FRANCIS MARION VOLLEYBALL DOWNS USC AIKEN IN FIVE GAMES

Francis Marion rallies past Pacers in five games

FLORENCE, SC – Senior Lezlie Logan pounded out a season-high 24 kills and Francis Marion University rallied from a two-games-to-one deficit to claim a 26-30, 30-28, 28-30, 32-30, 15-12 victory over USC Aiken, Saturday afternoon (Sept. 23) in a battle for the top spot in the Peach Belt Conference volleyball standings.

FMU wins its sixth consecutive match and improves to 15-4 overall and 5-0 in the PBC, while USCA falls to 15-3 and 3-1.

Logan hit .356 for the match and also had four blocks. Jessica Lombardi posted her third straight double-double with 17 kills and 10 digs, while Allison Good recorded 14 kills. Sophomore setter Jenna Kaiser dished out 52 assists and dug out 10 balls, while libero Jessica Strader had a match-high 29 digs and three service aces.

Junior Amanda Timm paced five Pacers with double-figure kills as she registered 18. Sophomore Stefanie Durham tallied 15 kills, 17 digs, and five blocks, and Missy Deardorff had 12 kills and 18 digs. Setter Cheryl Barcas handed out 64 assists and totaled 16 digs, while libero Hayden Johnson had 22 digs and three service aces.

The Pacers hit a robust .409 in the opening game, only to have FMU rally in the second game to knot the match at one game apiece. Francis Marion owned a 28-26 lead in game three, but the Pacers scored the final four points to take the 30-28 win. Game four was almost a repeat of game three, as the Patriots lost a 29-25 lead and USCA tied the game at 29-29. FMU eventually pulled out a 32-30 victory. In the final game, Francis Marion led only 13-12, but scored the final two points to end the match.

FMU plays host to Presbyterian College , Tuesday at 7 p.m. in the second of the university’s Red Zone contests.


Francis Marion Univ. def. USC Aiken 26-30,30-28,28-30,32-30,15-12

USC Aiken (15-3 , 3-1 PBC) (Kills-aces-blocks) - Timm, Amanda 18-0-0;
Durham , Stefanie 15-1-5; Deardorff, Missy 12-0-3; Williams, Laura
11-0-4; Gerolstein, Mandy 10-1-5; Barcas, Cheryl 4-0-1; Seidle,
Veronica 2-0-0; Johnson, Hayden 1-3-0; Totals 73-5-9.0. (Assists) -
Barcas, Cheryl 64. (Dig leaders) - Johnson, Hayden 22; Deardorff,
Missy 18; Durham , Stefanie 17; Barcas, Cheryl 16; Seidle, Veronica 12

Francis Marion Univ. (15-4 , 5-0 PBC) (Kills-aces-blocks) - Logan ,
Lezlie 24-2-4; Lombardi, Jessica 17-0-1; Good, Allison 14-2-2; Phiel,
Jackie 4-2-1; Settergren, Michelle 4-0-3; Kaiser, Jenna 1-1-0;
Strader, Jessica 0-3-0; Totals 64-10-7.0. (Assists) - Kaiser, Jenna
52. (Dig leaders) - Strader, Jessica 29; Phiel, Jackie 16; Lombardi,
Jessica 10; Kaiser, Jenna 10

Site: Florence , SC ( Smith Univ. Center )
Date: Sep 23, 2006 Attend: 88 Time: 2:08 Referees: Scott Duncan, Kaye Moody

Source: Francis Marion University Sports Information