SAVANNAH, Ga. – The University of South Carolina Aiken Volleyball team dropped a five-set thriller, 3-2, to Valdosta State in its first match of the 2011 Armstrong Pirate South/Southeast Challenge at Alumni Arena on the campus of Armstrong Atlantic State.

In a match that took two hours and 11 minutes to complete, USC Aiken (5-6) opened things up by winning the first set, 27-25. Valdosta State would claim the next set, 25-23, before USC Aiken earned a 25-21 victory in the third game to take a 2-1 advantage into the fourth set. Valdosta State garnered a 25-21 win in the fourth game to force a decisive fifth game.

In a see-saw affair in the fifth set, Valdosta State (7-2) eventually emerged with a hard fought 16-14 win to take the match, 3-2 (25-27, 25-23, 21-25, 25-21, 16-14).

Three different Pacers recorded double-digit kills with Leah Rodgers (Longwood, Fla./Lake Mary) leading the way with 12 kills. Hannah Tierney (Winchester, Va./James Wood) and Jessica Loper (McDonough, Ga./Eagles Landing Christian) both finished the match with 10 kills each.

Valdosta State also had three players record double-digit kills with Katie Onushko leading all in the match with 22 kills.

USC Aiken's Samantha Lukralle (Lindenhurst, N.Y./Lindenhurst) and Valdosta State's May Markham tied for the match-high in digs with each procuring 23. Shannon Byers (Morristown, Minn./Faribault) also brought in 15 digs for the Pacers.

Ashley Farwell (Wake Forest, N.C./Wake Forest-Rolesville) led the Pacers in assists, finishing with a season-high 35. Ashley Lala concluded Valdosta State's victory with 56 assists.

The Pacers had a block party in the match despite the loss, ending the match with 21.5 blocks as a team. Tierney led the Pacers with a match-high 12 blocks. The 12 blocks coupled with her 10 kills allowed the freshman to claim the first double-double of her college career.

USC Aiken will close the 2011 Armstrong Pirate South/Southeast Challenge by playing two matches on Saturday, Sept. 17 against nationally-ranked opposition. The Pacers will begin their day with an 11 a.m. match against No. 24 Rollins. USC Aiken will close the tournament with a match against No. 21 North Alabama at 1 p.m.