FLORENCE, SC – Sophomore outside hitter
Haleigh Kamer registered a kill/dig double-double (20 kills, 19 digs), and freshman libero
Alyssa Whiteside contributed a season-high 27 digs, as Francis Marion University suffered a 3-1 loss (21-25, 26-24, 23-25, 24-26) to Emmanuel University on Friday night (Sept. 18) in Conference Carolinas play at the Smith University Center.
The Patriots fall to 7-4 this season with a 3-1 mark in league action and will look to rebound tomorrow, Saturday, Sept. 19, when they host Lees-McRae College at 1 p.m. Meanwhile, the Lions enter this year as the preseason favorite in the Conference Carolinas and improve to 7-5 overall with a 4-1 record in league play.
Kamer set new career highs with 20 kills and 19 digs while also producing three blocks in the four-set match. Senior opposite hitter
Camryn Faggart tallied 15 kills, four digs, and one block, while graduate student middle blocker
Vanessa Blake recorded 10 kills and six blocks. Sophomore setter
Aubrey Johnson directed the offense with a season-high 49 assists while adding two aces, five digs, and four blocks.
Defensively, Whiteside continued her impressive season after totaling 27 digs and three assists against the Lions. Senior outside hitter
Madilyn Gartner produced a season-best 18 digs with three blocks and five kills. At the net, Blake led the team with six blocks while sophomore middle blocker
McKayla Stockwell contributed five.
In the first set, the Lions established an early 12-7 advantage, but the Patriots countered with five unanswered points to tie the game at 12-12. Emmanuel was able to regain its initial edge and stretch the lead to 22-17. Despite FMU scoring four of the next six points, Emmanuel delivered a kill to seal the win, 25-21.
The second set was tightly contested throughout as it featured 15 ties and five lead changes. Francis Marion managed to open a 24-20 advantage following a 5-2 run before the Lions stormed back with four-straight points, 24-24. Blake contributed to the final two points in the set with a kill and a block assist to take the 26-24 victory.
After trailing in the initial moments of the third set, Emmanuel mounted a 6-1 run to build a 15-10 lead. FMU rallied all the way back to tie the contest at 18-18, but the Lions responded with four consecutive points, 22-18. The Patriots once again knotted the match at 22-22 following an ace by Johnson before Emmanuel scored three of the final four points to win by a 25-23 margin.
Francis Marion led for a majority of the fourth set and held an 18-10 lead after scoring five straight points. Emmanuel countered by closing the gap to 20-16 before the Patriots went ahead 23-16 after a kill by Kamer. The Lions showed no quit and rallied back with a 10-1 run to steal the fourth set and the match win, 26-24.
