CENTRAL, SC – Sophomores Lexi Albright and Kaylee Gillespie returned to their native Upstate region of the Palmetto State and helped lead Francis Marion University to its 10th consecutive win as the Patriots swept Southern Wesleyan University 25-14, 25-19, 25-12, Friday evening (Oct. 15) in Conference Carolinas women's volleyball action.
 
Francis Marion (14-8, 10-0) continues to lead the East Division standings and will conclude its brief two-match road swing with a 2 p.m. contest at North Greenville University on Saturday.
 
The 2021 squad becomes only the third FMU volleyball team to win 10 straight matches this century, joining the 2013 and 2008 teams.  The school record is 20 consecutive wins during the 1981 campaign.
 
Albright led the Patriots with 14 kills and nine digs, while successfully handling all 12 of her serve receptions.  Gillespie tallied 35 assists on only 77 attempts and dug up 14 balls for her 12th double-double of the season.
 
FMU junior Gracie Davis posted her fourth straight double-figure outing with 10 kills to go along with a .348 hitting percentage, while senior Lily Walton added nine kills and freshman libero Zoie Larkins a team-high 15 digs.
 
Ashlyn Holford led Southern Wesleyan (1-12, 0-9) with 10 kills.
 
FMU posted a team hitting percentage of .310 with only 15 attack errors in the three sets, while the Patriots held the Warriors to an .040 hitting percentage.
 
Behind the serving of Gillespie, the Patriots rattled off the first 11 points of the match and never trailed in the opening set.  Kills by Walton and Albright helped FMU snapped an 11-11 deadlock in the second set and FMU gradually pulled away.  In the third set with Larkins at the serving line, Francis Marion used a 7-0 run to break an early 3-3 tie and the Patriots never looked back.
 
 
Francis Marion Univ. def. Southern Wesleyan 25-14,25-19,25-12
 
Francis Marion Univ. (14-8,10-0 Conference) (Kills-aces-blocks) - Lexi
Albright 14-0-0; Gracie Davis 10-0-0; Lily Walton 9-0-1; Iyanla
Thigpen 6-0-1; Kayla Arthur 4-0-0; Madeline Winning 3-0-3; Totals
46-0-4.0. (Assists) - Kaylee Gillespie 35. (Dig leaders) - Zoie
Larkins 15; Kaylee Gillespie 14; Lexi Albright 9
 
Southern Wesleyan (1-12,0-9 Conference) (Kills-aces-blocks) - Holford,
Ashlyn 10-0-0; Bass, Amber 5-0-1; Ellis, Emily 3-0-0; Young, Riley
3-0-2; Brown, Tiyonnah 1-0-2; Byers, Jarena 0-1-0; Totals 22-1-4.0.
(Assists) - Sexton, Ashley 19. (Dig leaders) - Soles, Jesse 14;
Sexton, Ashley 6
 
Site: Central, SC (Tysinger Gymnasium)
Date: 10/15/21       Attend: 54   Time: 1:05