FLORENCE, S.C. – Rebekah Machovec recorded a match-high 13 kills to help Flagler College sweep Francis Marion University (26-24, 25-20, 25-20) in a Peach Belt Conference volleyball match Saturday afternoon at the Smith University Center.

Flagler wins its seventh PBC regular-season crown and fourth outright. The Saints have won or shared the regular season title four-of-the-last-five years, including the last two in a row. Flagler extended its winning streak to six matches and improved to 15-3 overall and 13-1 in the Peach Belt. Francis Marion lost its fourth in a row and dropped to 3-8 overall and in conference play.

"What a ride it has been through this conference season," said head coach Matt Affolder. "I'm so proud of every player on our team for battling through injuries, lineup adjustments, and the protocols necessary to compete for a title. Everyone has sacrificed and been open to the changes that occur from day to day, and most importantly, this team is completely supportive and connected with each other. Francis Marion played a very spirited match and they were incredibly physical with their net play. I thought our back court defense was again the difference in the match, and we had very timely dominance from our servers that helped create some separation.  It was awesome to see us fight off two set points in the first set (down 24-22) and rise up for the win."

Machovec added nine digs and two total blocks to her line. She hit .238 with only three errors on 42 swings. Logan Garcia added six kills and five total blocks. Kennedy Muff finished with 26 assists, six kills, and had three aces. Karolina Garstka led the way with 14 digs. Garstka and Edie Lamoreaux each had two aces.

"Rebekah really filled up the stat sheet with her impact on all phases of the game, and I thought Edie really stepped up her service pressure at key moments while showing great control in serve receive," said Affolder. "It is awesome to win back-to-back regular season conference titles (and fourth in five years!)."

Brittany Sehnke led the Patriots with 10 kills and 12 digs. Kaylee Gillespie recorded a double-double as well with 30 assists and 10 digs. Grace Davis added eight kills and 11 digs.

Flagler raced out to a 9-3 lead in the first set, but Francis Marion rallied to tie the score at 17. The Saints fought off the first set point thanks to a Victoria Bowrosen kill to cut the deficit to 24-23. A bad set by FMU tied the score at 24. A hitting error by the Patriots gave the Saints the lead and then Garstka's ace finished off the set, 26-24. Machovec had four kills and five digs for Flagler.

In the second set, the Saints used a 6-1 run to break open a 6-6 tie. Machovec had back-to-back kills to start the run. She finished the set with five kills. Garcia collected four blocks.

With the third set tied at 20, a Machovec kill and an ace by Muff gave Flagler a 22-20 lead. After a Patriot timeout, Machovec had two more kills and Muff finished the match with an ace.       

Up next for the Saints will be the AVCA Division II National Invitational at Dallas, Texas, which starts on Wednesday.

"I can't say "Thank You" enough to the leadership of our college," said Affolder. "Our athletics department staff (Jud Damon and Matt Green) worked hard and sacrificed to give our student-athletes a chance to get the full experience. Our athletic training staff has worked tirelessly and I'm very grateful for Cullen Fridley and his staff. Connor Gettemy and the strength training crew have been incredible and we want to thank them for all that they do.  Every player on our team came to Flagler College for the full experience, and to compete for championships. Our team (players and staff) want to say THANK YOU to everyone who has made this a possibility during such a crazy, unpredictable time."  

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