FLORENCE, SC – Sophomore outside hitter Chaney Barth pounded out a career-high 20 kills and dug up 16 balls to lead Francis Marion University to its seventh consecutive win, a 27-25, 25-23, 24-26, 25-23 win over USC Aiken, Wednesday night (Oct. 23) in non-conference volleyball action.
 
Francis Marion (9-11) completes its successful day with a pair of victories.  FMU beat Chowan University in three sets earlier on Wednesday.  The Patriots will host Emmanuel University (Ga.) on Friday at 6 p.m.
 
Senior Kara Walker followed Barth with 14 kills and 19 digs for her ninth double-double of the year.  She has now amassed more than 500 kills and 500 digs in her short two-year career at FMU.  She also served three aces against the Pacers on Wednesday.
 
Senior middleblocker Kaytlin Smart added 10 kills for the Patriots.
 
Patriot junior setter Mya Mendoza tallied 44 assists, 14 digs, and two aces, while junior libero Katie Floyd dug up 15 balls and now stands only 27 digs shy of 1000 for her career.
 
Emily Lammers led USCA (11-4) with 17 kills and 12 digs.
 
The hard-fought match featured 30 ties and 17 lead changes.  A kill by sophomore Camryn Faggart and a Pacer attacking error snapped a 25-25 deadlock and gave FMU the opening set.  In the second set, a kill by Walker and another USCA attacking miscue broke a 23-23 tie and handed the Patriots a two-sets-to-none advantage.
 
A kill by Lammers followed by a service ace by Lammers gave USCA a 26-24 win in set No.3.  The Pacers had jumped to a quick 6-1 lead and led 18-12 before Francis Marion rallied to knot the score at 23-23 and later 24-24. 
 
In the fourth and final set, FMU jumped out to an 8-4 lead, but USCA rallied to tie the match at 12-12.  The Pacers would later take a 15-13 lead, but four straight points by the Patriots resulted in the final lead change.  USCA closed to within 24-23, but Smart ended the match with a kill off a set from Mendoza.