NEWBERRY, S.C. --- Senior Jariliz Cotté exploded for 37 kills in two contests, but the Lees-McRae women's volleyball squad fell to UNC Pembroke, 3-2, in the morning before dropping a 3-0 decision to Francis Marion at Eleazar Arena Saturday in Newberry, S.C.
UNC Pembroke 3, Lees-McRae 2
The Braves (1-2) used a 17-kill attack from Nicole Mathews while three players amassed 13 digs or more. The Bobcats (0-3) saw another impressive performance from sophomore Madison Martin (Goldsboro, N.C.), who had 25 digs.
Freshman Johnaliz Cotté delivered an ace following a Courtney Weathersbee (Raleigh, N.C.), giving coach William Tatge's squad an 11-7 advantage in the first.
The remainder of the set was a see-saw battle until LMC ripped off a 5-0 run, breaking a 19-all tie.
Despite a late charge, the Bobcats used a Rachel Cutshaw (Whitesburg, Tenn.) kill and Ja. Cotté ace to claim the first set, 26-24.
UNCP would take sets two and three by an identical 25-19 score and swung a match-high .333 in the third while holding LMC to a .000 percentage in the second.
Mathews notched consecutive kills, giving her squad a 20-16 lead in the fourth, however, strong play from Ja. Cotté and senior Jordan Banta (Virginia Beach, Va.) led to a 23-all tie.
Banta and Cutshaw used back-to-back kills to tie it a two-sets apiece.
UNCP grabbed the decisive fifth set by a 15-10 score.
Francis Marion 3, Lees-McRae 0
The Patriots (3-1) hit a .160 clip or better in each set while five players amassed five kills or more. The Bobcats (0-4) enjoyed double-digit kill efforts from Banta (13) and Ja. Cotté (11).
FMU's Caroline Boone delivered a trio of aces and a kill, sparking a 6-0 Patriot run in the first.
FMU pushed the lead to six and would eventually take the set 25-21 despite LMC shaving the deficit to one (20-19).
The Patriots led wire-to-wire in the second and swung at a .344 clip.
FMU used a 10-3 run in the third to win the set.
The Bobcats travel to Aiken, S.C. Friday, Sept. 11 to battle Lander and Palm Beach Atlantic at 1 and 5 p.m., respectively.
- LMC -
