FLORENCE, SC – Sophomore Lexi Albright notched her second double-double in as many nights as Francis Marion University remained unbeaten in Conference Carolinas play with a three-set sweep (25-17, 25-14, 25-23) of Chowan University, Saturday afternoon (Sept. 25) in women's volleyball action.
 
The Patriots improve to 7-8 overall and 3-0 in conference play, only a half-game behind leader UNC Pembroke.  FMU will play its next three matches on the road, starting with a 7 p.m. contest at Belmont Abbey College on Tuesday.  The next home match for Francis Marion will be Oct. 8 against Converse University at 6 p.m.
 
Albright tallied 11 kills and 18 digs to lead FMU.  Graduate student Kayla Arthur and senior Alyssa Hansen each added 10 kills, while hitting .350 and .370 respectively.
 
FMU sophomore setter Kaylee Gillespie dished out 38 assists on 104 attempts, while freshman libero Zoie Larkins dug up a match-high 21 balls – her fourth match of at least 20 digs this season.
 
Anixa Rosa-Martinez led Chowan (4-9, 1-2) with 11 kills, while conference-leading libero Natalia Vega-Aponte had 13 digs.  The FMU defense held the Hawks to a .097 hitting percentage.
 
Senior Lily Walton opened the match with a pair of kills and the Patriots never trailed in the opening set.  Senior middle blocker Iyanla Thigpen registered four kills on only seven swings in first set.
 
FMU junior middle blocker Madeline Winning contributed a pair of kills from Gillespie sets during a 7-0 spurt in second game that snapped a 6-6 deadlock.
 
The third set was tightly contested with nine ties; however, Francis Marion only trailed in the very early portion.  A service error and an attack error by the Hawks allowed FMU to grab a 22-20 advantage.  Chowan closed to within 24-23, but Hansen ended the match with a kill.

 

Francis Marion Univ. def. Chowan 25-17,25-14,25-23
 
Chowan (4-9,1-2 Conference C) (Kills-aces-blocks) - Rosa-Martinez,
Anixa 11-0-0; Hall, Madison 6-0-1; Colon-Calero, Anamar 3-0-0;
Houston, Katie 2-0-0; Prince, Hadley 2-0-0; Putnam, Chloe 2-0-0;
Ortega, Ciara 1-0-0; Ahlers, Haydon 1-0-0; Powers, Nyah 1-0-0;
Middleton, Ellie 1-0-0; Totals 30-0-1.0. (Assists) - Ortega, Ciara 20.
(Dig leaders) - Vega-Aponte, Natalia 13; Prince, Hadley 12
 
Francis Marion Univ. (6-8,2-0 Conference C) (Kills-aces-blocks) - Lexi
Albright 11-1-1; Alyssa Hansen 10-0-2; Kayla Arthur 10-0-0; Lily
Walton 4-0-1; Iyanla Thigpen 4-0-0; Madeline Winning 4-0-2; Kaylee
Gillespie 1-0-0; Peyton Holley 0-2-0; Totals 44-3-3.0. (Assists) -
Kaylee Gillespie 38. (Dig leaders) - Zoie Larkins 21; Lexi Albright
18; Peyton Holley 11
 
Site: Florence, SC (Smith University Cen)
Date: 09/25/21       Attend: 74   Time: 1:23