FLORENCE, SC – Francis Marion University sophomore outside hitter Gracie Davis pounded out 12 kills in her first match as a Patriot and FMU swept past Lander University 25-22, 26-24, and 25-18, Thursday evening (March 4) in Peach Belt Conference women's volleyball action.
 
The Patriots (1-0, 1-0) will host USC Aiken on Tuesday 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.
 
Davis, a native of Myrtle Beach and product of Myrtle Beach High School, transferred to Francis Marion from Presbyterian College last summer.  Junior middleblocker Lily Watson and freshman hitter Lexi Albright each tallied seven kills.  Albright also served four aces, dug up eight balls and handled 24 of 25 serve receptions successfully in her collegiate debut.
 
Junior setter Finn Millians handed out 37 assists, while junior libero Alexis Watts, another Myrtle Beach native (Academy for Arts, Science, and Technology), registered a match-high 16 digs.
 
Junior Madilyn Reed led Lander (0-1, 0-1) with 10 kills and six digs, while sophomore Maddie Moss dished out 18 assists and dug up nine balls.
 
In the closely contested opening set, FMU led 22-21 when Millians dumped a ball over for a kill.  Junior middleblocker Iyanla Thigpen followed with a kill off a Millians' set and then senior Kayla Arthur accounted for the final Patriot point with a kill.
 
The second set featured 11 ties and four lead changes.  Knotted at 24-24, back-to-back attack errors by the Bearcats allowed Francis Marion to gain the victory.
 
The final set also featured 11 ties and three lead changes, but most occurred early.  FMU ran off six straight points – with senior Cortney Abdur-Rahim swerving – to snap a 15-15 deadlock and did not trail again.
 
The Patriots held Lander to a .101 team hitting percentage.
 

 
Francis Marion Univ. def. Lander 25-22,26-24,25-18
 
Lander (0-1,0-1 Peach Belt) (Kills-aces-blocks) - Reed, Madilyn
10-1-1; Walker, Maya 9-0-3; Barral, Alexa 5-0-3; Hritz, Hannah 4-0-0;
Aguayo, Christina 2-0-0; Smith, Madison 1-0-1; Willingham, McCayla
1-0-1; , 0-0-1; Efrid, Emma 0-1-0; Totals 32-2-5.0. (Assists) - Moss,
Maddie 18; Reed, Madilyn 10. (Dig leaders) - Aguayo, Christina 13;
Moss, Maddie 9
 
Francis Marion Univ. (1-0,1-0 Peach Belt) (Kills-aces-blocks) - Gracie
Davis 12-0-1; Lily Walton 7-1-2; Lexi Albright 7-4-1; Kayla Arthur
6-0-0; Iyanla Thigpen 4-0-2; Alyssa Hansen 3-0-2; Finn Millians 2-2-1;
Courtney Abdur-Rahim 0-3-0; Keely McLain 0-1-0; Totals 41-11-6.0.
(Assists) - Finn Millians 37. (Dig leaders) - Alexis Watts 16;
Courtney Abdur-Rahim 9; Lexi Albright 8
 
Site: Florence, SC (Smith University Cen)
Date: 03/04/21       Attend: 144   Time: 1:29
Referees: Debbie Ormand, Anthony Hill, Dan Jampole, Tom Brown