FLORENCE, SC – Senior middleblocker Caroline Lucas pounded out 17 kills to lead three Patriots in double figures as Francis Marion University cruised to a 25-20, 26-24, 25-17 sweep of visiting North Greenville University, Friday night (Oct. 17) in Conference Carolinas women's volleyball action.
 
Francis Marion, now 12-8 overall and 10-1 in conference play, will host the University of Mount Olive on Saturday (Oct. 18) at 1 p.m.
 
Lucas hit an even .500 with only one error on 32 swings.  Junior Madilyn Gartner recorded 16 kills, a .300 hitting percentage, and 13 digs; while junior opposite side hitter Camryn Faggart added 12 kills and three blocks.
 
Patriot freshman setter Aubrey Johnson handed out 38 assists and had 13 digs for her seventh double-double of the season.  Redshirt-junior defensive specialist Kayla Clayworth registered a career-high equaling 19 digs, while senior libero Katie Floyd dug up 17 balls.  Floyd moved past Emma Giden and into seventh place on the program's career digs list with 1,321.
 
FMU freshman middleblocker McKayla Stockwell posted a team-high five blocks.
 
Junior Samantha Ball led North Greenville (8-11, 6-6) with 13 kills and 20 digs.
 
Trailing 2-1 in the opening set, the Patriots took the lead for good with five straight points as junior Allison Miller did the serving.  The lead ballooned to 19-13 following a kill by Gartner, and the Trailblazers never got closer than four points for the remainder of the set.
 
The second set featured 11 ties and five lead changes.  NGU led through much of the early going before FMU knotted the score at 7-7 on a kill from Faggart.  Francis Marion went up 16-12 before the Trailblazers responded with a 5-0 spurt to regain the lead.  FMU later led 21-18, but North Greenville ran off six consecutive points to go ahead 24-21 and force a set point.  FMU answered with a 5-0 run, capped by a kill from Lucas and a service ace from Clayworth to rescue a 26-24 win.
 
North Greenville again looked to extend the match, talking a 14-11 lead in the third set.  The Patriots responded with a 10-1 run behind three kills each from Lucas and Gartner, to grab a 21-15 advantage.  Johnson fed Gartner for the match-ending kill and a 25-17 victory.
 
With the victory, FMU head coach Lauren Baufield-Edwards moves into a tie with Ann Barton for the second-most coaching wins in program history with 126.