FLORENCE, SC – Sophomore outside hitter Lexi Albright recorded a career-high 19 kills while hitting .395 to lead Francis Marion University to its 12th consecutive win, a 25-11, 25-13, 25-15 sweep of Barton College, Saturday afternoon (Oct. 23) in Conference Carolinas volleyball action.
 
Francis Marion improves to 16-8 overall and retains its two-game lead in the East Division standings with a perfect 12-0 mark.  The winning streak is the sixth-longest in team history – including the longest since 1998 – and is the fourth longest active streak in NCAA Division II.

FMU will play at the University of Mount Olive on Tuesday at 6 p.m.
 
Albright registered her kill total on only 43 swings, while committing only two hitting errors.  She also dug up seven balls and had a team-high three blocks.
 
Junior Gracie Davis added nine kills with a .500 hitting percentage, while surpassing 400 kills for her career.  Freshman libero Zoie Larkins posted a team-high 15 digs, while sophomore setter Kaylee Gillespie directed the FMU offense with 39 assists.  During the match, Larkins reached the 400-dig mark for her young career.
 
The Patriots served 10 aces with Larkins, freshman Peyton Holley, and graduate student Naina Ivanova each serving two apiece.
 
Francis Marion has secured at least first- and second-byes in the upcoming Conference Carolinas Tournament.  Each division winner earns a triple-bye into the tournament semifinals, which will be held Nov. 19 at King University in Bristol, Tenn.
 
Freshman Lily Haaga paced Barton (7-10, 4-8) with eight kills.
 
The Patriots never trailed in the opening set and used an 11-2 spurt midway through to capture the 25-11 win.
 
A kill by Albright snapped a 5-5 deadlock and gave FMU the lead for good in the second set.  The margin was only 13-10, but Larkins served her two aces as part of a 12-3 run to end the set.
 
Barton took an early 4-2 advantage in the third set, but Francis Marion answered with 10 consecutive points behind the serving of Ivanova and seven kills by Albright.

 
 
Francis Marion Univ. def. Barton 25-11,25-13,25-15
 
Barton (7-10,4-8 Conference) (Kills-aces-blocks) - Lily Haaga 8-0-0;
Lauryn Pitt 6-0-0; Caroline Schoonver 6-0-0; Sarah Burton 3-0-0;
Morgan Shaw 2-0-0; Sarah Kirk 1-0-0; Hailey Strey 1-0-0; Totals
27-0-0.0. (Assists) - Hailey Strey 15. (Dig leaders) - Brooke Clute
15; Megan McCain 9; Lauryn Pitt 8
 
Francis Marion Univ. (16-8,12-0 Conference) (Kills-aces-blocks) - Lexi
Albright 19-1-3; Gracie Davis 9-0-0; Kayla Arthur 5-1-0; Iyanla
Thigpen 4-0-0; Lily Walton 4-0-2; Kaylee Gillespie 2-1-0; Madeline
Winning 1-0-1; Peyton Holley 0-2-0; Naina Ivanova 0-2-0; Keely Mclain
0-1-0; Zoie Larkins 0-2-0; Totals 44-10-3.0. (Assists) - Kaylee
Gillespie 39. (Dig leaders) - Zoie Larkins 15; Keely Mclain 13; Naina
Ivanova 11
 
Site: Florence, SC (Smith University Cen)
Date: 10/23/21       Attend: 94   Time: 1:26