SC – Senior Lily Walton recorded 13 kills and a career-high 10 blocks, while sophomore setter Kaylee Gillespie registered 42 assists and a career-high 24 digs for Francis Marion University as the Patriots won in Conference Carolinas play on Wednesday (Oct. 13), defeating local-rival UNC Pembroke 28-26, 14-25, 15-25, 25-22, 15-10.
 
Francis Marion (13-8, 9-0), winners of nine straight matches, continues to lead the East Division standings, now a game-and-a-half ahead the Braves (16-8, 8-2).  FMU will play two road matches this weekend: Friday at Southern Wesleyan University and Saturday at North Greenville University.  The Patriots' win streak is its longest in eight years.
 
Walton, a 6-2 hitter from Charlotte, tallied the sixth-highest block total for a Patriot in the past 19 seasons.  Her kill total came with a .375 hitting percentage.
 
For the third night in a row, junior Gracie Davis led the Patriots in kills, this time with a career-high 17. Sophomore Lexi Albright had 16 kills and 11 digs for her fourth double-double of the season.
 
FMU freshman libero Zoie Larkins dug up 24 balls, her fifth 20-dig match of the year and only four shy of her career high.
 
Junior Shannon Skryd led UNCP with 16 kills and 17 digs.
 
The marathon match lasted two-and-a-half hours and featured 32 ties and 14 lead changes.  The opening set was dramatic.  Both squads fought a set point before a Braves' serving error and a kill by Albright allowed the Patriots to open with a 28-26 win.
 
UNCP claimed the next two sets, forcing Francis Marion to rally or surrender first place.  The Patriots trailed 17-15 late in the fourth set, but rattled off seven consecutive points behind the serving of graduate student Kayla Arthur.  The Braves closed to within 23-22, but a ball-handling error by UNCP followed by a Walton kill forced a deciding fifth set.
 
FMU broke a 5-5 deadlock with three straight points, including a pair kills by Davis.  UNCP trimmed the margin to 11-10, but with sophomore Keely Mclain serving, Francis Marion scored the final five points, including a match-ending kill from Walton that brought the raucous Smith University Center crowd to its feet.

 
 
Francis Marion Univ. def. UNC Pembroke 28-26,14-25,15-25,25-22,15-10
 
UNC Pembroke (16-8,8-2 Conference) (Kills-aces-blocks) - Skryd,
Shannon 16-3-1; West, Katelyn 13-0-0; O'Donnell, Erin 10-0-5; Hicks,
Elly 9-0-5; Warren, Brianna 9-0-4; Pressley, Katie 3-1-1; Crowder,
Kaila 0-1-0; Martin, Elise 0-3-0; Totals 60-8-9.0. (Assists) -
Pressley, Katie 44. (Dig leaders) - Martin, Elise 21; Skryd, Shannon
17; Crowder, Kaila 15; Pressley, Katie 14; Morgan, Marissa 8
 
Francis Marion Univ. (13-8,9-0 Conference) (Kills-aces-blocks) -
Gracie Davis 17-0-3; Lexi Albright 16-0-3; Lily Walton 13-0-10;
Madeline Winning 3-0-1; Kayla Arthur 3-2-2; Kaylee Gillespie 3-2-4;
Alyssa Hansen 2-0-0; Naina Ivanova 0-2-0; Keely Mclain 0-1-0; Zoie
Larkins 0-2-0; Totals 57-9-12.0. (Assists) - Kaylee Gillespie 43. (Dig
leaders) - Zoie Larkins 24; Kaylee Gillespie 24; Keely Mclain 13;
Peyton Holley 11; Lexi Albright 11
 
Site: Florence, SC (Smith University Cen)
Date: 10/13/21       Attend: 179   Time: 2:30