Box Score AIKEN, S.C.--USC Aiken (12-7, 2-3 PBC) came within two points of potentially forcing a decisive game five with Armstrong Atlantic State (15-3, 2-1 PBC) in Peach Belt Conference volleyball action on Saturday afternoon at "The Courthouse". After trailing two games to none, the Lady Pacers took game three, but their upset bid came up short in game four, falling 3-1. Game scores were 30-21, 30-26, 24-30, and 30-27.
AASU downed USC Aiken for the 14th straight time, improving to 17-14 in the all-time series. The game three win, however, marked just the second time, and first in regular season play, USCA had taken a game off the Pirates since a 3-0 win on October 17, 1998.
Jenny Lloyd posted her 20th straight match in double figure kills with 19 to go with 18 digs, three aces, and one block for a team-best 22.5 points. Head coach Will Condon's trio of freshmen each notched double figure kills.
Veronica Seidle had 12 kills and 12 digs,
Mandy Gerolstein added 11 kills and four blocks, while
Missy Deardorff had 10 kills, hit .391, and added seven blocks.
As a team, USC Aiken out hit the Pirates .207 to .173 but was out blocked 19.0 to 12.0. The deciding factor may well have been serving. USCA had 14 service errors compared to three for AASU.
Ashley Lavender paced the Pirates with 19 kills, 14 digs, two blocks, and two of the team's five service aces. Traci Knuth was also in double figures with 11 kills. Darcey Krug tallied eight kills to go with a match-high 10 blocks.
After
Rachel Dalitz led off the match with an ace, the Lady Pacers found themselves in an early hole. A 6-0 Pirate run including two Karla Readshaw aces made it 10-3. Dalitz had six kills and 10 digs to go with 33 assists for USCA.
Jessica Lane's ace cut the margin to 18-14, but AASU opened up a 29-19 advantage and took game one 30-21.
Game two featured another quick start by the Pirates as a 6-0 spurt broke open a 6-6 tie. Facing their largest deficit of the game at 20-12, Gerolstein led the charge back for USCA with three kills and a block in a 7-2 run to cut the lead to 22-19. After two Pirate points, the rally of the afternoon occurred. Over 20 total attacks took place with Lloyd's kill finally earning the point for USCA. AASU was able to hold the line and maintain their advantage for the 30-26 win.
USC Aiken opened fast in game three bolting to a 10-3 lead behind strong play from
Laura Williams. The sophomore from Six Mile, S.C. had a hand in each of the Lady Pacers' first seven points with two kills and five blocks. A late 7-2 run pulled AASU within a single point at 24-23, but Deardorff keyed a game-ending 6-1 run with two kills and a block for the 30-24 win.
Early in game four, it seemed as if the young Lady Pacer squad was going to force a game five. A 5-0 run broke open a 6-6 tie capped by a Dalitz kill. Back-to-back kills, however, pulled the Pirates even at 15-15. Tied 18-18, AASU used a couple of 2-0 spurts to pull in front 28-25. Lloyd kept the Lady Pacers alive with a kill to make it 29-27, needing just two points off the serve to force extra play, but Lavender closed the door on the match with her 19th kill.
USC Aiken will step out of conference and travel to Spartanburg, S.C. on Tuesday, October 5 to face Converse College at 7:00 PM. AASU continues its road swing on Tuesday when they play at UNC Pembroke in a PBC showdown at 7:00 PM.
