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By: Stephen Williams

FLORENCE, S.C. – In the first of its two-match road weekend, the Columbus State University volleyball team lost 3-1 (25-10, 31-29, 19-25, 25-15) Friday night at Francis Marion. The match was played in the Smith University Center.
 
Zoemy Barreto Pereira led the way for the Lady Cougars with 11 kills. The junior added 14 digs for the double-double. Mary McCarty closed out the match with 10 kills. Caytlin Merritt led the defensive effort with 15 digs.
 
"We got off to a really slow start tonight and it's tough to dig yourself out of a hole, especially on the road," head coach Casey Cornett said. "We have to start with better intensity moving forward."
 
The match started quickly for Francis Marion (7-5, 1-2 PBC) as the Patriots raced out to the early lead. With the opening set tied at four, FMU went on a 7-1 run. The lead rose to nine at 19-10 before the Patriots ran off six straight points to wrap up a quick first set.
 
The second set was anything but quick, as the lead changed hands numerous times and required extra points. Trailing 24-21, Columbus State (7-4, 0-3) tallied four straight points started by back-to-back kills from Andrea Skipor.
 
With CSU sitting on set point, Francis Marion answered back with two points to seesaw to a game point of its own. However, the Lady Cougars were able to fight it off on a Barreto Pereira kill. CSU fended off two more set points, leaving the game tied at 29 until the Patriots closed out the marathon.
 
The match appeared to be wrapping up after three sets with FMU up 10-6 early in the third. However, the Lady Cougars made an extended run on the serve of Barreto Pereira. CSU reeled off 13 of the next 14 points to all but put the set away. The Patriots got within four late, but Megan Frame sent the match to a fourth set with a kill.
 
Francis Marion put the match away in the fourth behind an early jumpstart. FMU opened the set with seven of the first eight points and stayed comfortably in front the rest of the way.
 
Columbus State will wrap up the weekend with a road contest at UNC Pembroke on Saturday. First serve is scheduled for 2 p.m.