BRISTOL, TN – Katie Kemp, Lexi Albright, and Caroline Lucas combined for 37 kills as Francis Marion University took a three-set win (25-21, 25-18, 26-24) over King University (Tenn.), Saturday afternoon (Oct. 8) in Conference Carolinas volleyball action.
 
Francis Marion completes its weekend trip with a pair of 3-0 victories and improves to 10-7 overall and 5-3 in conference play. The Patriots will play at UNC Pembroke on Wednesday at 7 p.m. in the latest installment of the Battle of I-95.
 
Kemp led the way with 15 kills and a .375 hitting percentage, while Lucas tallied 11 kills and a .409 hitting percentage.  Albright registered a double-double with 11 kills and 15 digs.
 
Patriot setter Kaylee Gillespie recorded 44 assists and served three aces, while libero Zoie Larkins dug up 15 balls.
 
Hailee Blankenship and Riley Nelson paced King (9-11, 4-5) with seven kills apiece.
 
FMU snapped a 20-20 deadlock in the opening set with closing 5-1 spurt that was aided by four Tornado attacking errors.
 
The Patriots trailed 10-7 in the second set, but took the lead for good with seven consecutive points.
 
In the final set, King held a late 22-18 advantage, but Francis Marion fought off three set points and rallied to tie the score at 24-24 on a kill by Lily Walton.  Gillespie then put FMU ahead with a service ace and Kemp concluded the match with a kill.
 
 
Francis Marion Univ. def. King (TN) 25-21,25-18,26-24
 
Francis Marion Univ. (10-7,5-3 Conference) (Kills-aces-blocks) - Katie
Kemp 15-1-1; Lexi Albright 11-0-0; Caroline Lucas 11-1-2; Beyonce
Andrews 9-0-0; Lily Walton 3-0-1; Kaylee Gillespie 1-3-0; Katie Floyd
0-1-0; Zoie Larkins 0-2-0; Totals 50-8-2.0. (Assists) - Kaylee
Gillespie 44. (Dig leaders) - Lexi Albright 15; Zoie Larkins 15; Katie
Floyd 8
 
King (TN) (9-11,4-5 Conference) (Kills-aces-blocks) - Nelson, Riley
7-0-3; Blankenship, Hailee 7-1-1; Love, Gracia 6-0-0; Snyder, Zephanie
5-0-0; Miller, Kara 3-0-1; Harless, Katie 1-0-2; Danner, Julie 0-1-0;
La Mendola, Paula 0-1-0; Rogers, Hannah 0-3-0; Totals 29-6-4.0.
(Assists) - Harless, Katie 24. (Dig leaders) - Rogers, Hannah 8;
Wilson, Claire 7
 
Site: Bristol, TN (Student Center Compl)
Date: 10/08/22       Attend: 302   Time: 1:24