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Box Score 2 West Georgia Classic Tournament Page
CARROLLTON, Ga. - After sweeping both matches on the opening day of its regular season one day earlier, the 2009 USC Aiken volleyball team experienced its first two losses of the year on Saturday in its final two games of the West Georgia Classic.
The Pacers lost the first match of the day to second-year head coach Glenn Cox's alma mater Valdosta State, 3-2 (25-17, 25-18, 20-25, 20-25, 19-21). In the Pacers' second match of the day, USC Aiken dropped a 3-0 decision to Sunshine State Conference power Rollins (22-25, 19-25, 21-25).
The match loss to Valdosta State was heartbreaking in that USC Aiken owned a two-game lead entering the third game. Looking to close out Valdosta State, USC Aiken allowed the Blazers to take the next three games and the match. The Pacers and Blazers battled hard in the fifth and deciding game, but Valdosta State took a hard-fought 21-19 victory in the deciding game.
Chelsey Kight (Charleston, S.C./West Ashley) and Shannon Byers (Morristown, Minn./Faribault) accounted for just under half of the Pacers' 63 kills in the loss to Valdosta State. Kight had 16 kills in the match, while Byers finished with 15.
Freshman libero Samantha Lukralle (Lindenhurst, N.Y./Lindenhurst) concluded the loss to the Blazers with 13 digs. She was the only Pacer with double-digit digs in the match.
Valdosta State had three players with 17 or more kills in the win over the Pacers with Katie Onushko (20), Ruthie King (17) and Irene Hannan (17) all acquiring quality kill performances.
The Pacers could never really get anything going offensively in the three-game match loss to Rollins with Lindsay Mortenson (Aliso Viejo, Calif./Santa Margarita Catholic) leading the Pacers with six kills. Rollins did not have anyone reach double digits in kills in the match either, but four Rollins players finished with eight or more kills.
The Pacers (2-2) will play in their home facility for the first time next week by playing host to the 2009 USC Aiken Volleyball Invitational on Sept. 4-5. The Pacers are the defending champions in the event.Â
USC Aiken will play three matches in the USCA Invitational, opening the event at 7 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 4 against Saint Andrews. USC Aiken will then play two matches on Saturday, Sept. 5. They will first take on Florida Tech at 10 a.m. before closing the tournament by playing Catawba at 3 p.m. The 2009 USCA Invitational will utilize two courts, but USC Aiken will play all three of its matches in the main arena.
