FMU women’s volleyball team dominated Converse College Friday, Sept. 13, but fell to Eckerd College in the annual FMU Invitational Volleyball Tournament.

The Lady Patriots are ranked 4-2 overall.

Senior defensive specialist Natalie Vaughn reached a career-high of 1000 digs during the day’s matches.

The entire team played very well for both games and had some outstanding players dominate the court.

Sophomore outside hitter Alyssa Hansen played an intense game and led the team with 11 kills against Eckerd College.

Junior outside hitter Kayla Arthur, sophomore middle blocker Iyanla Thigpen and sophomore middle blocker Lily Walton led the team with two blocks apiece.

Vaughn also led the team with 17 digs.

Sophomore setter Finn Millians had two setting assists.

The first set started with an early lead for the Lady Pats, but they weren’t able to hold through the entire set.

Arthur had an impressive play, bringing the score 5-6 and giving the team a one-point advantage.

Arthur stayed on a roll and dominated the first set with a stunning slide and cut shot, giving the team an 8-5 lead.

The Lady Pats defense was a brick wall during the first set, making it almost impossible for Eckerd College to break through their dynamic blocks.

The Lady Pats started off the second set even more aggressively, rattling Eckerd, causing them to make mistakes early on.

Hansen and Thigpen dominated the defense with impressive blocks early in the second set.

The third set started to get more intense as the Lady Pats began making mistakes, giving Eckerd a two-point lead.

Walton went up against Eckerd College’s Agata Sklepik one-on-one and attacked the ball with a spectacular block.

Arthur’s right-side attack in the third set tied the score 8-8, increasing the team’s momentum.

The team made some smart decisions, but didn’t follow through with execution.

The last set was a difficult one. The Lady Pats fought hard, but were not triumphant.

“This game was a great indicator of our potential for our upcoming season,” Millians said.

The Lady Pats played hard and had some really good plays, but the follow through didn’t always happen.

“I think we came out strong and there were areas in our performance where we could have been more consistent,” Thigpen said.