FLORENCE, S.C. – The Lander volleyball team battled to ties late in the first two sets of the season, but ultimately dropped a 3-0 decision at Francis Marion on Thursday night. 

Lander (0-1) found itself tied with the Patriots (1-0) 21-21 in the opening set of the year before FMU scored four of the next five sets to take an early lead. In set two, the Bearcats built a 17-13 leads as Francis Marion committed five errors in a six-point span, but a 5-0 Patriot run put Lander behind 22-19. The Bearcats rallied to even the score at 23-23, but back-to-back attack errors gave Francis Marion the set and a 2-0 lead. 

Set three was deadlocked at 15-15 before the Patriots rattled off six consecutive points and held on for a 25-18 win and a 3-0 victory. 

Madilyn Reed paced the Bearcat offense with 10 kills and 10 assists. Maddie Moss recorded 18 assists on the night and Christina Aguayo finished with a team-high 13 digs. Maya Walker chipped in nine kills and tallied three block assists. 

Lander's season-opening road swing continues on Tuesday, Mar. 9, when the Bearcats visit Young Harris for a 7:00 p.m. match.

#cLawsUp | @LanderVBALL