ST. AUGUSTINE –
Raquel Kulak recorded a match-high 19 kills and added seven total blocks to help lead Flagler College to a 3-1 (25-27, 25-18, 25-21, 25-15) win over Francis Marion University in a Peach Belt Conference volleyball match Friday night at Flagler Gymnasium.
Flagler improved to 11-14 overall and 5-6 in the Peach Belt. Francis Marion concluded its regular season with a 13-14 overall record and a 4-8 mark in conference play. They will be the No. 6 seed in next weekend's conference tournament.
Kulak finished with a sizzling .469 hitting percentage as she had only four errors on 32 swings.
Karlie Redfern recorded her team-leading 12
th double-double, and her fifth in a row, with 13 kills and 19 digs.
Tara Savisky tallied 51 assists.
Georgia Garrison led the Patriots with 11 kills and nine digs. Iyanla Thigpen added 10 kills and four total blocks. Finn Millians recorded a double-double with 21 assists and 11 digs. Carrie McGinnis registered 16 assists. Natalie Ferrell collected 15 digs. Courtney Abdur-Rahim finished with nine kills, 10 digs and three total blocks.
The match featured 25 ties and four lead changes.
The Patriots looked impressive in the first set and held a 24-17 lead. The Saints fought off seven set points as Kulak's kill tied the score at 24. Down 25-24, Flagler fought off another set point until Thigpen and Abdur-Rahim blocked Kulak and Abdur-Rahim closed the set with a kill.
Leading 17-16 in the second set, Flagler went on a 3-0 spurt and went on to win 25-18. Kulak and Redfern combined to record 11 kills.
The Saints opened the third set on a quick 7-2 run, but had to hold off the Patriots. Francis Marion led after the first rally, but could only tie the score once the rest of the set.
In the fourth set, Flagler opened up a one-point lead (7-6) with a 5-0 run and never looked back. The Saints hit .375 in the set as they had 12 kills and just three errors on 24 swings. The Patriots had only nine kills and 11 errors on 29 swings for a -.069 hitting percentage.
Flagler closes its regular season schedule tomorrow (Nov. 3) at 2 p.m. against the University of North Carolina at Pembroke on "Senior Day" at Flagler Gymnasium.
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