PEMBROKE, NC – Francis Marion University fought off four match points to force a fourth set, but that is where the Patriot rally ended as FMU fell to UNC Pembroke 25-20, 25-23, 26-28, 25-16, Tuesday night (Oct. 31) in Conference Carolinas volleyball action.
 
The loss snaps Francis Marion's four-match winning streak and drops the Patriots to 14-14 overall and 10-5 in league play.  FMU, UNCP, and the University of Mount Olive are all tied at the top of the East Division standings with 4-2 marks with two matches left to play in the regular season.
 
Francis Marion will play at Mount Olive on Saturday at 7 p.m. and at Barton College on Monday at 7 p.m. to conclude the regular season.
 
Junior middle blocker Mo Grigsby led FMU with a season-high 15 kills, to go along with a .323 hitting percentage and five blocks.  Freshman Madilyn Gartner added 10 kills, while freshman defensive specialist Ella Quiring dug up a team-high 15 balls.
 
Patriot senior setter Kaylee Gillespie dished out 46 assists and posted 13 digs and three blocks.
 
Vanja Przulj led UNCP (16-13, 10-5) with 18 kills, while setter Katie Pressley handed out a career-high 57 assists and broke the school's career assists record.
 
FMU recorded the first point of the match, but the Braves quickly responded with a 5-1 spurt and would not trailed again while winning 25-20.  UNCP did not trail in the second set and held off a late Patriot rally to win 25-23 and take a commanding two-sets-to-none advantage.
 
The third set featured 10 ties and four lead changes.  UNCP led late 23-21, but Francis Marion fought off four match points to eventually win 28-26 on a kill by Gillespie.  The Patriots raced to a 9-6 margin in the fourth set, but UNCP quickly knotted the match at 9-9.  The Braves broke an 11-11 deadlock with five straight points and would cruise to the 25-16 clinching victory.
 
The two programs split their season series, with each team winning on its home floor.
 
 
UNC Pembroke def. Francis Marion Univ. 25-20,25-23,26-28,25-16
 
Francis Marion Univ. (14-14,10-5 Conf) (Kills-aces-blocks) - Mo
Grigsby 15-0-5; Madilyn Gartner 10-0-1; Kara Walker 8-0-1; Kaytlin
Smart 6-0-1; Caroline Lucas 6-2-3; Kaylee Gillespie 2-0-3; Katie Kemp
2-0-0; Camryn Faggart 1-0-1; Katie Floyd 0-2-0; Totals 50-4-8.0.
(Assists) - Kaylee Gillespie 46. (Dig leaders) - Ella Quiring 15;
Kaylee Gillespie 13; Kara Walker 11; Katie Floyd 10; Madilyn Gartner 9
 
UNC Pembroke (16-13,10-5 Conf) (Kills-aces-blocks) - Przulj,
Vanja 18-1-0; Fraidenburg, Emma 15-0-2; Countryman, Ruby 13-0-4;
Peduzzi, Abby 9-0-0; Swain, Katelynn 9-0-0; Pressley, Katie 0-2-0;
Patterson, Tyler 0-3-0; Coghlan, Kyleigh 0-1-0; Totals 64-7-4.0.
(Assists) - Pressley, Katie 57. (Dig leaders) - Peduzzi, Abby 14;
Coghlan, Kyleigh 11; Patterson, Tyler 11; Pressley, Katie 11; Przulj,
Vanja 8
 
Site: Pembroke, NC (Lumbee Guaranty Bank)
Date: 10/31/23       Attend: 254   Time: 1:56