WILSON, NC – Freshman libero
Alyssa Whiteside recorded a career-high 37 digs, and sophomore outside hitter
Haleigh Kamer posted a double-double (18 kills, 11 digs), as Francis Marion University claimed a 3-1 win (21-25, 25-20, 25-18, 25-12) at Barton College on Tuesday night (Oct. 13) in Conference Carolinas women's volleyball divisional play.
With the win, the Patriots (16-5, 11-2) extend their winning streak to four while remaining a perfect 6-0 in East Division competition. FMU wins its 14th straight match against the Bulldogs and improves to 28-2 in the all-time series. Meanwhile, Barton falls to 6-14 overall with a 4-9 record in league action.
Francis Marion continues Conference Carolinas play on Friday, Oct. 16, at Southern Wesleyan University with the match set for 6 p.m., before facing Converse University on Saturday (Oct. 17) at 1 p.m.
Kamer delivered double-digit kills for a fourth consecutive match after finishing with a game-high 18 kills on a .333 hitting percentage. Additionally, she added 11 digs, one service ace, and four blocks (three solo). Senior
Madilyn Gartner registered 10 kills, seven digs, and matched a career best with five aces. Fellow senior outside hitter
Allison Miller totaled 10 kills, nine digs, and two service aces against the Bulldogs. Sophomore setter
Aubrey Johnson guided the offense with 44 assists, eight digs, and three aces.
Defensively, Whiteside set a career-high with 37 digs, plus totaled four assists and one kill, while boasting a perfect reception percentage. As a team, the Patriots reached double-digit aces for the third time in 2026 after finishing with 11 on Tuesday.
In the opening set, Francis Marion raced ahead with a 7-2 advantage before Barton rallied with a 7-1 run to grab a 10-8 lead. The Patriots responded with back-to-back points to tie the contest at 10-10, but the Bulldogs mounted a 9-3 run to take a 19-13 lead late in the set. FMU closed the gap to 22-19 before Barton scored three of the final five points to earn a 25-21 win.
The Patriots rebounded in the second set, grabbing a 13-7 lead in the second set, following a combined six kills by Kamer and Gartner. The Bulldogs countered with a 4-1 rally to cut the deficit to 14-11 before FMU scored four unanswered points to take an 18-11 advantage. Barton managed to close the gap to 21-18, but Francis Marion scored four of the final six points to win by a 25-20 margin.
In the third set, the Patriots climbed out to a 10-5 edge with a trio of kills by Kamer before Barton trimmed the deficit to 12-10. Francis Marion answered back with four straight points to pull ahead by a 16-10 margin. Despite a late charge by the Bulldogs to cut the lead to 20-17, the Patriots closed the door with a 5-1 run to claim a 25-18 win.
Francis Marion produced a dominant fourth set with 11 kills on an impressive .333 hitting percentage with five service aces. The Patriots produced a significant 13-3 lead with four aces, including a pair by Johnson. FMU kept its substantial advantage through the remainder of the set before a kill by Gartner sealed the 25-12 victory.
