Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 AIKEN, S.C.--USC Aiken (8-3) rolled to an easy 3-0 blanking of Converse College (0-7) and then won a five-game epic battle with Wingate (9-1), knocking the Lady Bulldogs from the ranks of the unbeaten on the final day of the USC Aiken Invitational on Saturday afternoon at the Convocation Center. Game scores against the All-Stars were 30-12, 30-22, and 30-7. The Lady Pacers beat Wingate 25-30, 30-21, 30-13, 25-30, and 15-12. (PHOTO BY: Scott Webster)
With their fourth-straight win, USC Aiken remains perfect in its new 3,600-seat facility and has won 12 of its last 14 home games dating back to the start of last year.
In the opener with Converse, senior All-Conference standout
Mandy Gerolstein hit .611 with 11 kills and no errors in 18 attempts to lead the Lady Pacers. Junior outside hitter
Stefanie Durham added 10 kills and four aces to post a match-best 14.0 points while
Jasmine Edney and
Amanda Timm chipped in an evenly-split 15 kills.
Leading 19-10 in game one, Durham ignited an 11-2 run to close the game with one of her four kills in the span.
Game two was tight for two-thirds of the set, as Converse drew ahead 15-14 on Emily Hall's kill. After Melanie Wallace knotted the game at 21-21 with a kill, USC Aiken rattled off eight-straight to take a commanding 29-21 spread, winning 30-22. Durham had two aces and Gerolstein three kills in the run.
A fast 10-1 start and a 12-1 finish made quick work in the 30-7 game three victory.
Katherine Beuhler led the All-Stars with eight kills and two blocks, hitting .368. The rest of the Converse team struggled to a negative .093 hitting percentage.
The most anticipated match of the tournament pitted the host Lady Pacers against the undefeated Wingate Bulldogs. Both teams were NCAA Tournament last year, Wingate as champions of the South Atlantic Conference and USCA as champs of the Peach Belt Conference.
Trailing 16-13 midway through the opening stanza, Wingate got back-to-back aces from Stormi Gale to pull even and eventually take a 22-18 lead as part of a 9-2 spurt. Gale finished with three aces and a team-best 15 digs.
USC Aiken fought back within two at 25-23 on Durham's kill, but the Lady Bulldogs pulled away 30-25. Durham rang up 14 kills, four aces, and 15 digs for the Lady Pacers.
Rachelle Rostas was a perfect 6-for-6 in the game. She finished with 20 kills and a .298 hitting percentage.
An Edney ace jump-started three-straight points as USC Aiken broke a 3-3 tie and maintained that spread for much of the game. Leading 22-20, Gerolstein and Edney had back-to-back kills, part of six-straight points for USCA as they went on to win 30-21.
In game three, the Lady Pacers broke open a 7-5 game with a 9-1 run, widening it to 25-10 and cruising to the 30-13 victory.
A 5-0 spurt early in game four proved to be the difference for Wingate, turning an 8-7 whole into a 12-8 advantage and holding off a late Lady Pacer charge, 30-25.
In the decisive game five, USC Aiken scored the opening four points keyed by two Edney kills. After Wingate cut the deficit in half 4-2, Durham served the Lady Pacers to an 11-2 lead as Timm and Edney combined for three blocks. Following a Lady Bulldog timeout, Rostas rallied with three consecutive kills and Heather Myklebust served a pair of aces, pulling Wingate within 11-8.
Megan Disney's kill proved key, ending the 6-0 run by Wingate as USC Aiken won four of the final five points for the match, 15-9.
The freshman from Knoxville, Tenn. had a career-night with nine kills and one block, hitting .368. Edney also had a career-high match with 13 kills, eight blocks, and three aces for 21.5 points. Gerolstein finished with 13 kills and three blocks while sophomore setter
Lauren Cedeno tallied 54 assists, two aces, two blocks, and 23 digs.
Myklebust joined Rostas in double figures in kills with 11 while Melissa DeLuca directed the offense with 52 assists and 14 digs.
USC Aiken hit .318 as a team and held Wingate to .137. The Lady Pacers also registered 12.0 team blocks and served 12 aces.
USC Aiken will hit the road for seven-straight away from the friendly confines beginning Friday, September 14 at Augusta State at 7:00 PM in both team's Peach Belt Conference opener. Wingate travels to Francis Marion on Tuesday, September 11 at 7:00 PM.
Short Box Score (vs. Converse)
Converse vs USC Aiken (Sep 08, 2007 at Aiken, S.C.)
USC Aiken def. Converse 30-12,30-22,30-7
Converse (0-7) (Kills-aces-blocks) - Beuhler, Katherine 8-0-2; Wallace, Melanie 4-0-1; Hall, Emily 3-0-0; Williamson, Baye 2-1-0; Iverson, Kristen 1-1-0; Totals 18-2-2.0. (Assists) - . (Dig leaders) - Wallace, Melanie 13; Coleman, Marisa 12.
USC Aiken (7-3) (Kills-aces-blocks) - Gerolstein, Mandy 11-0-1; Durham, Stefanie 10-4-0; Edney, Jasmine 8-0-0; Timm, Amanda 7-1-0; Baker, Katie 6-0-0; Disney, Megan 3-0-0; Cedeno, Lauren 1-0-0; Deardorff, Missy 1-1-1; Seidle, Veronica 0-2-0; Totals 47-8-1.0. (Assists) - Cedeno, Lauren 17; Tabbert, Whitney 11. (Dig leaders) - Seidle, Veronica 19; Durham, Stefanie 7.
Site: Aiken, S.C. (Convocation Center)
Date: Sep 08, 2007 Attend: 75 Time: 1:10
BOXSCORE
Short Box Score (vs. Wingate)
Wingate vs USC Aiken (Sep 08, 2007 at Aiken, S.C.)
USC Aiken def. Wingate 25-30,30-21,30-13,25-30,15-9
Wingate (9-1) (Kills-aces-blocks) - Rostas, Rachelle 20-0-1; Myklebust, Heather 11-2-0; Bloemer, Rebecca 9-4-1; Gale, Stormi 7-3-3; Billo, Lauren 7-0-1; Reddick, Kathryn 7-0-2; DeLuca, Melissa 2-2-1; Craven, Ashley 1-0-0; Totals 64-11-5.0. (Assists) - DeLuca, Melissa 52. (Dig leaders) - Gale, Stormi 15; Siegrist, Amanda 14; DeLuca, Melissa 14; Horner, Brittany 13.
USC Aiken (8-3) (Kills-aces-blocks) - Durham, Stefanie 14-4-3; Edney, Jasmine 13-3-8; Gerolstein, Mandy 13-0-3; Disney, Megan 9-0-1; Timm, Amanda 8-1-3; Baker, Katie 4-0-0; Cedeno, Lauren 4-2-2; Spice, Danielle 0-1-0; Seidle, Veronica 0-1-0; Totals 65-12-12.0. (Assists) - Cedeno, Lauren 54. (Dig leaders) - Cedeno, Lauren 23; Timm, Amanda 18; Seidle, Veronica 16; Durham, Stefanie 15.
Site: Aiken, S.C. (Convocation Center)
Date: Sep 08, 2007 Attend: 81 Time: 2:05
