FLORENCE, SC – Sophomore Caroline Lucas and freshman Madilyn Gartner each clubbed 13 kills, but after winning the opening set Francis Marion University dropped the next three to fall to visiting University of Mont Olive 25-27, 25-21, 25-22, 25-13, Wednesday night (Oct. 18) in Conference Carolinas volleyball action.
 
Francis Marion (10-13, 6-4) will continue a five-match home stand by hosting Chowan University on Saturday at 2 p.m. in the Pearl Moore Basketball Center.
 
Gartner added 17 digs and three blocks, while Lucas' kill total came with a .346 hitting percentage and she also recorded three blocks.  Junior Kara Walker chipped in nine kills and 16 digs.
 
Senior setter Kaylee Gillespie directed the Patriot offense with 39 assists, while digging up a team-high 18 balls.  Sophomore libero Katie Floyd recorded 14 digs, freshman defensive specialist Ella Quiring 11 digs, and junior middle blocker Mo Grigsby seven blocks.
 
Senior outside hitter Neza Pec led Mount Olive (15-7, 9-2) with 15 kills, 31 digs, and a .343 hitting percentage.
 
The opening set featured eight ties and five lead changes.  The Patriots extended their lead to 10-4 after a kill by Lucas, but UMO rallied to knot the score at 16-16.  Kills by Gartner and Lucas snapped a 25-25 deadlock and gave FMU the early advantage.
 
The second set was tied at 10-10, before the Trojans scored seven straight points en route to the 25-21 win to even the match.  Francis Marion held a 14-11 lead in set No.3, but Mount Olive erased that deficit with a 10-1 spurt and eventually won 25-22.
 
With the score knotted at 9-9 in the fourth set, the Trojans ran off the next seven points to lead 16-9 and would clinched the match with a 25-13 victory.

 
 
Mount Olive def. Francis Marion Univ. 25-27,25-21,25-22,25-13
 
Mount Olive (15-7,9-2 Conference) (Kills-aces-blocks) - Pec, Neza
15-2-1; Mullins, Callie 13-0-3; Stone, Ashlyn 12-0-0; Cox, Karoline
10-0-3; Landis, Kaitlyn 8-0-2; Carter, Kate 5-0-3; Myer, Jenna 0-2-0;
Reid, Lyndsay 0-1-0; Sheaffer, Caroline 0-2-0; Totals 63-7-7.0.
(Assists) - Myer, Jenna 31; Reid, Lyndsay 21. (Dig leaders) - Pec,
Neza 31; Prots, Morgan 26; Reid, Lyndsay 11; Sheaffer, Caroline 10;
Stone, Ashlyn 9; Myer, Jenna 8
 
Francis Marion Univ. (10-13,6-4 Conference) (Kills-aces-blocks) -
Caroline Lucas 13-1-3; Madilyn Gartner 13-0-3; Kara Walker 9-1-2;
Kaytlin Smart 6-0-2; Mo Grigsby 3-0-7; Kaylee Gillespie 2-0-2; Ella
Quiring 0-2-0; Totals 46-4-10.0. (Assists) - Kaylee Gillespie 39. (Dig
leaders) - Kaylee Gillespie 18; Madilyn Gartner 17; Kara Walker 16;
Katie Floyd 14; Ella Quiring 11
 
Site: Florence, SC (Smith University Cen)
Date: 10/18/23       Attend: 129   Time: 2:7    
Referees: Tony Hill (1), Michael Holder (2), Carla Brayboy (L), Keith Atkinson (L)