FLORENCE, SC – Sophomores Gracie Davis and Brittany Sehnke combined for 30 kills and 29 digs to lead Francis Marion University in a four-set loss (18-25, 25-23, 25-22, 25-18) to Georgia College, Friday night (April 9) in Peach Belt Conference volleyball action.
 
Francis Marion (3-7, 3-7) will host Flagler College on Saturday at 3 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 registered season-high totals of 15 kills and 21 digs, while also serving two aces.  Sehnke, a product of Wilson High School, netted career-highs of 15 kills and eight digs in only her second career start.  Junior 6-2 middleblocker Iyanla Thigpen added 13 kills and three blocks.
 
FMU freshman setter Kaylee Gillespie tallied 44 assists and nine digs, while junior libero Alexis Watts dug up 14 balls.
 
Junior Sarah Mangan's 13 kills led four Georgia College (6-6, 6-6) players in double-figures, while junior setter Lauren Talele handed out 42 assists and had 10 digs.
 
FMU broke a 10-10 deadlock in the opening set with a four-point run.  The Patriots also held the Bobcats to a .067 attack percentage while claiming the 25-18 victory.  The second set was close throughout.  A kill by Sehnke off a Gillespie set knotted the score at 23-23, but the next two points went the way of the Bobcats for the equalizing set win.
 
In the third set, a Davis kill brought FMU to within 22-21, but Georgia College captured three of the next four points.  The Bobcats took the lead for good in set four at 6-5.

 
 
Georgia College def. Francis Marion Univ. 18-25,25-23,25-22,25-18
 
Georgia College (6-6,6-6 Peach Belt) (Kills-aces-blocks) - Mangan,
Sarah 13-0-2; Bochniak, Libby 11-2-1; Stewart, Sarah 10-3-0; Miller,
Callie 10-0-3; Boughner, Emma 6-1-4; Talele, Lauren 3-0-2; DeSalvo,
Bella 0-2-0; Totals 53-8-7.0. (Assists) - Talele, Lauren 42. (Dig
leaders) - Moellering, Jordyn 22; Stewart, Sarah 20; Bochniak, Libby
10; DeSalvo, Bella 10; Talele, Lauren 10
 
Francis Marion Univ. (3-7,3-7 Peach Belt) (Kills-aces-blocks) -
Brittany Sehnke 15-0-1; Gracie Davis 15-2-1; Iyanla Thigpen 13-0-3;
Kaylee Gillespie 4-0-0; Kayla Arthur 3-1-2; Alyssa Hansen 3-0-0;
Madeline Winning 2-1-0; Lily Walton 2-1-1; Keely McLain 0-1-0; Alexis
Watts 0-1-0; Totals 57-7-4.0. (Assists) - Kaylee Gillespie 44. (Dig
leaders) - Gracie Davis 21; Alexis Watts 14; Keely McLain 11; Kaylee
Gillespie 9; Brittany Sehnke 8
 
Site: Florence, SC (Smith University Cen)
Date: 04/09/21       Attend: 115   Time: 1:53
Referees: Darryl Buck (R1), Roque Urena (R2), Dan Jampole (L), Rhonda Groves (L)