Box Score AIKEN, S.C.-- Senior right side
Missy Deardorff tallied her 1,000th career kill midway through game three as USC Aiken (20-4, 6-0 PBC) blanked UNC Pembroke (19-14, 3-5 PBC) 3-0 in the Lady Pacers' Peach Belt Conference volleyball opener on Friday evening at the Convocation Center. Game scores were 30-21, 30-15, and 30-17. The front-running Lady Pacers improved to 6-0 atop the PBC standings and are a perfect 6-0 at their brand new 3,500-seat arena. (PHOTO BY: Ginny Southworth)
USCA knocked off the Braves for the 11th-straight time, the longest such active streak by the Lady Pacers against any conference foe, upping their all-time series advantage to 36-7. USC Aiken has won 13-straight individual games against PBC opponents dating back to September 19 and a 3-1 win at Lander.
Leading 15-14 in game one,
Stefanie Durham served up back-to-back aces while
Jasmine Edney added a pair of kills as USC Aiken took command 21-14 on a 6-0 run. Tiara Anderson pulled the Braves within striking distance at 24-20, but the Lady Pacers closed out the set with a 7-1 run.
Durham registered a match-best 16 kills to go with 19 digs and three blocks. Edney hit an efficient .364 with four kills and a match-high seven blocks.
A block by Jessica Hartley and Heather Fierce in game two drew UNC Pembroke within a point of the Lady Pacers at 10-9. Following a Deardorff kill, the senior served up eight-straight points as
Amanda Timm finished off the run and USCA blew open the game 19-9, cruising to the 30-15 win.
Four UNCP attack errors fueled a 9-1 run for USCA in the middle of game three as that broke open a 10-6 contest. Leading 19-9,
Lauren Cedeno set Deardorff as she buried her 1,000th career kill, becoming the sixth member of the 1,000-kill club at USC Aiken (teammate
Mandy Gerolstein also a member).
Deardorff, entering the match needing nine kills for 1,000, finished with 11 on 18 attacks for a .611 hitting percentage to go with a match-high 23 digs. Gerolstein tallied 15 kills, hitting .500 while Cedeno dished out 42 assists and directed the offense to a .354 hitting percentage.
Rachel Young paced the Braves with nine kills and one solo block for 10.0 points. Fierce recorded 27 assists, eight digs, and three blocks while Andrea Laza dug 19 balls from her libero position. As a team, UNC Pembroke struggled to an .051 hitting percentage.
USC Aiken continues its six-game, regular season-ending homestand tomorrow when the Lady Pacers host Francis Marion in a PBC showdown at 3:00 PM. UNC Pembroke travels to Greenwood, S.C. to face Lander, also tomorrow at 3:00 PM.
Short Box Score
UNC Pembroke vs USC Aiken (Oct 26, 2007 at Aiken, S.C.)
USC Aiken def. UNC Pembroke 30-21,30-15,30-17
UNC Pembroke (19-14, 3-5 PBC) (Kills-aces-blocks) - Anderson, Tiara 11-0-0; Young, Rachel 9-0-1; Hartley, Jessica 5-0-3; Niesborella, Rebekah 2-0-0; Hanlin, Whitney 2-1-0; Rotz, Annie 2-0-0; Marbert, Kayla 2-0-0; Platow, Heidi 1-0-0; Fierce, Heather 0-0-3; Totals 34-1-4.0. (Assists) - Fierce, Heather 27. (Dig leaders) - Laza, Andrea 19; Marbert, Kayla 12; Fierce, Heather 8.
USC Aiken (20-4, 6-0 PBC) (Kills-aces-blocks) - Durham, Stefanie 16-2-3; Gerolstein, Mandy 15-0-3; Deardorff, Missy 11-0-2; Timm, Amanda 6-0-1; Edney, Jasmine 4-0-7; Cedeno, Lauren 1-2-4; Baker, Katie 1-0-0; Seidle, Veronica 0-2-0; Totals 54-6-11.0. (Assists) - Cedeno, Lauren 42. (Dig leaders) - Deardorff, Missy 23; Durham, Stefanie 19; Seidle, Veronica 13.
Site: Aiken, S.C. (Convocation Center)
Date: Oct 26, 2007 Attend: 87 Time: 1:15
Referees: David Young, Michael Rayberg
