MILLEDGEVILLE, GA – A balanced offensive attack that saw four players register double-digit kills and a closing 5-1 spurt in the final set allowed Francis Marion University to capture a marathon 25-23, 25-11, 19-25, 21-25, 15-12 road victory over Georgia College, Saturday evening (March 20) in Peach Belt Conference volleyball play.
 
Francis Marion (2-4, 2-4) will return home to entertain Young Harris College on Thursday at 6 p.m.  Admission is free, but spectators are limited to 250, including ONLY FMU season ticket holders, FMU students who pick up free tickets prior to first serve, and family members of players who reserve admission tickets prior to game day. Spectators will be required to wear masks and social distancing will be observed.
 
Junior 6-2 middlehitter Iyanla Thigpen led FMU with 14 kills and five blocks, while senior Kayla Arthur, junior Lily Walton, and freshman Lexi Albright all tallied 13 kills.  Thigpen and Walton posted attack percentages of .367 and .321 respectively, and Albright recorded a career-high 19 digs and served two of the team's three aces.
 
Freshman setter Kaylee Gillespie handed out a career-high 56 assists and dug up 13 balls.  Junior libero Alexis Watts registered a season-high 24 digs and successfully handled all of her 22 serve receptions.
 
Libby Bochniak led Georgia College (3-3, 3-3) with 15 kills and 18 digs.  Setter Lauren Talele totaled 50 assists and 11 digs.
 
After the Patriots won the opening two sets, Georgia College rallied to win the next two and force a fifth set.
 
In that set, the score was tied eight times up to 10-10.  After the Bobcats took an 11-10 advantage, Albright and Arthur converted Gillespie sets into kills and a 12-11 FMU lead.  Following a Georgia College timeout, Arthur and Thigpen added kills to make the margin 14-11.  After a Patriot serving error, Albright ended the match with a kill.
 
 
Francis Marion Univ. def. Georgia College 25-23,25-11,19-25,21-25,15-12
 
Francis Marion Univ. (2-4,2-4 Peach Belt) (Kills-aces-blocks) - Iyanla
Thigpen 14-0-5; Lily Walton 13-0-2; Kayla Arthur 13-0-3; Lexi Albright
13-2-2; Alyssa Hansen 8-0-2; Kaylee Gillespie 4-0-1; Gracie Davis
2-0-0; Courtney Abdur-Rahim 0-1-0; Totals 67-3-8.0. (Assists) - Kaylee
Gillespie 56. (Dig leaders) - Alexis Watts 24; Lexi Albright 19;
Courtney Abdur-Rahim 14; Kaylee Gillespie 13; Keely McLain 8
 
Georgia College (3-3,3-3 Peach Belt) (Kills-aces-blocks) - Bochniak,
Libby 15-1-2; Miller, Callie 13-0-2; Boughner, Emma 10-1-3; Stewart,
Sarah 9-0-1; Mangan, Sarah 7-0-5; Talele, Lauren 1-0-1; Pope, Emily
1-0-0; DeSalvo, Bella 0-1-0; Totals 56-3-8.0. (Assists) - Talele,
Lauren 50. (Dig leaders) - Moellering, Jordyn 18; Bochniak, Libby 18;
Stewart, Sarah 12; Talele, Lauren 11; DeSalvo, Bella 9
 
Site: Milledgeville, GA (Centennial Center)
Date: 03/20/21       Attend: 63   Time: 2:3