DUE WEST, SC – Junior setter
Kaylee Gillespie directed a balanced attack with 25 assists as Francis Marion University remained unbeaten with a 25-15, 25-22, 25-20 victory over local-rival Coker University, Saturday afternoon (Aug. 27) at the Erskine College Women's Volleyball Tournament.
Francis Marion, now 3-0, will travel to the Pacer Invitational Tournament next weekend in Aiken. On Friday, FMU will face a pair of former Peach Belt Conference foes: Lander University at 11:30 a.m. and Augusta University at 4:30 p.m.
Gillespie also served four aces and dug up eight balls in Saturday's contest as FMU has registered its first 3-0 start in 20 seasons. Freshman middleblocker
Caroline Lucas led the Patriots with eight kills, while freshman
Katie Kemp had six, and both senior
Gracie Davis and graduate student
Lily Walton five apiece.
Sophomore libero
Zoie Larkins posted a team-high 14 digs, while junior
Lexi Albright added 10 digs and three service aces.
Francis Marion never trailed in either of the first or third sets. The second set did feature nine ties and six lead changes. FMU led only 23-21, but a kill by Lucas and an attacking error by the Cobras allowed the Patriots to register the 25-22 win.
Francis Marion Univ. def. Coker 25-15,25-22,25-20
Francis Marion Univ. (3-0,0-0 Conference C) (Kills-aces-blocks) -
Caroline Lucas 8-1-1;
Katie Kemp 6-2-1;
Lily Walton 5-0-1; Gracie
Davis 5-0-0;
Kalee Peter 4-0-3;
Beyonce Andrews 3-0-1;
Lexi Albright
2-3-1;
De'Asia Hill 1-0-0;
Zoie Larkins 1-0-0;
Keely Mclain 0-1-0;
Kaylee Gillespie 0-4-1;
Meghan Scharpenberg 0-0-1; Totals 35-11-5.0.
(Assists) -
Kaylee Gillespie 25. (Dig leaders) -
Zoie Larkins 14; Lexi
Albright 10;
Kaylee Gillespie 8
Coker (1-1,0-0 SAC) (Kills-aces-blocks) - Earl-Reyes, Naomi 9-0-3;
Hills, Taylor 9-2-0; Blume, Chelsey 4-0-5; Loveday, Lauren 3-0-2;
Jinks, Nehemiah 2-0-2; Anderson, Alaysia 2-0-2; Boland, Kendal 1-0-0;
Totals 30-2-7.0. (Assists) - Velez, Adriana 15. (Dig leaders) - Hills,
Taylor 13; Loveday, Lauren 11; Harris, Makayla 8
Site: Due West, SC (Galloway Center)
Date: 08/27/22 Attend: 75 Time: 1:18