FLORENCE, SC –  Sophomore libero Katie Floyd registered a career-high-equaling 25 digs and senior setter Kaylee Gillespie reached a career milestone as Francis Marion University swept past Southern Wesleyan University in three sets (25-16, 25-16, 25-16), Friday evening (Sept. 22) in Conference Carolinas volleyball action.
 
Francis Marion evens its season mark at 6-6 with its fourth consecutive win and improves to 2-0 in conference play. 
 
FMU will conclude its weekend trip to the Upstate with a tri-match at North Greenville University on Saturday.  The Patriots will face the host Crusaders in a conference match at noon and will play Lenoir-Rhyne University in a non-conference contest at 2:30 p.m.
 
Gillespie handed out 30 assists and in the process moved into third place on the FMU career list with 2,750 helpers, passing Carrie McGinnis who played between 2015 and 2018.  Gillespie also recorded 10 digs for her ninth double-double in 12 matches this season.
 
Freshman Madilyn Gartner led the Patriots with 12 kills and nine digs, while both junior Kara Walker and sophomore Caroline Lucas had 10 kills and two service aces apiece.  Walker added 10 digs for her fourth double-double of 2023.
 
FMU recorded six service aces in the three-set sweep and did not allow any aces by the Warriors (1-8, 0-3) in 50 serve attempts.
 
Francis Marion never trailed in either the first or third sets, while cruising to the victory.
 
 
Francis Marion Univ. def. Southern Wesleyan 25-16,25-16,25-16
 
Francis Marion Univ. (6-6,2-0 Conference C) (Kills-aces-blocks) -
Madilyn Gartner 12-1-0; Caroline Lucas 10-2-0; Kara Walker 10-2-0; Mo
Grigsby 7-0-3; Camryn Faggart 3-0-2; Ella Martinez 2-0-0; Kaylee
Gillespie 2-1-1; Totals 46-6-3.0. (Assists) - Kaylee Gillespie 30.
(Dig leaders) - Katie Floyd 25; Kaylee Gillespie 10; Kara Walker 10;
Kayla Clayworth 9; Madilyn Gartner 9
 
Southern Wesleyan (1-8,0-3 Conference C) (Kills-aces-blocks) -
Andress, Michaela 8-0-2; Wilson, Gracie 6-0-4; Ellis, Emily 6-0-0;
Moore, Ellie 3-0-1; Eichman, Trinity 1-0-2; Ronaldson, Emma 1-0-1;
Pino, Kristina 1-0-0; Totals 26-0-6.0. (Assists) - Sexton, Ashley 10.
(Dig leaders) - Andress, Michaela 14; Pino, Kristina 9
 
Site: Central, SC (Tysinger Gymnasium)
Date: 09/22/23       Attend: 104   Time: 1:13