PEMBROKE, NC – Sophomore Lexi Albright registered 17 kills and 19 digs while performing nearly flawlessly in serve reception to lead Francis Marion University to a 25-20, 25-22, 19-25, 25-19 road victory over UNC Pembroke on Wednesday night (Nov. 10) to claim the East Division title in the program's first year as a Conference Carolinas member.
 
Francis Marion ends its regular season 19-10 overall and 15-2 in conference play.  The Patriots also earn the triple bye into the conference tournament semifinals set for Nov. 19 at King University in Bristol, Tenn.  FMU is ranked 10th in the latest NCAA Division II Southeast Region poll.
 
UNCP drops to 22-10 and 14-3 and finishes second in the division.  FMU swept the season series from the Braves.
 
Albright posted her seventh double-double of the season, while committing only one error in 34 total serve receptions.  Her kill total was two shy of her career high and her dig total was only one off her career best.
 
Graduate student Kayla Arthur tallied 13 kills, while committing only two attack errors on 28 swings for a .393 hitting percentage.  The Holly Springs, N.C., native moves to within 36 kills of 1000 for her career.  Junior Gracie Davis added 11 kills and three blocks.
 
In the Patriot middle, senior Iyanla Thigpen chipped in eight kills and three blocks, while senior Lily Walton had four kills and a team-high six blocks.  Freshman libero Zoie Larkins dug up a team-high 20 balls, her seventh 20-dig effort of the season.
 
Sophomore setter Kaylee Gillespie produced her 15th double-double of the year with 49 assists and 16 digs.
 
Shannon Skryd led UNCP with 14 kills and 13 digs.
 
Francis Marion hit .321 in the opening set and .333 in the second set – with only two hitting errors in each – to jump to an early 2-0 lead.
 
The Braves raced out to an early 5-0 advantage in the third set and never trailed to claim the 25-19 victory and force a fourth set.
 
Looking to regain the momentum, FMU scored the opening two points of the final set, which would feature 10 ties and four lead changes.  The Braves held a 13-12 lead midway through when Francis Marion took control with an 8-1 run.  Three consecutive kills from Arthur and one from Thigpen staked FMU to a 17-13 advantage.  Following a UNCP point, Thigpen registered another kill and Albright pounded down two of her own as the margin became 20-14.  Blocks from Walton and Davis on a UNCP attack provided the championship-winning point for the 25-19 win.
 
The squad's 19 victories is the most for a Patriot team since the 2013 edition went 21-9.

 
Francis Marion Univ. def. UNC Pembroke 25-20,25-22,19-25,25-19
 
Francis Marion Univ. (19-10,15-2 Conferenc) (Kills-aces-blocks) - Lexi
Albright 17-1-2; Kayla Arthur 13-0-3; Gracie Davis 11-0-3; Iyanla
Thigpen 8-0-3; Lily Walton 4-0-6; Kaylee Gillespie 2-1-1; Peyton
Holley 0-1-0; Zoie Larkins 0-1-0; Totals 55-4-10.0. (Assists) - Kaylee
Gillespie 49. (Dig leaders) - Zoie Larkins 20; Lexi Albright 19;
Kaylee Gillespie 16; Peyton Holley 11
 
UNC Pembroke (22-10,14-3 Conferenc) (Kills-aces-blocks) - Skryd,
Shannon 14-0-0; Warren, Brianna 12-0-2; West, Katelyn 10-0-1; Hicks,
Elly 10-0-6; O'Donnell, Erin 7-0-5; Pressley, Katie 1-1-0; Turbyfill,
Hope 0-2-0; Totals 54-3-7.0. (Assists) - Pressley, Katie 46. (Dig
leaders) - Martin, Elise 19; Skryd, Shannon 13; Pressley, Katie 10
 
Site: Pembroke, NC (Lumbee Guaranty Bank)
Date: 11/10/21       Attend: 337   Time: 2:00