AUGUSTA, GA. – Led by tournament most valuable player Jessica Strader, Francis Marion University swept by top-seeded Armstrong Atlantic State University in three games (30-23, 30-20, 30-27) to win the 2005 Peach Belt Conference Volleyball Tournament, Saturday afternoon (Nov. 12) in Augusta.

The second-seeded Patriots improve to 29-10, the fourth-highest win total in team history, with their ninth straight win.  It is the third PBC Tournament title for FMU, with the others coming in 1997 and 1998.  With the tournament title comes an automatic berth into next weekend's NCAA Division II national tournament, only the second ever for Francis Marion.  FMU earned a bid to the 1998 tournament.

FMU will learn its first-round opponent early next week, and the South Regional will likely be played in Tampa, Fla.

Strader, FMU's libero, was deadly with her on serve, at one point collecting seven straight points in game two, four of those aces. Strader finished the day with 24 digs and eight aces, tying the FMU single-match record.   Senior hitter Jessica Bartlett had 11 kills to lead the Patriots, while senior Kelly Feber added 10 kills and 12 digs, her 17th double-double of the year.  Freshman setter Jenna Kaiser handed out 37 assists.

Both Bartlett and Kaiser joined Strader on the All-Tournament Team.

It took a pair of five-games wins on Friday for the Patriots to advance to the title match, and FMU beat the Pirates for only the second time in the last 16 meetings dating back to 1999.

AASU (22-12) looked very sharp in the early going on Saturday, as the Pirates took a quick 5-1 lead, before FMU took an early timeout. That strategy worked as FMU came back with a 7-1 run that opened up a lead AASU was not able to cut into. The same pattern held true in game two as FMU cruised to a win. Game three was the closest of the match as the two teams were tied at 27 until FMU took a one-point lead following an ace from Feber. FMU won the match after an attack error and a lifting call against AASU.

AASU struggled on offense, hitting .136 as a team. Leah Schmiedge was the only Pirate to reach double-figures kills with 10, while Margaret Thornton added 21 assists and Rindy Vidovich 21 digs.

Others named to the All-Tournament Team were Traci Knuth (AASU), Mandy Gerolstein (USC Aiken) and Mandy Rupert (USC Upstate).

2005 Peach Belt Conference Tournament (Championship match)

Francis Marion Univ. def. Armstrong Atlantic 30-23,30-20,30-27
Francis Marion Univ. (29-10) (Kills-aces-blocks) - Bartlett, Jessica 11-0-1; Feber, Kelly 10-0-2; Logan, Lezlie 9-1-3; Phiel, Jackie 5-2-2; Settergren, Michelle 4-0-2; Kaiser, Jenna 2-0-3; Strader, Jessica 0-8-0; Witko, Amy 0-2-0; Matthews, Rachael 0-1-1; Totals 41-14-8.0. (Assists) - Kaiser, Jenna 37. (Dig leaders) - Strader, Jessica 24; Feber, Kelly 12; Phiel, Jackie 12; Matthews, Rachael 11; Kaiser, Jenna 8.

Armstrong Atlantic (22-12) (Kills-aces-blocks) - Schmiedge, Leah 10-0-3; Knuth, Traci 9-3-1; Vidovich, Rindy 8-0-3; Flores, Christina 6-1-0; Miller, Adriana 3-0-0; Falco, Rachel 3-0-4; Good, Lauren 2-0-0;  Yates, Stacy 1-1-0; McCoy, Stacia 0-1-0; Thornton, Magaret 0-2-0; Totals 42-8-8.0. (Assists) - Thornton, Magaret 21; Yates, Stacy 15.  (Dig leaders) - Vidovich, Rindy 21; Miller, Adriana 13; Flores, Christina 10; Thornton, Magaret 8

Site: Augusta, Ga. (Christenberry Fldhse)
Date: Nov 12, 2005   Attend: 107   Time: 1:30
Referees: Buzz Thompson, Scott Duncan
FMU is PBC Tournament champion.  FMU advances to the NCAA Tournament for only the second time ever.