AIKEN, S.C. – The University of South Carolina Aiken volleyball team led from start-to-finish in a 3-0 (25-16, 25-9, 25-11) domination of Peach Belt Conference foe Lander on Wednesday evening at the Convocation Center.

USC Aiken (8-10, 3-2 PBC) opened the match by taking an easy 25-16 victory in the first set. In the second set things were close early on with the Pacers holding just an 8-5 lead. Then Claire Patten (Boulder, Colo. /Mercer) and the Pacers took over as with Patten serving the Pacers claimed the next 10 points to own an 18-5 lead. Patten served up two aces during the 10-0 run.

The Pacers would allow the Bearcats just four more points in the set as USC Aiken rolled to a 25-9 win in the second game. The third and final game was much of the same as the Pacers rolled to a 25-11 victory over Lander (7-9, 1-4 PBC).

For the match, USC Aiken hit a team season-high .386. The stifling Pacer defense allowed the Bearcats to hit just .010 in the match. USC Aiken out-blocked the Bearcats as a team, 10-4.

Shannon Byers (Morristown, Minn./Faribault) was the only player on either team to record double-digit kills as she finished the match with 10. In total in the match, 10 different Pacers acquired at least a kill.

Jessica Loper (McDonough, Ga./Eagles Landing Christian) concluded the match with seven total blocks, including three solo. She also had four kills.

USC Aiken's Samantha Lukralle (Lindenhurst, N.Y./Lindenhurst) claimed 14 digs to lead all in the match.

The Pacer setting tandem of Ashley Farwell (Wake Forest, N.C./Wake Forest-Rolesville) and Sheila Walsh (Fort Mill, S.C./Nation Ford) were the catalysts for the dominant Pacer attack. Farwell finished the match with 17 assists, while Walsh ended her evening with 16 assists.

Farwell just missed out on a double-double as she also collected nine digs in the Pacer victory.

Hannah Dederick led the Bearcats with five kills. Lander libero Madison Kubal ended the match with 13 digs. 

USC Aiken will next close the week with a total of three matches at the Convocation Center on Friday, Oct. 7 and Saturday, Oct. 8.

The three matches will be part of USC Aiken's "Dig for the Cure" weekend. The Pacers will be accepting donations all weekend for the fight against breast cancer.

The Pacers will first play host to Flagler at 7 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 7.

On Saturday, Oct. 8, USC Aiken will play host to a tri-match at the Convocation Center. USC Aiken will first play host to nationally-ranked Armstrong Atlantic State at 2 p.m. The Pacers will close their efforts on the week against Bentley at approximately 6 p.m. Armstrong and Bentley will take the court against one another in-between USC Aiken's two matches.