WILSON, NC – Middle blocker Kalee Peter's 15 kills paced four Francis Marion University players in double digits, while setter Kaylee Gillespie recorded another significant milestone as the Patriots outlasted Barton College in five sets (21-25, 25-14, 25-15, 22-25, 15-11), Tuesday evening (Sept. 20) in Conference Carolinas volleyball action.
 
Francis Marion improves to 7-6 overall and evens its conference mark at 2-2.  The Patriots will play host to the University of Mount Olive on Friday at 6 p.m. and Chowan University on Saturday at 1 p.m.
 
Following Peter was outside hitter Lexi Albright with 14 kills, 14 digs, and six service aces, while Katie Kemp tallied 10 kills and 12 digs, and Carolina Lucas 10 kills and three blocks.
 
Gillespie handed out 42 assists and in the process moved past Nicole Bennett and into sixth place on the program's career assists list with 1,821.  The Pickens, S.C., native also dug up 15 balls and served five aces.  Libero Zoie Larkins registered a team-high 16 digs.
 
After dropping the opening set, FMU hit .521 as a team and never trailed in the second set.  That set saw the Patriots score the first five points and register a 10-1 run midway through the set.
 
Francis Marion trailed 8-7 in the third set, but used a 6-0 spurt to take the lead for good.  Barton won a hard-fought fourth set that included an amazing 17 ties.
 
The Bulldogs held a slim 5-4 advantage early in the fifth and deciding set, but FMU ran off four consecutive points to take the lead, and Albright concluded the match with a pair of kills.
 
 
Francis Marion Univ. def. Barton 21-25,25-14,25-15,22-25,15-11
 
Francis Marion Univ. (7-6, 2-2 CC) (Kills-aces-blocks) - Kalee Peter
15-0-0; Lexi Albright 14-6-0; Katie Kemp 10-2-1; Caroline Lucas
10-0-3; Lily Walton 4-0-4; Kaylee Gillespie 2-5-0; De'Asia Hill 1-0-0;
Keely Mclain 1-1-0; Totals 57-14-6.0. (Assists) - Kaylee Gillespie 42.
(Dig leaders) - Zoie Larkins 16; Kaylee Gillespie 15; Lexi Albright
14; Katie Kemp 12
 
Barton (2-8, 1-2 CC) (Kills-aces-blocks) - Allison Gambill 16-0-0;
Sarah Burton 12-0-5; Lily Haaga 11-0-1; Caroline Schoonover 10-0-0;
Kate Lawrence 3-0-1; Morgan Shaw 2-1-0; Sadie Hill 0-2-0; Madison
Greene 0-1-0; Lilly Meyer 0-1-0; Totals 54-5-7.0. (Assists) - Sadie
Hill 36; Madison Greene 12. (Dig leaders) - Brooke Clute 17; Lilly
Meyer 13; Madison Greene 10
 
Site: Wilson, N.C. (Wilson Gymnasium)
Date: Sep 20, 2022   Attend: 325   Time: 2:25   
Referees: William Elliott, Tony Hardin
Line judges: Owen Perkins, Charles Tudor