Due West, SC – The Fleet suffered their first conference loss of the season losing 3 to 0 (20-25, 18-25, and 12-25) to Lees-McRae College.  The Fleet drop to 8-5 overall, 6-1 conference, while the Bobcats of Lees-McRae improve to 6-6 overall, 4-0 conference.

The Fleet pounded out point for point with the defending conference champs through the first half of the opening set with the score tied at 16.  At that point, the Bobcats scored three successive points forcing Erskine Head Coach Heather Vahjen to call timeout.   Unfortunately, the Fleet could not close the gap losing the set 20 to 25.

The second set began poorly for Erskine as the Bobcats scored the first five points forcing Erskine to take an early timeout.  The Fleet rebounded to close to within one at 8 to 9.  The Bobcats responded with a 6-0 run and held onto their seven point lead to close out the second set 25 to 18.

In the third set, Lees-McRae again sprinted out to a five point lead only to see the Fleet climb back to within two points.   The Bobcats rattled off seven consecutive points and closed out the match on a 14-4 run to win 25-12.

Junior Sandra Campbell (Pilot Point, TX, Point Pilot HS) led the Fleet with 6 kills while sophomore Lauren Stewart (Hartwell, GA, Hart County High School) contributed 5 kills.  Setter Larz Chabra (Mt. Pleasant, SC, Wando High School)had 17 assists for the Fleet.  The Bobcats were led by Megan Epperson with 9 kills and teammate Taylor Clendenin had 7 kills.

This weekend the Fleet travel to Wilson and Mount Olive, North Carolina, to face Barton and Mount Olive College.