FLORENCE, SC  – The trio of Jessica Lombardi, Krissy Mordini, and Jackie Phiel combined for 44 kills to lift Francis Marion University to a three-game sweep (30-25, 30-23, 30-23) of visiting Augusta State University, Saturday afternoon (Sept. 29) in Peach Belt Conference women’s volleyball action.

Francis Marion ups its overall record to 7-15 and wins for the first time in three PBC matches.  Lombardi recorded 15 kills with only two attack errors for a .500 hitting percentage.  She also dug up 10 balls for her team-leading 13th double-double of the year.  Mordini added 15 kills, while Phiel had 14 kills and 11 digs for her 10th double-double.  During the match, Phiel moved into sixth place on the PBC’s career digs list with 1,532.

Junior setter Jenna Kaiser returned to the Patriot starting line-up and handed out 44 assists and registered 17 digs and three block assists.  Freshman libero Karli Koralewski had a team-high 19 digs.

Sophomore Jessica Howard paced Augusta State (9-11, 1-3) with 15 kills and four block assists.  Senior setter Jessica Lowes tallied 30 assists, while sophomore libero Lindsey Weider recorded a team-best 16 digs.

ASU led 21-20 in game one, but the Patriots rallied for the 30-25 win.  FMU grabbed the lead early in game two and was never seriously threatened, while in the final game, ASU trailed only 22-20 before the Patriots pulled away for the 30-23 victory.

Francis Marion will play in the Lees-McRae College Invitational in Banner Elk, N.C., next Friday and Saturday.  Augusta State will play host to Converse College on Wednesday at 6 p.m.

Francis Marion Univ. def. Augusta State Univ. 30-25,30-23,30-23

Augusta State Univ. (9-11, 1-3 PBC) (Kills-aces-blocks) - Howard,

Jessica 15-0-4; Hunt, Amy 7-0-2; Meyer, Dianna 5-0-2; Dyer, Rachel

5-0-0; Lowes, Jessica 2-1-3; Joye, Emily 1-0-1; Childress, Tarah

1-0-0; Totals 36-1-6.0. (Assists) - Lowes, Jessica 30. (Dig leaders) -

Weider, Lindsey 16; Meyer, Dianna 12; Dyer, Rachel 11

Francis Marion Univ. (7-15, 1-2 PBC) (Kills-aces-blocks) - Mordini,

Krissy 15-1-0; Lombardi, Jessica 15-2-1; Phiel, Jackie 14-0-1; Eggert,

Mallory 5-0-4; Kaiser, Jenna 5-1-3; Straiter, Kaitlin 4-0-6; Hill,

Emily 2-0-0; Totals 60-4-8.0. (Assists) - Kaiser, Jenna 44. (Dig

leaders) - Koralewski, Karli 19; Kaiser, Jenna 17; Deaton, Kelsie 13;

Phiel, Jackie 11; Lombardi, Jessica 10

Site: Florence, SC (Smith Univ. Center) ; Date: Sep 29, 2007   Attend: 89   Time: 1:29

Referees: DJ Wiles, Brett Crannell ; Liberos: Koralewski (FMU), Weider (ASU)