FLORENCE, SC – Junior outside hitter Kara Walker tallied a team-high 17 kills, along with nine digs and three service aces, to lead Francis Marion University to a 25-18, 25-20, 25-20 victory over King University (Tenn.), Friday evening (Oct. 27) in Conference Carolinas volleyball play.
 
Francis Marion evens its overall record at 13-13 with its third straight win, while upping its conference slate to 9-4.
 
The Patriots will celebrate Senior Day on Saturday when FMU hosts its final regular-season home match at 2 p.m. against Lees-McRae College.  The match will be played in the Pearl Moore Basketball Center in downtown Florence.
 
Walker accomplished her kill total with a .367 hitting percentage.  Sophomore middle blocker Caroline Lucas registered 10 kills on only 16 swings with a .562 hitting percentage, while also adding three blocks.
 
FMU senior setter Kaylee Gillespie handed out 40 assists, while sophomore libero Katie Floyd and freshman Ella Quiring anchored the Patriot defense with 14 digs and 11 digs.
 
FMU hit .321 as a team.
 
Senior Hailee Blankenship led King (8-14, 4-8) with 12 kills and 12 digs.
 
The Patriots scored the first three points of the opening set and would never trail.  Although King did briefly tie the score at 6-6, FMU responded with seven straight points as Madilyn Gartner served.  Walker had a pair of kills in the run that led to a 25-18 win.
 
King jumped out to a 4-1 advantage to start the second set.  Francis Marion trailed 6-4, but ran off five straight points with Quiring on the service line to take the lead for good en route to the 25-20 victory.  Lucas had two kills in the spurt.
 
The Tornado captured the opening point of the third set, but FMU answered with five consecutive points as Walker recorded a pair of service aces.  Although King pulled to within 13-11, Francis Marion would gradually pull away for the clinching 25-20 win.

 
 
Francis Marion Univ. def. King (TN) 25-18,25-20,25-20
 
King (TN) (8-14,4-8 Conference) (Kills-aces-blocks) - Blankenship,
Hailee 12-0-0; Jayne, Abigale 8-0-0; Krick, Izzy 4-0-0; Fersner,
Bailey 4-0-0; Nelson, Riley 3-0-0; Love, Gracia 2-0-0; Miller, Kara
1-0-0; Clayton, Chloe 0-2-0; Morse, Faith 0-1-0; Totals 34-3-0.0.
(Assists) - Harless, Katie 29. (Dig leaders) - Blankenship, Hailee 12;
Puertas, Gabri 11
 
Francis Marion Univ. (13-13,9-4 Conference) (Kills-aces-blocks) - Kara
Walker 17-3-0; Caroline Lucas 10-0-3; Madilyn Gartner 9-2-1; Kaytlin
Smart 6-0-1; Mo Grigsby 4-0-1; Kaylee Gillespie 0-1-2; Totals
46-6-4.0. (Assists) - Kaylee Gillespie 40. (Dig leaders) - Katie Floyd
14; Ella Quiring 11; Madilyn Gartner 10; Kara Walker 9
 
Site: Florence, SC (Pearl Moore Basketball Center)
Date: 10/27/23       Attend: 107   Time: 1:30