Box Score AIKEN, SC--Ninth-ranked North Florida (27-3, 14-0 PBC) grabbed early leads in all three games to power past the USC Aiken Lady Pacers (13-20, 5-9 PBC) 3-0 in Peach Belt Conference volleyball action on Saturday afternoon at "The Courthouse". Game scores were 30-20, 30-21, and 30-16. In pre-game ceremonies, USCA honored its lone senior,
Helena Jantti, playing in her final home game.
North Florida won its 51st consecutive PBC regular season match and wrapped up the program's seventh consecutive conference title. The last conference loss for the Lady Ospreys in the regular season came on October 25, 2000 at Armstrong Atlantic State.
In game one, UNF took an early 10-4 lead and extended it to 16-8 on a Jackie Struck kill. USCA, however, battled back with a 5-0 run keyed by a pair of service aces from sophomore
Brooke Cubbage. Cubbage, who entered this weekend with three career aces to her credit, finished with two today and five for the weekend. Struck totaled eight kills and three blocks for UNF. The last Cubbage ace made it 16-12, but the Lady Pacers could get no closer falling 30-20.
The second game also started slow for the Lady Pacers with North Florida winning the first six points before a solo block by
Amy Long stopped the run and gave USCA its first point. The Lady Pacers stayed within five points much of the way until three straight points to close out the game set the final margin at 30-21. Long had a team-high 11 kills to go with two blocks and one ace for USCA.
In the final game, North Florida's hot start again proved to be the difference. After claiming an 8-1 lead, USCA had to play catch up throughout the game. They closed within six on a couple of occasions but another 6-0 run stretched the advantage to 22-9 as UNF won 30-16.
Jantti finished with two kills on five attacks to go with one assist and two blocks.
Jenny Lloyd added eight kills,
Jessica Lane registered three aces, and
Rachel Dalitz recorded 23 assists.
Allison O'Neill and Jessica Bosacki each added nine kills and combined for six blocks for North Florida. Setter Valerie Martinez chipped in two kills, two aces, six digs, two blocks, and 40 assists as the Lady Ospreys hit .404 as a team.
USC Aiken will now wait to find out its first round opponent in the 2003 Peach Belt Conference Tournament hosted by USC Spartanburg on November 14-15. North Florida will enter the tournament as the top seed and will face eighth-seeded UNC Pembroke.
