BELMONT, NC – Belmont Abbey College closed the fourth set with a 9-0 run as the Crusaders defeated Francis Marion University 23-25, 25-21, 29-27, 26-24, Saturday afternoon (Oct. 5) in a hard-fought Conference Carolinas volleyball match.
 
Francis Marion will visit Converse University on Friday at 7 p.m. for its next action.  The Patriots were set to host Augusta University on Tuesday, but that match has been canceled.
 
Junior middleblocker Caroline Lucas led FMU with 14 kills and a .480 hitting percentage.  Senior Kara Walker registered 13 kills and 14 digs, while sophomore Chaney Barth and senior Kaytlin Smart added 11 and 10 kills respectively.  Barth recorded 11 digs for her first double-double of 2024 and Smart came up with five blocks.
 
Junior setter Mya Mendoza tallied 40 assists and junior Andrea Delcher shared the team lead with 14 digs.
 
Tyler Case and Katie Brookins paced Belmont Abbey (5-8, 3-1) with 15 kills apiece.
 
Behind the strong play of Barth (6 kills), Francis Marion took the opening set 25-23.  The second set featured 11 ties and four lead changes, but the Crusaders prevailed to even the match.
 
The marathon third set featured 10 ties and three lead changes before Belmont Abbey claimed the 29-27 victory.  In the fourth set, the Patriots forged a 24-17 advantage, but the Crusaders scored the final nine points to end the match.