Pirates Advance Past FMU, 3-0, In PBC Tournament First Round

Release Courtesy of the Peach Belt Conference

AIKEN, S.C. - The No. 2-seeded and defending tournament champion Armstrong Atlantic State University Pirates swept No. 7-seed Francis Marion 3-0 (25-13, 25-21, 25-22) in the second quarterfinal match of the 19th Annual Peach Belt Conference Volleyball Championship at the USC Aiken Convocation Center on Friday, Nov. 13.

Armstrong Atlantic (25-8) advances to the semifinals of the 2009 Peach Belt Conference Volleyball Championship where they will take on Lander at 6 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 14. The semifinal match will be the second of two semifinal matches on the day with the first semifinal set to get underway at 4 p.m. Francis Marion concludes its season with an 11-20 record.

The Pirates took the first set 25-13 and used a 10-2 run early to take control of the set. AASU earned the first four points of the run without tallying a kill as three consecutive attack errors by the Patriots and a ball handling error contributed to the run.

In the second set, Francis Marion trailed 10-4, but rallied to pull to within three (21-18). Ashlee Crook contributed three kills to the Patriot rally, but the Pirates withstood the charge for the 25-21 win.

The Pirates only held the lead four times, but scored four-of-the-last-five points of the set to win 25-22. Brendyce Budd recorded back-to-back kills to break a 22-all tie.

Budd tallied 11 kills and hit .381 for the match to lead Armstrong Atlantic. Kathrin Standhardinger hit .556 for the match with 10 kills on 18 errorless swings. She also added six digs and three blocks. Marina Marinova recorded eight kills and 10 digs. Kristin Standhardinger tallied 39 assists and Amy Birkemeier added four blocks.

Crook led the Patriots with 10 kills while Kelsie Deaton paced the defense with 13 digs. Jess O’Leary tallied 19 assists.