FLORENCE, S.C. – Playing on Senior Night, an inspired Francis Marion University squad received double-figure kills from four starters en route to a 30-18, 30-32, 25-30, 30-28, 15-10 win over Peach Belt Conference-leading Armstrong Atlantic State University, Friday night (Oct. 21) in women's volleyball action.

Francis Marion improves to 21-10 overall, matching its win total of 2004, and 5-2 in the PBC, one game behind AASU (16-10, 6-1).  The win also snapped a 14-match losing skid for the Patriots to the Pirates that dated back to 1999.

Senior Kelly Feber, playing her final home match, led FMU with 19 kills and 14 digs.  Fellow senior Jessica Bartlett, who became engaged to former Patriot baseball player Mitch Norris in a surprise pre-match proposal, added 16 kills.

Sophomore Jackie Phiel registered a season-high 14 kills and 14 digs, while libero Jessica Strader dug out a game-high 28 balls.  Freshman setter Jenna Kaiser equaled her career high of 55 assists and set a career best for digs with 22.

Junior Traci Knuth led AASU with 19 kills and 13 digs.  Lauren Good added 12 kills, while Christina Flores added 11 kills and 20 digs.  Rindy Vidovich paced the Pirates with 22 digs.  Setters Margaret Thornton and Stacy Yates dished out 24 and 23 assists respectively.

AASU was held to a .099 team hitting percentage, but did have 13 total team blocks.

Down two games to one and trailing 28-25 in game four, FMU scored the final five points, with freshman Amy Witko serving, to pull out the tying 30-28 victory.  Bartlett ended the game with a kill.

In the deciding fifth game, the score was deadlocked at 10-10, but again with Witko serving, the Patriots scored the final five points to win 15-10.  The final two points came on AASU attack errors.

FMU plays at UNC Pembroke on Wednesday at 7 p.m., while AASU plays at UNCP, Saturday at 3 p.m.

Francis Marion Univ. def. Armstrong Atlantic 30-18,30-32,25-30,30-28,15-10

Armstrong Atlantic (16-10 , 6-1) (Kills-aces-blocks) - Knuth, Traci 19-1-3; Good, Lauren 12-0-2; Flores, Christina 11-1-0; Vidovich, Rindy 7-0-1; Falco, Rachel 6-0-9; Schmiedge, Leah 5-1-9; Yates, Stacy 0-2-0; Thornton, Magaret 0-3-0; Totals 60-8-13.0. (Assists) - Thornton, Magaret 24; Yates, Stacy 23. (Dig leaders) - Vidovich, Rindy 22; Flores, Christina 20; Knuth, Traci 13; Yates, Stacy 11; Thornton Magaret 8

Francis Marion Univ. (21-10 , 5-2) (Kills-aces-blocks) - Feber, Kelly 19-0-3; Bartlett, Jessica 16-0-2; Phiel, Jackie 14-2-2; Logan, Lezlie 12-1-3; Settergren, Michelle 4-0-7; Kaiser, Jenna 2-0-2; Witko, Amy 1-3-0; Strader, Jessica 1-2-0; Totals 69-8-11.0. (Assists) - Kaiser, Jenna 55. (Dig leaders) - Strader, Jessica 28; Kaiser, Jenna 22; Phiel, Jackie 14; Feber, Kelly 14; Matthews, Rachael 11

Site: Florence, SC (Smith Univ. Center)

Date: Oct 21, 2005   Attend: 134   Time: 2:15

Referees: Bob Kyle, Gayle Hughes

Liberos: Strader (FMU), Miller (AASU)

Senior Night for 3 FMU seniors