PEMBROKE, NC – Division-leading UNC Pembroke used a match-ending 8-1 run in the fifth set to record a marathon 26-24, 18-25, 25-11, 22-25, 15-9 win over visiting Francis Marion University, Wednesday night (Oct. 12) in Conference Carolinas volleyball play.
 
Francis Marion drops to 10-8 overall and 5-4 in conference play, while the Braves (14-10, 11-1) sweep the Battle of I-95 season series – both in five sets.
 
FMU will host Barton College on Saturday at 1 p.m. and Southern Wesleyan University on Monday at 6 p.m.
 
Lexi Albright led the Patriots with 21 kills and 10 digs for her seventh double-double of the season. Her kill total was three shy of her season high recorded against the Braves last month.
 
Katie Kemp followed Albright with 16 kills and three blocks, while Beyoncé Andrews chipped in seven kills and four blocks.  
 
Francis Marion setter Kaylee Gillespie stuffed the stat sheet with totals of 48 assists, 16 digs, three blocks, and two service aces.  This was her ninth double-double of the year, and in the process she moved past former Patriot Stacey Ewing and into fifth place on the career assists list wih 2,022.  Patriot libero Zoie Larkins added 15 digs.
 
Vanja Przuli led UNCP with 19 kills and 13 digs.
 
The opening set featured nine ties.  FMU trailed 17-9, but ran off eight consecutive points to knot the score.  The Patriots would go up 20-18, but the Braves rallied to deadlock the set at 24-24, and then took a 1-0 set advantage with a pair of kills.
 
Francis Marion snapped a 13-13 tie in set No.2 with a 5-1 spurt en route to evening the match at one set apiece.  After a lop-sided loss in the third set, FMU looked to return the favor by quickly jumping out to a 13-4 lead in the fourth set.  UNCP rallied to within 22-21, but kills by Kemp and Caroline Lucas and a service ace by Larkins sent the match to a fifth set.
 
The Braves raced to a 5-0 lead, but the Patriots rallied to go ahead 8-7 as the two squads switched sides.  UNCP tallied eight of the final nine points to earn the victory.

 
UNC Pembroke def. Francis Marion Univ. 26-24,18-25,25-11,22-25,15-9
 
Francis Marion Univ. (10-8,5-4 Conference) (Kills-aces-blocks) - Lexi
Albright 21-1-1; Katie Kemp 16-0-3; Beyonce Andrews 7-0-4; Lily Walton
6-0-1; De'Asia Hill 4-0-1; Kalee Peter 4-1-2; Caroline Lucas 2-0-2;
Keely Mclain 0-1-0; Kaylee Gillespie 0-2-3; Katie Floyd 0-2-0; Zoie
Larkins 0-1-0; Totals 60-8-9.0. (Assists) - Kaylee Gillespie 48. (Dig
leaders) - Kaylee Gillespie 16; Zoie Larkins 15; Lexi Albright 10
 
UNC Pembroke (14-10,11-1 Conferenc) (Kills-aces-blocks) - Przulj,
Vanja 19-3-1; Skryd, Shannon 12-0-2; Warren, Brianna 9-2-3; Daley,
Precious 7-0-2; O'Donnell, Erin 4-0-4; Gibbs, Morgan 1-0-1; Turbyfill,
Hope 0-1-0; Totals 52-6-8.0. (Assists) - Gibbs, Morgan 22; Pressley,
Katie 17. (Dig leaders) - Turbyfill, Hope 17; Przulj, Vanja 13; Skryd,
Shannon 12; Martin, Elise 8
 
Site: Pembroke, NC (Lumbee Guaranty Bank)
Date: 10/12/22       Attend: 186   Time: 2:13