FLORENCE, SC ? Junior opposite hitter Camryn Faggart proved to be the difference-maker, posting a career-high-equaling 15 kills to go along with five block six and five digs, as Francis Marion University powered past USC Aiken for a 3-1 victory (16-25, 25-12, 25-22, 25-21) at the Smith University Center on Wednesday evening (Oct. 1).
 
Francis Marion now stands at 7-7 overall, while USC Aiken drops to 5-7. The Patriots have won six of their last seven contests, and two of three matches against USCA in this season. The Patriots will travel to Banner Elk, N.C., on Friday for their next match against the Lees-McRae Bobcats at 7 p.m.
 
FMU junior outside hitter Madilyn Gartner left her mark on Wednesday contest with 14 kills, 11 digs, and two aces, while junior McKenna Wiseman anchored the defense with a match-high 18 digs. At the net, senior middleblocker Caroline Lucas tallied seven blocks and sophomore middleblocker Ella Curbow added four, fueling a strong defensive front for the Patriots. A game-high 36 assists came from freshman setter Aubrey Johnson as well.
 
Francis Marion took time to find their rhythm in the opening set as USC Aiken advanced their lead, 16-9 right before attacking errors and a kill from Faggart got the ball rolling for FMU. A kill from Gartner followed by back-to-back swings from Lucas gave the Patriots a brief spark, but the Pacers held firm and closed out the set 25-16.
 
In the second set, Lucas sparked an 8-0 run, aided by Gartner's five kills, to push the Patriots ahead 14-4. With additional contributions from Curbow and Faggart – who notched four kills in the frame – alongside Gartner's continued production, Francis Marion maintained control and closed out the second set with a dominant 25-12 win.
 
Gartner set the tone for FMU in the third set with two early kills to spark the back-and-forth battle. Junior outside hitter Allison Miller chipped in with timely scoring, while Faggart dominated with six kills and Gartner added five more. In the end, a strong block from Faggart and Lucas sealed the nail-biting 25-22 victory.
 
A 7-0 Patriot advantage raised eyebrows due to attacking errors, a kill from Faggart, and two commanding straight kills from Miller to make the score 13-6 in the fourth game. The Pacers broke the streak for a few points until the Patriots struck again with blocks from Lucas and Johnson alongside kills from Gartner and Miller once again to make it 18-9. Curbow got in on the action with blocking assists with Gartner before USCA crept back into the match with a 7-1 run of their own, bringing it to 23-19. USC Aiken tested their might but was shut down by a monster block from Faggart and Lucas, winning the set 25-21 and securing the match victory, 3-1.