FLORENCE, SC – Junior
Caroline Lucas and sophomore
Chaney Barth each recorded 14 kills to help lead Francis Marion University to its eighth consecutive win, a thrilling 17-25, 25-20, 25-18, 17-25, 15-12 victory over first-place Emmanuel University (Ga.), Friday night (Oct. 25) in Conference Carolinas volleyball play.
Francis Marion improves to 10-11 overall and 8-3 in conference action, while the Lions (13-9, 10-1) suffer their first league loss. The winning streak is the longest for FMU since a 12-match string in 2021.
The Patriots will host Southern Wesleyan University for Senior Day on Saturday at 2 p.m. Admission is free.
FMU senior
Kara Walker added 12 kills and 23 digs – one shy of her career high – to post her 10th double-double of the season. Senior middleblocker
Kaytlin Smart chipped in nine kills.
Junior setter
Mya Mendoza directed the Patriot attack with 47 assists, two service aces, and 19 digs. Junior libero
Katie Floyd dug up a team-high 24 digs (one shy of her career high) and now stands only three digs shy of becoming the 17th Patriot to amass 1000 career digs.
Junior defensive specialist
Andrea Delcher recorded a season-high 18 digs.
Ellie Jackson led Emmanuel with 19 kills and 27 digs.
The Lions took the lead for good at 4-3 in the opening set en route to the 25-17 win. Francis Marion scored six of the first seven points in the second set to take an early advantage, but Emmanuel rallied to knot the score at 9-9. The Patriots tallied the next three points and gradually pulled away to a 25-20 victory to even the match.
Emmanuel took an early 7-2 lead in the third set before the Patriots responded with a 13-3 run that led to a 25-18 win. The Lions evened the match again with a 25-17 victory in set No.4.
The Lions jumped out to a 4-1 lead in the fifth and final set, but FMU used an 8-2 run to go ahead 9-6. Emmanuel tied the match at 9-9 with three straight points. A kill by Walker later broke a 10-10 deadlock that gave Francis Marion the lead for good. The Lions fought off one match point before Barth pounded out a kill to end the marathon contest that lasted nearly two-and-a-half hours. Walker had four kills and Barth three in the fifth set.
