GREENWOOD, SC – The Francis Marion University volleyball team swept two matches from Elizabeth City State University (24-25, 25-27, 25-21, 26-24, 15-12) and Fayetteville State University (28-26, 26-24, 25-16) for a 2-0 day at the Lander University Tournament on Saturday (Sept. 16). 
 
The Patriots (4-6) will play their home opener and Conference Carolina opener against UNC Pembroke on Wednesday at 6 p.m. in the Pearl Moore Basketball Center in downtown Florence.  Admission is free.  
 
Freshman outside hitter Madilyn Gartner made her presence known throughout the Elizabeth City State match, posting a game-high 17 kills with a .191 hitting percentage. Not only was Gartner an offensive threat against the Vikings, but she also became a key component on defense registering 14 digs and 23 serve receptions with no errors.  
 
Sophomore middle blocker Caroline Lucas also chipped away at the ECSU defense with 14 kills of her own. With minimal attacking errors throughout the five-set match, Lucas registered a .440 hitting percentage. 
 
In the victory over ECSU, senior setter Kaylee Gillespie, the reigning Conference Carolinas Specialist of the Week, registered a season-high 53 assists and dished out 11 digs for the Patriots.  
 
Katie Floyd, libero for the Patriots, picked up 18 digs and 23 serve receptions.  
 
The five-set thriller began with FMU dropping the first two sets of the match. Despite playing from behind, the Patriots powered through and won three straight sets to earn the victory. FMU registered 64 kills compared to ECSU's 60. The Patriots also had a total of eight blocks, 68 digs, and nine aces against the Vikings. 
 
Elizabeth Kellum paced the Vikings with 15 kills and four blocks.  
 
In the later match against Fayetteville State, Gartner tallied 16 kills, a .333 hitting percentage, 10 digs, and three service aces.  Junior Kara Walker added 11 kills.
 
Gillespie handed out 32 assists, dug up a team-high 18 balls, and served two aces, while Floyd registered 16 digs.
 
Despite trailing the Broncos early in the first set, the Patriots knotted the score at 11-11 with a kill from Mo Grigsby. Both teams battled back and forth to gain control of the game and Francis Marion eventually grab their lead at point 26. Kills from Walker and Gartner changed the momentum of the match and Patriots closed out the first set winning 28-26. 
 
Much like the first set, FMU began in a nine-point deficit. A kill from Lucas finally released the Patriots from their slump. The Broncos were able to hold on to their lead up until the final moments of set two. Francis Marion took yet another set in extra points with a service ace from Gartner. 
 
Set three looked drastically different from the first two sets. FMU went up by six points early on. The Patriots and Broncos never exchanged leads in the final set as Francis Marion sealed the score at 25-16. 
 
 
Francis Marion Univ. def. Elizabeth City St. 24-26,25-27,25-21,26-24,15-12
 
Francis Marion Univ. (3-6,0-0 Conference C) (Kills-aces-blocks) -
Madilyn Gartner 17-2-0; Caroline Lucas 14-1-1; Kara Walker 12-4-3; Mo
Grigsby 10-0-3; Katie Kemp 7-0-2; Camryn Faggart 3-0-0; Ella Quiring
1-1-0; Kaylee Gillespie 0-1-2; Totals 64-9-8.0. (Assists) - Kaylee
Gillespie 53. (Dig leaders) - Katie Floyd 18; Madilyn Gartner 14; Kara
Walker 14; Kaylee Gillespie 11
 
Elizabeth City St. (2-9,0-0 CIAA) (Kills-aces-blocks) - Davenport,
Destinee 15-0-1; Kellum, Elizabeth 15-3-4; Newell, Simone 12-0-0;
Williams, Ashanti 8-0-0; Rose, Andrea 6-1-5; Blakemore, Clarke 2-0-0;
Keys, Maci 1-0-1; Rouse, Jada 1-1-0; Sullivan, Kayleigh 0-2-0;
Strasburg, Portia 0-1-0; Leggett, Naijya 0-3-0; Totals 60-11-10.0.
(Assists) - Kellum, Elizabeth 34; Sullivan, Kayleigh 15. (Dig leaders)
- Leggett, Naijya 11; Strasburg, Portia 9; Kellum, Elizabeth 9;
Sullivan, Kayleigh 8
 
Site: Greenwood, SC (Horne Arena)
Date: 09/16/23       Attend: 55   Time: 2:21   
 
Francis Marion Univ. def. Fayetteville St. 28-26,26-24,25-16
 
Francis Marion Univ. (4-6,0-0 Conference C) (Kills-aces-blocks) -
Madilyn Gartner 16-3-1; Kara Walker 11-0-0; Caroline Lucas 7-0-1;
Kaylee Gillespie 6-2-1; Mo Grigsby 3-0-3; Katie Floyd 1-0-0; Ella
Quiring 0-3-0; Kaytlin Smart 0-0-2; Camryn Faggart 0-0-1; Totals
44-8-6.0. (Assists) - Kaylee Gillespie 32. (Dig leaders) - Kaylee
Gillespie 18; Katie Floyd 16; Ella Quiring 11; Madilyn Gartner 10;
Kayla Clayworth 8
 
Fayetteville St. (3-9,0-0 CIAA) (Kills-aces-blocks) - Watson, Casandra
12-0-0; Vittoni, Chiara 9-0-5; Pratcher, Christina 6-0-7; Everett,
A'Lexus 6-0-2; Torres, Allinson 2-0-2; Akamine, Nikole 2-2-0; Guiles,
Sonjai 2-0-4; Kendal-Eason, Sydney 0-1-1; Johnson, Jordan 0-1-0;
Totals 39-4-11.0. (Assists) - Akamine, Nikole 18; Bynum, Jaida 10.
(Dig leaders) - Watson, Casandra 15; Brown, Aliyah 14; Bryant, Alexia
8
 
Site: Greenwood, SC (Horne Arena)
Date: 09/16/23       Attend: 28   Time: 1:30