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ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. – Fifteen kills from middle hitter Sara Davis, over 36 percent of the team total, pushed host Flagler past the UNC Pembroke volleyball squad in straight sets Saturday afternoon in St. Augustine in a Peach Belt Conference (PBC) affair.

The 25-17, 25-20, 25-14 setback ends the 2016 campaign for the Braves (3-29, 0-18 PBC), while the Saints (19-6, 15-2 PBC) are in prime position to win the regular-season league title if they can knock off Augusta Sunday. Flagler extends its series advantage to 18-1 over the Black & Gold.

The hosts were in control of the opening set from start, never trialing after grabbing a 2-1 lead. UNCP never got closer than four after going down 9-5. The Braves jumped out to a 5-1 lead in the second stanza and led most of the set, but the Saints battled back to take their first lead at 14-13 and rolled to victory from there. Set three saw Flagler win the first five rallies and 12 of the first 15 to put a stranglehold on the period and the match.

Each side recorded a trio of service aces, one apiece from seniors Caroline Pridgen and Alicia Paeplow and junior Cayce Bell for the Black & Gold. Freshman Makaylah Elliott notched seven of UNCP's 28 kills, while the Saints knocked down 41 kills. The Braves hit .036 as a team, while the hosts hit at a .253 clip.

Pridgen posted five kills at a .250 rate, four digs and a pair of blocks, while sophomore Aquia Jones and freshman Kiara Price each tacked on five kills. Paeplow handed out a team-high 12 assists, followed by 11 from sophomore Bailee Jones. Bell and freshman Anna Heinz paced the squad with 10 digs each.

The Braves now look ahead to the 2017 season that sees them return five starters and a host of reserves that saw valuable playing time this year.