PEMBROKE — Visiting Francis Marion registered 10 blocks and four service aces to help the Patriots to a 3-0 (18-25, 23-25, 26-24) sweep over the UNC Pembroke volleyball team on Tuesday evening at Lumbee Guaranty Bank Court.
The setback for the Braves (7-10, 4-3 CC) snapped a three-game winning streak and marked the first home loss to Francis Marion in the last three meetings. The Patriots (5-11, 4-3 CC) stretched their win streak to three matches with Tuesday’s victory and improve to 5-2 when playing on the road this season.
Francis Marion hit a match-high .292 from the net in the opening set and took an 11-8 lead via a Mya Mendoza service ace. UNC Pembroke won the next three points to tie the score at 11 apiece, but the Patriots went 6-1 run to push their lead out to 17-12. The Braves chipped away at their deficit, 18-16, with a trio of points, but FMU finished the set on a 7-2 run to win 25-18.
Francis Marion knotted the second-set score at 10 following a UNCP attack error, but the Braves went on a 7-2 run to lead 17-12. Francis Marion answered with a 10-2 surge to lead 22-19, and never relinquished the lead in a 25-23 win.
UNC Pembroke got a quick start scoring the first four points of the third set, but Francis Marion put together a 9-0 surge to lead 11-6 after a kill from Kara Walker. The Braves regained the lead, 14-13, after an 8-2 run, but the Patriots scored the next five points to lead 18-14. UNCP used a 5-0 run to lead 21-20 after a kill from Abby Peduzzi, but Francis Marion closed out the match on a 6-3 run and won 26-24 to seal the win.
Precious Daley had 12 kills and four blocks for UNCP, Peduzzi had 10 kills and 19 digs, Ruby Countryman had six kills and five blocks, Tyler Patterson had 36 assists and seven digs, Brette Doile had 13 digs and three assists.
The Braves will be back in action on Friday when they welcome Shorter to town. First serve is set for 6 p.m. at Lumbee Guaranty Bank Court.
Braves golf finishes eighth at St. Simons Intercollegiate
Newcomer Marta Ortega carded a team-best five-over-par 77 in the final round of action to move the UNC Pembroke golf team into eighth place at the St. Simons Intercollegiate on Tuesday at the King and Prince Golf Resort.
Ortega (22 over par) and Michelle Guerra Landa (22 over) finished tied for 27th place and 24 strokes behind Henriette Stranda of Flagler who won the individual tournament shooting two-strokes under par. Catherine DeSiena (26 over) shot a six-over-par 78 in the final round of action to finish in a three-way tie for 38th place, while Ella Reed (27 over) finished in a five-way tie for 41st place with a three round total of 243. Melissa Guerra Landa (34 over) rounded out the scoring for the Black & Gold in a three-way tie for 58th place.
The Braves will compete in their last tournament of the fall season October 28 at the Converse Fall Invite. The two-day tournament will be played at the Woodfin Ridge Golf Club in Inman, S.C.