Box Score AIKEN, S.C.--
Mandy Gerolstein and
Laura Williams each hit .529 in notching 11 kills and combining for seven blocks as USC Aiken (14-7, 3-3 PBC) downed UNC Pembroke (4-14, 0-6 PBC) 3-0 in Peach Belt Conference volleyball action on Friday night at "The Courthouse".
Jenny Lloyd recorded her 22nd consecutive double-digit kill match with 15 as the Lady Pacers beat the Lady Braves for the third-straight time and improved to 28-7 in the all-time series.
Lloyd extended her PBC record of career double-digit kill matches to 80. The senior captain from Fife, Wash. also tallied 15 digs and four service aces for 19.5 points. Gerolstein added three aces to 11 kills and four blocks for 16.5 points while Williams finished with 12.5 points. Setter
Rachel Dalitz registered 40 assists and seven digs.
Sarah Harrison paced UNC Pembroke with eight kills and two blocks. Kelly Parker and Stacy Norton each chipped in five kills and a combined 12 digs.
As a team, USC Aiken out hit the Lady Braves .302 to .036 and rang up 10.0 team blocks to UNCP's 3.0.
Play opened tentative for both sides in game one with eight combined errors leading to an 8-8 tie. Williams and
Missy Deardorff got things going for the Lady Pacers with two blocks and two kills in a 9-2 run to break open the game 16-10. Ahead 24-18, freshman
Veronica Seidle recorded three kills and one solo block on four consecutive points as USCA pulled away to the 30-19 win.
In game two, USC Aiken used a pair of 5-0 runs to build a 24-9 advantage. UNC Pembroke fought back with a couple of 3-0 spurts keyed by one ace each from April Newhouse and Meredith Craig, but the Lady Pacers were too strong in the 30-15 win.
Lloyd and Williams took over in game three. Lloyd rang up seven kills and two aces while Williams had six kills and no errors on seven attacks for a .857 hitting percentage. Following a Craig kill, UNC Pembroke found themselves in front 8-6. But a pair of Gerolstein aces sparked a 4-0 run as USCA regained the lead 10-8.
A 5-1 run pulled the Lady Braves within a single point at 22-21, but USC Aiken won points down the stretch at a two-for-one pace to hang on for the 30-25 win.
USC Aiken will host upstart Francis Marion tomorrow at 3:00 PM in a key Peach Belt Conference showdown. UNC Pembroke travels across the Savannah River to square off against Augusta State at 3:00 PM.
