FLORENCE, SC – A well-placed kill and a service ace provided the final two points for the University of Mount Olive and gave the Trojans a five-set (25-23, 16-25, 25-20, 19-25, 15-13) marathon win over Francis Marion University, Friday evening (Sept. 23) in Conference Carolinas volleyball action.
 
The Patriots (7-7, 2-3) will remain at home to entertain Chowan University on Saturday (Sept. 24) at 1 p.m.  Admission is free.
 
Outside hitters Katie Kemp and Lexi Albright led FMU with 16 and 15 kills respectively.  Albright, who surpassed 500 career kills during the match, also registered her fifth double-double of the year by digging up a team-high 16 balls.
 
Patriot setter Kaylee Gillespie tallied her eighth double-double of the season, and fourth in a row, with 43 assists and 14 digs.  FMU libero Zoie Larkins added 15 digs, while middle blocker Kalee Peter paced the defense with six blocks.
 
Ashlyn Stone led the first-place Trojans (9-6, 3-0) with 17 kills, while setter Madison Goodman handed out 30 assists and libero Morgan Prots added to her conference-leading total with 31 digs.
 
The tightly fought match included 22 ties and 10 lead changes.
 
Trailing two sets to one, Francis Marion was down 7-5 in the fourth set.  An 8-1 spurt gave the Patriots the lead for good en route to a 25-19 victory that forced a fifth set.
 
FMU trailed 9-5 in the deciding set, but rallied to knot the score with four consecutive points.  A service ace by Gillespie re-tied the score at 12-12.  Two points later, the score was deadlocked at 13-13.  UMO middle blocker Amara Eziakonwa then found an empty space in the far back corner of the FMU side with a well-placed kill and Goodman followed with a service ace to end the match.
 

 
Mount Olive def. Francis Marion Univ. 25-23,16-25,25-20,19-25,15-13
 
Mount Olive (9-6,3-0 Conference C) (Kills-aces-blocks) - Stone, Ashlyn
17-0-2; Eziakonwa, Amara 15-2-2; Widelski, Sam 8-1-1; Pec, Neza 5-0-1;
Huber, Camryn 4-0-5; Jackson, Alyssa 4-0-8; Williams, Ele'sia 1-0-0;
Goodman, Madison 1-2-0; Myer, Jenna 0-2-0; Prots, Morgan 0-3-0; Totals
55-10-10.0. (Assists) - Goodman, Madison 30; Myer, Jenna 16. (Dig
leaders) - Prots, Morgan 31; Widelski, Sam 16
 
Francis Marion Univ. (7-7,2-3 Conference C) (Kills-aces-blocks) -
Katie Kemp 16-0-1; Lexi Albright 15-2-2; Caroline Lucas 9-0-2; Lily
Walton 3-0-4; Kalee Peter 3-2-6; De'Asia Hill 2-0-0; Kaylee Gillespie
1-2-3; Gracie Davis 1-0-0; Keely Mclain 0-1-0; Zoie Larkins 0-1-0;
Totals 50-8-10.0. (Assists) - Kaylee Gillespie 43. (Dig leaders) -
Lexi Albright 16; Zoie Larkins 15; Kaylee Gillespie 14; Katie Floyd 12
 
Site: Florence, SC (Smith University Cen)
Date: 09/23/22       Attend: 194   Time: 2:29