FLORENCE, SC – Junior outside hitter Kara Walker posted a double-double with 12 kills and 10 digs to help lead Francis Marion University to a three-game sweep (25-21, 25-20, 25-11) of visiting Belmont Abbey College, Friday night in Conference Carolinas volleyball action.
 
Francis Marion evens its overall record at 8-8 and improves to 4-1 in conference play.  FMU will return to the court on Saturday afternoon at 2 p.m., hosting Converse University at the downtown Pearl Moore Basketball Center.  Admission is free.
 
Walker also recorded a pair of blocks to go along with her seventh double-double of 2023.
 
Junior Mo Grigsby and freshman Madilyn Gartner both tallied seven kills, with Grigsby adding six blocks and Gartner 12 digs.
 
Senior setter Kaylee Gillespie handed out 27 assists and served a pair of aces, while sophomore libero Katie Floyd dug up 12 balls. 
 
Defensively, FMU held the Crusaders to a team hitting percentage of .076.
 
Cameron Young led Belmont Abbey (1-12, 1-4) with 11 kills.
 
The Crusaders led early in each set, but once FMU assumed the lead, it never trailed again.  Belmont Abbey scored the opening three points in the first set, but the Patriots took the advantage at 5-4 on an attacking error by the Crusaders and didn't trial again in the 25-21 victory.
 
Belmont Abbey again led early in the second set, but Francis Marion would take the lead at 11-10 on a serving ace by Walker.  The Crusaders sprinted to a 4-0 margin in the third set, but FMU rallied to assume a 6-5 advantage.  An 11-2 run later in the set allowed Francis Marion to cruise to the clinching 25-11 win.

 
 
Francis Marion Univ. def. Belmont Abbey 25-21,25-20,25-11
 
Belmont Abbey (1-12,1-4) (Kills-aces-blocks) - Young,
Cameron 11-0-0; Case, Tyler 6-0-1; McCullough, Jenna 6-0-2; Wilson,
Sarah 4-0-1; Sultenfuss, Lola 3-0-1; Nickol, Riley 0-1-0; Marsh, Lily
0-1-0; Bradley, Trinity 0-1-0; Schellenberg, Ella 0-1-1; Totals
30-4-3.0. (Assists) - Schellenberg, Ella 25. (Dig leaders) - Case,
Tyler 11; Marsh, Lily 7
 
Francis Marion Univ. (8-8,4-1) (Kills-aces-blocks) - Kara
Walker 12-1-2; Madilyn Gartner 7-0-1; Mo Grigsby 7-0-6; Caroline Lucas
3-2-1; Kaytlin Smart 2-0-4; Kaylee Gillespie 2-2-0; Totals 33-5-7.0.
(Assists) - Kaylee Gillespie 27. (Dig leaders) - Madilyn Gartner 12;
Katie Floyd 12; Kara Walker 10
 
Site: Florence, SC (Smith University Cen)
Date: 09/29/23       Attend: 181   Time: 0:3