FLORENCE, SC – Featuring an attack that saw four players record double-figure kills, Francis Marion University outlasted visiting Barton College in five sets for a 25-23, 14-25, 25-19, 21-25, 15-11 win, Wednesday night (Oct. 25) in Conference Carolinas volleyball play.
 
Francis Marion improves to 12-13 overall and 8-4 in conference, and takes a one-game lead in the East Division standings.
 
The Patriots will play a pair of home matches this weekend at the Pearl Moore Basketball Center in downtown Florence:  Friday at 6 p.m. against King University (Tenn.) and Saturday at 2 p.m. against Lees-McRae College for Senior Day.
 
Junior Kara Walker and freshman Madilyn Gartner each posted 13 kills to lead the Patriots.  Walker added 13 digs and two service aces, while Gartner recorded 11 digs. Sophomore middle blocker Caroline Lucas added 12 kills with a .370 hitting percentage, and junior middle blocker Mo Grigsby chipped in 11 kills with a .381 hitting percentage and a team-high six blocks.
 
FMU junior Kaytlin Smart registered nine kills with a .600 hitting percentage.  Senior setter Kaylee Gillespie tallied 50 assists, 19 digs, and five kills, while sophomore libero Katie Floyd dug up 13 balls.
 
Allison Gambill's 21 kills and 17 digs led Barton (7-13, 3-10).
 
The opening set was knotted at 18-18, but a pair of kills by Walker helped Francis Marion open a 24-22 advantage.  An attacking error by the Bulldogs accounted for the final FMU point.  Barton never trailed in the second set en route to a 25-14 victory that evened the match at one-set apiece.
 
The tightly contested third set featured 10 ties and three lead changes. The score was deadlocked at 14-14 before a pair of Barton miscues and a kill by Lucas gave FMU a 17-14 margin, on the way to a 25-19 win.  The Bulldogs raced to a 17-9 lead in the fourth set, and despite FMU rallying to within 23-21, Barton held on for a 25-21 win that forced a fifth set. 
 
In the deciding set, the two squads battled to ties at 9-9, 10-10, and 11-11, before the Patriots scored the final four points with Gillespie serving.  The streak included a pair of kills by Walker.

 
 
Francis Marion Univ. def. Barton 25-23,14-25,25-19,21-25,15-11
 
Barton (7-15, 3-10) (Kills-aces-blocks) - Gambill, Allison
21-0-0; Sleight, Henly 15-3-1; Haaga, Lily 10-0-6; Lawrence, Kate
3-0-2; Schrubb, Aubree 2-0-6; Pitt, Lauryn 2-0-2; Strey, Hailey 2-4-0;
Meyer, Lilly 0-1-0; Hill, Sadie 0-1-0; Totals 55-9-9.0. (Assists) -
Hill, Sadie 32; Strey, Hailey 15. (Dig leaders) - Meyer, Lilly 21;
Gambill, Allison 17; Sleight, Henly 12; Hill, Sadie 9
 
Francis Marion Univ. (12-13, 8-4) (Kills-aces-blocks) -
Madilyn Gartner 13-0-0; Kara Walker 13-2-2; Caroline Lucas 12-0-1; Mo
Grigsby 11-0-6; Kaytlin Smart 9-0-3; Kaylee Gillespie 5-1-1; Camryn
Faggart 1-0-1; Ella Quiring 0-1-0; Ella Martinez 0-1-0; Totals
64-5-7.0. (Assists) - Kaylee Gillespie 50. (Dig leaders) - Kaylee
Gillespie 19; Ella Quiring 14; Katie Floyd 13; Kara Walker 13; Madilyn
Gartner 11
 
Site: Florence, SC (Pearl Moore Basketball Center)
Date: 10/25/23       Attend: 111   Time: 2:18