PEMBROKE, N.C. – The USC Aiken volleyball team completed a weekend sweep of its three matches in two days to end a four-match losing skid and move up a spot in the Peach Belt Conference season standings. Just a few hours after completing the season sweep over PBC foe Francis Marion on the road, the Pacers traveled up to Pembroke, N.C. and defeated the Braves of league foe UNC Pembroke (14-7, 4-4 PBC) 3-1 and issued the Vikings of non-conference opponent Elizabeth City State (16-3) only their third loss of the season to improve to 10-11 for the 2010 campaign and 6-4 in the PBC.

In the first match of the day, three Pacer volleyball players tallied double digit kills to lift USC Aiken over the Braves of UNC Pembroke both on the court and in the Peach Belt Conference standings. The Pacers were able to earn their sixth league victory of the season 3-1 Saturday morning to avenge a loss earlier in the season to the Braves, and in doing so surpassed UNC Pembroke for third in the 2010 PBC season standings.

Both teams claimed an early set 25-23 with USC Aiken taking the first set and UNC Pembroke laying claim t the second set. The Pacers then took the third set in dominating fashion, 25-15 and never looked back as they raced to victory 25-19 in the fourth set.

Senior Megan Disney (Knoxville, Tenn./Karns) led USC Aiken's attack hitting an impressive .478 with 12 kills and three block assists while the outside hitting tandem of Shannon Byers (Morristown, Minn./Faribault) and Emily Maassen (Ellisville, Mo./Marquette) both added 11 terminations apiece. Byers who is currently averaging a double-double for the season came back from a slow start in the first two sets to end the match with her second double-double in as many days with 14 digs.

Jessica Loper (McDonough, Ga./Eagles Landing Christian) added eight kills of her own and knocked down four blocks, including two solo blocks. Sophomore libero Samantha Lukralle corralled in a match-high 27 digs to lead the Pacer defense.

Tiara Anderson led the Braves' attack with a match-high 14 kills while Rebecca Morgan chipped in 11 kills of her own.

USC Aiken as a team recorded 60 total terminations to the Braves' 51 kills en route to out hitting UNC Pembroke .286-.195.

The Pacers never lost their stride as they only had about an hour to regroup before challenging the Vikings of ECS. In an impressive show of stamina, USC Aiken swept the Vikings 3-0, issuing ECS only their third loss of the season.

USC Aiken dominated the first and second sets 25-11 and 25-14 before capping the match with a 25-18 win in the third set.

Eight Pacers recorded at least one kill in the contest with the Vikings, six of those recording double-digit terminations. Lindsay Mortenson (Aliso Viejo, Calif./Santa Margarita) and Chelsey Kight (Charleston, S.C./West Ashley) stepped up to lead USC Aiken's attack with seven kills each with Kight recording two aces and Mortenson adding one ace of her own while junior Susan MacClary (Virginia Beach, Va./Ocean Lakes), Byers and freshman Endea Ellison (Orange Park, Fla./Episcopal) all added five kills of their own.

USC Aiken tallied 10 total service aces with Alex Petock (Woodbridge, Va./Woodbridge) leading the way with a match-high four aces to go along with her team-leading 18 assists. Byers chipped in three aces of her own.

The Vikings' Whitney Green led all attackers with a match-high eight kills while three of her teammates were restricted to negative hitting percentages in the match.

USC Aiken will now travel home to prepare to host their second tournament of the season, the 2010 Pacer Volleyball Invitational, on Friday, Oct. 22 and Saturday, Oct. 23. The Pacers will play in three non-conference matches over the two-day tournament beginning with the Tornado of King College at 7 p.m. Friday night.