DUE WEST, SC - Freshman outside hitter Katie Kemp registered 29 kills to lead the Francis Marion University women's volleyball team to a pair of four-set victories on Friday (Aug. 26) as the Patriots opened their 2022 season at the Erskine College Tournament in Due West, S.C.  FMU defeated Shorter University 17-25, 26-24, 25-20, 25-16 and then beat the University of West Georgia 25-20, 23-25, 25-16, 25-23.
 
The Patriots (2-0) will conclude their play in the two-day event by battling local-rival Coker University on Saturday at 11 a.m.   Both of Friday's results avenged losses to the same two programs in last year's Erskine Tournament.
 
In the season-opening victory over Shorter, Kemp led the way with 14 kills, four service aces, and a .355 hitting percentage.  Sophomore De'Asia Hill recorded 13 kills and junior 6-2 middleblocker Kalee Peter added 10 kills, three blocks, and a .529 hitting percentage.
 
FMU junior setter Kaylee Gillespie handed out 41 assists and dug up eight balls, while junior Lexi Albright added a team-high 17 digs and eight kills.
 
After splitting the first two sets, FMU raced to a 20-9 advantage in the third set.  The Hawks answered with an 11-3 spurt to close within 23-20, but Albright collected a kill and Shorter committed an attacking error giving Francis Marion a 25-20 win.
 
Trailing 11-8 in the fourth set, the Patriots finished the match with a 17-5 run.  Gillespie served 10 balls during the run and Kemp and Hill each contributed three kills.  In the final set, FMU hit .314 as a team, while holding Shorter to a .000 percentage.
 
Albright registered a massive double-double in the win over UWG with 15 kills and a career-high equaling 24 digs.  Kemp posted 15 kills, while freshman Caroline Lucas tallied 10 kills and four blocks, Peter nine kills, and Hill seven kills.
 
Gillespie dished out 50 assists and sophomore libero Zoie Larkins had 20 digs.
 
FMU hit . 316 as a team in the opening set and never trailed en route to the 25-20 win.  After dropping the second set to even the match, the Patriots never trailed during the set-three victory.
 
Looking to finish off the match, Francis Marion took a 14-10 advantage in the fourth set.  However, the Wolves rattled off seven consecutive points to assume a 17-14 lead.  Senior Gracie Davis entered the match for the Patriots and contributed three kills to an 8-3 match-ending run – including a kill to account for the final point.
 
 
Francis Marion Univ. def. Shorter 17-25,26-24,25-20,25-16
 
Francis Marion Univ. (1-0,0-0 Conference C) (Kills-aces-blocks) -
Katie Kemp 14-4-2; De'Asia Hill 13-0-2; Kalee Peter 10-0-3; Lexi
Albright 8-0-2; Caroline Lucas 5-0-2; Kaylee Gillespie 1-0-1; Lily
Walton 1-0-0; Gracie Davis 1-0-1; Beyonce Andrews 1-0-3; Keely Mclain
0-1-0; Totals 54-5-8.0. (Assists) - Kaylee Gillespie 41. (Dig leaders)
- Lexi Albright 17; Katie Floyd 12; Keely Mclain 9; Zoie Larkins 8;
Kaylee Gillespie 8
 
Shorter (0-1,0-0 Gulf South) (Kills-aces-blocks) - Glover, Lacee
12-0-1; Veldhuis, Annie 8-0-2; Richardson, Emma 7-0-1; Patrick,
Katherine 5-0-4; Terrell, Carrington 5-0-3; Reese-Howell, Taylor
2-0-1; Cycholl, Taryn 1-1-0; Thro, Amelia 0-1-0; Loyola, Claudia
0-1-0; Smith, Annie 0-1-0; Cima, Abigail 0-1-0; Totals 40-5-7.0.
(Assists) - Smith, Annie 21; Cycholl, Taryn 12. (Dig leaders) -
Sprosty, Madison 16; Glover, Lacee 8
 
Site: Due West, SC (Galloway Center)
Date: 08/26/22       Attend: 56   Time: 1:54   
 
Francis Marion Univ. def. West Ga. 25-20,23-25,25-16,25-23
 
West Ga. (0-1,0-0 Gulf South) (Kills-aces-blocks) - LaBreche, Zoe
14-0-2; Harris, Emilee 12-2-0; Frazee, Caitlin 8-0-3; Conway, Claire
5-0-4; Young, Sanai 4-0-4; Blackmon, Sydney 1-2-0; Speeney, Hannah
1-1-3; Totals 45-5-8.0. (Assists) - Speeney, Hannah 37. (Dig leaders)
- Blackmon, Sydney 22; Segoviano, Isabela 14; Speeney, Hannah 14;
Harris, Emilee 9
 
Francis Marion Univ. (2-0,0-0 Conference C) (Kills-aces-blocks) -
Katie Kemp 15-0-0; Lexi Albright 15-2-2; Caroline Lucas 10-0-4; Kalee
Peter 9-0-1; De'Asia Hill 7-0-2; Gracie Davis 3-0-0; Zoie Larkins
1-1-0; Kaylee Gillespie 1-1-0; Totals 61-4-5.0. (Assists) - Kaylee
Gillespie 50. (Dig leaders) - Lexi Albright 24; Zoie Larkins 20; Keely
Mclain 12
 
Site: Due West, SC (Galloway Center)
Date: 08/26/22       Attend: 150   Time: 2:00