HARTSVILLE, SC – Senior opposite hitter
Camryn Faggart produced a career-high 20 kills on a .419 hitting percentage, as the Patriots completed the 3-2 reverse sweep (18-25, 24-26, 25-21, 25-30, 15-10) over Valdosta State in their opening match of the Coker Cobra Classic on Friday.
The Patriots (1-0) start the 2026 season with a victory and will prepare for two matches on Saturday, Aug. 29, beginning with a 2 p.m. matchup against USC Aiken before playing the host Cobras at 4 p.m. Valdosta State falls to 0-2 on the opening weekend of the season, suffering a 3-0 loss to USC Aiken on Friday morning.
Senior
Madilyn Gartner posted a kill-dig double-double in the comeback, tallying 13 kills, 13 digs, and five blocks (two solos). Sophomore outside hitter
Haleigh Kamer shined in her debut with the Patriots, recording 11 kills and 15 digs to earn her first kill-dig double-double of the season. Sophomore setter
Aubrey Johnson guided the offense with 41 assists while contributing eight digs and two blocks.
Defensively, senior libero
McKenna Wiseman led FMU with 17 digs and added two service aces. At the net, Gartner and graduate student middle blocker
Vanessa Blake each totaled five blocks while sophomore
McKayla Stockwell registered a trio of blocks for the Patriots.
Valdosta State controlled the momentum in the first set of the match, building an 11-6 advantage. Francis Marion countered by scoring four of the next five points, including back-to-back kills by Kamer to trail by an 11-8 margin. The Blazers responded with an 8-3 run to pull away in the opening set, claiming a 25-18 win.
In the second set, the two sides exchanged the opening 12 points as the contest was tied at 6-6. Valdosta State seized control with five unanswered points, but the Patriots later closed the gap to 13-12 following an ace by Wiseman. The Blazers remained in front before three straight kills by Faggart tied the match at 23-23. Valdosta State ultimately scored three of the final four points to take a two-set lead, 26-24.
Francis Marion established an early 8-5 lead in the third set before scoring four consecutive points to stretch the lead to 12-5. The Blazers rallied to cut the deficit to 15-13, but the Patriots maintained at least a two-point lead down the stretch. Faggart sealed a 25-21 victory in the third following three straight kills.
The Patriots carried that energy into the fourth set, grabbing a 7-4 advantage after back-to-back solo blocks from Stockwell and Johnson. Valdosta State eventually tied the match at 13-13 before the two sides traded the next 10 points. Francis Marion mounted an impressive 7-2 run to close out the fourth with a 25-20 win.
In the decisive fifth set, the Blazers quickly established a 7-4 edge, but FMU countered with five unanswered points, including a pair of kills by Gartner to take a 9-7 lead. Later in the final set, the Patriots registered two critical blocks at the net before Gartner and Faggart delivered kills to complete the comeback victory, 15-10.
