More FMU Athletes earn PBC weekly honors

Three Francis Marion University student-athletes have earned weekly honors from the Peach Belt Conference for the week ending Oct. 19.  Senior middle blocker Jessica Lombardi has been selected as the women's volleyball Player of the Week, while junior Hillary Kiprop and senior Kelly May were again selected as the men's and women's cross country Runners of the Week.

Lombardi, a native of Massillon, Ohio, averaged 4.86 kills and 3.00 digs per game last week as the Patriots posted a perfect 2-0 mark and moved into a tie for first place in the conference.  In addition to a pair of double-doubles (kills and digs), she recorded a .437 hitting percentage during the week.  Her 22 kills against Lander on this past Saturday equaled the second-highest kill total for a 3-set match in the past seven years of PBC play.

Lombardi currently ranks fifth in the PBC in hitting percentage (.290), sixth in kills (2.87 per game), and seventh in blocks (0.76 per game).  She has also upped her career totals to 1,186 kills and 935 digs.  This is the third time in her career she has garnered PBC Player of the Week recognition.

The 18-5 Patriots play at PBC foe Augusta State University on Friday at 7 p.m.  FMU has won 12 of its last 13 matches.

Lombardi is a former All-Federal League selection and Stark County Player of the Year at Jackson High School.

Kiprop placed second with a time of 16:07 over a 5,000-meter course at the Oct. 16 Pre-Conference Invitational Meet hosted by Wingate University.  He helped FMU to a second-place team finish.  He has been FMU's top finisher in all five meets this fall, including four top-2 finishes.  This is the third time in the past five weeks he has been honored by the Peach Belt with the weekly award.

May, a native of Bowling Green, Ohio, also placed second at the same Wingate meet.  She completed the women's 5,000-meter race with a time of 20:21, and helped the FMU women to a fourth-place team finish.  She has been Francis Marion's top finisher in all five meets this fall with three top-3 showings.  It is the third time in her career she has earned Runner of the Week accolades.

May is a graduate of Bowling Green High School.

The FMU cross country teams will compete in the PBC Championship Meet on Saturday morning in Milledgeville, Ga.