SAVANNAH, Ga. – The University of South Carolina Aiken Volleyball team dropped both of its matches to nationally-ranked opposition on the final day of the 2011 Armstrong Pirate South/Southeast Challenge at Alumni Arena on the campus of Armstrong Atlantic State.

USC Aiken (5-8) opened its day with a 3-1 loss to No. 24 Rollins before No. 21 North Alabama battled to a 3-2 win over the Pacers in their second match of the day.

USC Aiken's Samantha Lukralle was named to the 2011 South/Southeast Pirate Challenge All-Tournament team at the conclusion of the tournament. Lukralle finished the tournament with 67 digs.

USC Aiken will next begin its Peach Belt Conference campaign at 7 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 23 in Pembroke, N.C. against UNC Pembroke. One day later, USC Aiken will head back to the Palmetto State for a 2 p.m. match with Francis Marion on Saturday, Sept. 24.

#24 Rollins 3, USC Aiken 1 (Match One) 

USC Aiken opened its four-set loss to Rollins on Saturday by winning the first set, 25-23. The nationally-ranked Tars then took the next three sets to garner the match victory, 3-1 (23-25, 25-11, 25-22, 25-12).

No Pacer was able to finish the match with multiple kills with Leah Rodgers (Longwood, Fla./Lake Mary) leading the Pacers with seven.

Lukralle (Lindenhurst, N.Y./Lindenhurst) finished with 23 digs to lead the Pacers in the category. Shannon Byers (Morristown, Minn./Faribault) claimed 14 digs in the match.

Rollins Phoebe Corder led all in the match with 25 digs.

Four Rollins (7-5) players recorded double-digit kills in the match with Collyn Welsch leading the Tars with a match-high 14 kills.

USC Aiken finished with six more blocks than the Tars at 12-6. Hannah Tierney (Winchester, Va./James Wood) acquired a match-high six block assists. Susan MacClary (Virginia Beach, Va./Ocean Lakes) ended the match with five block assists.

#21 North Alabama 3, USC Aiken 2 (Match Two)

USC Aiken once again came out strong in the first game in the second match, winning set one, 25-20. North Alabama (9-2) would earn the victory in two of the next three sets to send the match to a decisive fifth game.

The 21^st-ranked Lions would garner a 15-13 win in the fifth set to earn a five-set win, 3-2 (20-25, 25-17, 17-25, 25-19, 15-13).

Byers claimed a double-double in the match with 20 digs and 18 kills. She was one of three Pacers with double-digit kills as Rodgers (11) and Tierney (10) also secured 10 or more kills in the match.

Lukralle led the Pacers in digs in the match with 21. Claire Patten (Boulder, Colo./Mercer) added 15 digs, while Ashley Farwell (Wake Forest, N.C./Wake Forest-Rolesville) finished with a double-double of her own with 18 assists and 10 digs.

North Alabama's Natalie Marsh finished with 23 kills to lead the Lions. Lauren Greenhill paced North Alabama with 20 digs.

2011 South/Southeast Pirate Challenge

All-Tournament Team

OH Amanda Jones - Armstrong

OH Jessica Santaniello - Armstrong

Lib Casey Gnann - Flagler

MB Crystal Niederriter - Flagler

OH Natalie Marsh - North Alabama

OH Megan Hodges - Rollins

OH Katie Onushko - Valdosta State

Lib Samantha Lukralle - USC Aiken