Box Score

AIKEN, S.C. - Four USC Aiken volleyball players finished with double-digit kills and Shannon Byers recorded a 14-kill, 14 dig double-double to lead regionally fourth-ranked USC Aiken to a thrilling 3-2 Peach Belt Conference victory over Francis Marion on Friday evening at the Convocation Center.

Before a large crowd of mainly students on the inaugural Greek Night at the Convocation Center, USC Aiken jumped out to a 25-20 victory in the first game. In the second set, Francis Marion rallied late to earn a 26-24 victory.

The Pacers returned from the halftime break to obtain a 25-19 victory in the third set. The Patriots once again grabbed a game in the fourth with a 25-20 win over the Pacers.

USC Aiken dominated the fifth and deciding game, garnering a 15-9 victory that earned them the overall win in the match on the same day that they had learned that they were ranked in the top four in the Southeast Region of NCAA Division II.

USC Aiken is now 12-9 overall and 4-5 in the Peach Belt Conference. Francis Marion dropped to 9-10 overall and 2-6 in the PBC with the loss to the Pacers on Friday evening.

As a team, the Pacers made it a great all-around effort in the win over Francis Marion, hitting in the positives in all five games. USC Aiken finished the match hitting .400 as a team in the fifth and final set. The Pacer defense in turn held the Patriots to three .000 hitting games in the five-set match.

USC Aiken also out-blocked one of the best blocking teams in the PBC in the win, collecting 11 total team blocks to FMU's nine total team blocks. Lindsay Mortenson (Aliso Viejo, Cali./Santa Margartia Catholic) led the Pacers in the win with seven total blocks on three solo blocks and four assists.

Byers hit .360 on the evening en route to the 14-kill, 14-dig double-double.

Megan Disney (Knoxville, Tenn./Karns) was the closest to Byers' kill total on the night, finishing with 11 kills on 22 attempts. Chelsey Kight (Charleston, S.C./West Ashley) and Susan MacClary (Virginia Beach, Va./Ocean Lakes) both finished the match with 10 kills.

Samantha Lukralle (Lindenhurst, N.Y./Lindenhurst) spurred the Pacers' defensive effort with a match-high 24 digs.

The two-quarterback senior tandem of Lauren Cedeno (Jacksonville, Fla./Bishop Kenny) and Whitney Tabbert (Stewardson, Ill./Stewardson-Strasburg) guided the Pacer attack in the match. Cedeno finished the match with 29 assists, while Tabbert finished just behind with 25 assists.

Francis Marion was led in its loss to the Pacers by Mallory Eggert, who concluded the match tying Byers for match-high honors with 14 kills. She was assisted by FMU's two-setter tandem of Hallie Legg (19 assists) and Jess O'Leary (16 assists) in the match.

USC Aiken will celebrate senior day on Saturday, Oct. 17 with a 3 p.m. match against league rival UNC Pembroke.