FLORENCE, SC – Senior middleblocker Iyanla Thigpen registered 13 kills with a .458 hitting percentage and sophomore Lexi Albright posted 14 kills as Francis Marion University claimed a Senior Day sweep (25-20, 25-13, 25-11) of King University (Tenn.), Saturday afternoon (Nov. 6) in Conference Carolinas volleyball action.
 
Francis Marion ups its overall record to 18-10 and improves to 14-2 in conference play.  The Patriots will conclude their regular-season schedule on Wednesday with a 6 p.m. road match at UNC Pembroke.  The winner of that contest will claim the East Division title and the triple-bye into the conference tournament semifinals.
 
Thigpen tallied her 13 kills on only 24 swings with just two errors.  She also added two blocks.  Sophomore setter Kaylee Gillespie recorded her 14th double-double of the year with 34 assists and 11 digs.
 
Graduate student defensive specialist Naina Ivanova served four aces and led FMU with 12 digs.  Junior Gracie Davis added nine kills, while senior Lily Walton and graduate student Kayla Arthur chipped in five and four kills respectively.
 
Julie Ward led king (15-13, 10-7) with six kills and 10 digs.
 
FMU trailed only once in the entire match, that being at 1-0 in the third set.
 
In the opening set, the margin was only 20-19, when three consecutive Tornado errors helped push the Patriots toward the 25-point mark.  Albright finished the set with a kill on an over-hit.
 
Francis Marion opened the second set with an 8-2 run, and in the final set after allowing the initial point to King, sprinted to an early 12-4 advantage.

 
 
Francis Marion Univ. def. King (TN) 25-20,25-13,25-11
 
King (TN) (15-13,10-7 Conferenc) (Kills-aces-blocks) - Ward, Julie
6-1-0; Ramsey, Brittney 4-0-1; Davis, Georgia 3-0-1; Blankenship,
Hailee 3-0-0; Zimmerman, Allie 1-0-1; Miller, Kara 1-0-1; Rogers,
Hannah 0-1-0; La Mendola, Paula 0-1-0; Totals 18-3-2.0. (Assists) - .
(Dig leaders) - Puertas, Gabri 11; Ward, Julie 10
 
Francis Marion Univ. (18-10,14-2 Conferenc) (Kills-aces-blocks) - Lexi
Albright 14-1-0; Iyanla Thigpen 13-0-2; Gracie Davis 9-0-0; Lily
Walton 5-0-0; Kayla Arthur 4-0-1; Kaylee Gillespie 1-0-1; Madeline
Winning 1-0-0; Keely Mclain 0-1-0; Naina Ivanova 0-4-0; Totals
47-6-2.0. (Assists) - Kaylee Gillespie 34. (Dig leaders) - Naina
Ivanova 12; Kaylee Gillespie 11; Peyton Holley 11; Lexi Albright 8
 
Site: Florence, SC (Smith University Cen)
Date: 11/06/21       Attend: 143   Time: 1:21