FLORENCE, SC – Junior outside hitter Madelyn Gartner combined for 37 kills on Friday (Sept. 26), as Francis Marion University split a volleyball doubleheader at the Smith University Center, capturing a 3-0 sweep over Erskine College before dropping a 3-1 decision to Flagler College.
Francis Marion moves to 6-7 overall and maintains a perfect 5-0 record in Conference Carolinas play. FMU has secured three-straight sweeps in league play. The Patriots return to the Smith University Center next Wednesday (Oct. 1) at 6 p.m. for their third matchup against USC Aiken with the series split at 1-1 this season.
Against Erskine (2-10) of the Conference Carolinas, Francis Marion registered a third-straight sweep following a 3-0 win (25-22, 25-18, 25-21) on Friday evening.
Gartner posted a kill/dig double-double after recording 13 kills on a .303 hitting percentage with 12 digs. Junior opposite-side hitter Camryn Faggart reached double-digit kills with 11 on a .296 clip while senior middle blocker Caroline Lucas added eight kills, three digs, and a solo block. Freshman setter Aubrey Johnson led the offensive effort with an assist/dig double-double behind 35 assists and 11 digs.
Defensively, senior libero Katie Floyd paced the Patriots with 19 digs while Gartner and Johnson added 12 and 11 digs, respectively. Floyd moved into ninth place on the program's all-time digs list passing Hallie Legg, now with 1,273 in 101 matches. Junior libero McKenna Wiseman also reached double-figures with 11 digs and two aces. At the net, freshman middle blocker McKayla Stockwell led Francis Marion with three blocks.
Against Flagler (5-9) of the Peach Belt Conference, Francis Marion battled in a highly competitive match with the Saints, but ultimately suffered a 3-1 loss (25-27, 23-25, 25-23, 22-25). Gartner tied a game-high with 23 kills while contributing 10 digs and two assists. Lucas and Faggart each produced 11 kills and three blocks on Saturday night. Johnson guided the offense with 43 assists and 11 digs.
Junior outside hitter Allison Miller led the defensive effort with 17 digs while senior Andrea Delcher tallied 12 digs and Wiseman posted 11 digs against the Saints. Stockwell delivered another strong performance at the net with five blocks.
Lucas now stands 16th on FMU career kills list with 942 in 98 matches, having passed Syd Moore during Friday's opening match.
