Flagler College women’s volleyball opened Peach Belt Conference play with a 3-2 victory over USC Aiken on Sept. 18, 2026, at Flagler Gymnasium in St. Augustine. The set scores were 23-25, 25-16, 18-25, 25-21 and 15-8. Marley Middlebrooks ended the five-set match with the final kill as Flagler improved to 11-2 overall and 1-0 in conference play.
USC Aiken fell to 8-3 overall and 0-1 in the Peach Belt Conference. Flagler won the second, fourth and fifth sets after USC Aiken took the first and third. The result gave Flagler a win in its conference opener after overcoming early errors and two set losses.
Middlebrooks delivers at the finish
Middlebrooks tied her season high with 24 kills and added 18 digs, one assist and four blocks while hitting .323. Her final kill capped the deciding set after Flagler fell behind 2-0, rallied to take a 4-2 lead and later built a 14-7 advantage. USC Aiken scored once more before Middlebrooks closed the match at 15-8.
Mar’ley Phillips recorded her third double-double of the season with 11 kills and 18 digs while hitting .400. Katherine Rank tied her season high with 11 kills and added three digs and two blocks. Gia Lowe contributed 10 kills and five digs.
Jilly Young recorded her fourth double-double of the season with 39 assists and 12 digs, and she added three aces. Bella Law finished with 16 assists, four digs and one kill. Amelia Fitzpatrick posted a season-high 26 digs, along with two assists and two aces.
Flagler controls most team categories
Flagler led USC Aiken in kills, 66-53; aces, 5-3; assists, 64-43; and digs, 122-92. USC Aiken held the advantage in blocks, 11-6. Flagler also recorded the higher hitting percentage in the third, fourth and fifth sets.
USC Aiken opened the match with a 4-0 lead, but Flagler answered with a five-point run that included four kills and moved ahead 10-4. USC Aiken stayed close and took the first set 25-23. Flagler responded in the second set, using an early 7-2 advantage and a later 17-10 lead to win 25-16.
USC Aiken used a nine-point run to build a 10-4 lead in the third set. Flagler cut the margin to 20-18, but USC Aiken finished with three kills and two Flagler errors to win 25-18. The fourth set was tied at 15-15 before three Flagler kills and two USC Aiken errors helped the Saints move ahead 20-17, and Rank’s kill finished the 25-21 victory.
Flagler coach Jeff Reynolds said the team had to correct its early mistakes before taking control of the match.
“We had to work hard to overcome some errors early on that caused us some difficulties. Once we got those figured out, we were able to take control of the match and things worked out.”
Reynolds also credited USC Aiken and praised Flagler’s focus during the competitive match.
“USCA is a good team, and we had to work hard for that one. I’m extremely proud of our team for staying focused and working through things at a very competitive level. This team is pretty darn special.”
What comes next for Flagler College women’s volleyball
Flagler College women’s volleyball will remain at home for its next match. The Saints are scheduled to face Peach Belt Conference opponent Middle Georgia State University at 6 p.m. Friday, Sept. 25, 2026. The match follows Flagler’s 1-0 start in conference play.
FSB Take
Flagler College women’s volleyball showed its ability to recover after dropping the first and third sets. Middlebrooks supplied the decisive finish, while Phillips, Young and Fitzpatrick each delivered double-doubles and Flagler held clear advantages in kills, assists and digs. The victory gives Flagler an early conference win to carry into its home match against Middle Georgia State University.
Source: Original report