SAVANNAH, Ga. – The University of South Carolina Aiken volleyball team commenced the 2011 season by splitting its two matches on Friday at the 2011 Pirate Volleyball Classic on the campus of Armstrong Atlantic State.

USC Aiken (1-1) will close out the 2011 Pirate Volleyball Classic with two matches on Saturday, Sept. 3. The Pacers will first face off against Catawba at 12:30 p.m. The Pacers will then close out the tournament with a 4 p.m. match against Lenoir-Rhyne.

USC Aiken 3, Alabama-Huntsville 1 (Match One)

USC Aiken was able to overcome a sluggish start in the first game to win the next three games and pick up a 3-1 (18-25, 25-17, 25-23, 25-19) victory over Alabama-Huntsville (1-1) in its season-opening match.

Peach Belt Conference Preseason All-Conference selection Shannon Byers (Morristown, Minn./Faribault) kicked off the 2011 season with a double-double with 15 kills and 11 digs.

Byers was one of two Pacers to acquire double-digit kills in the win over Alabama-Huntsville as Leah Rodgers (Longwood, Fla./Lake Mary) concluded the win with 10 kills. She also had five digs and two solo blocks.

Endea Ellison (Orange Park, Fla./Episopal) just missed out on double-digit kills, finishing the match with nine kills.

Pacer libero Claire Patten (Boulder, Colo. /Mercer) recorded 18 digs to lead the Pacers in the category. Every Pacer that saw action in the victory recorded at least one dig.

USC Aiken freshman setter Sheila Walsh (Fort Mill, S.C./Nation Ford) finished her first Pacer match with a team-high 19 assists. Ashley Farwell (Wake Forest, N.C./Wake Forest-Rolesville) ended the match with 14 assists for the Pacers.

No Alabama-Huntsville player was able to record double-digit kills in the match with Kelsey Williams leading the way with eight. Kelly Wilson paced the Alabama-Huntsville attack with 27 assists, while Kaeli McCaghren led the Chargers with 15 digs.

Lincoln Memorial 3, USC Aiken 2 (Match Two)

USC Aiken opened the second match by taking the first game, 25-20, but Lincoln Memorial (1-1) would end taking three out of the next four sets to earn a 3-2 (20-25,25-23,24-26,25-12,15-12) victory.

Byers and Rodgers led the Pacers once again in their second match on Friday with both recording double-digit kills. Byers finished with another double-double with 18 kills and 17 digs, while Rodgers posted 10 kills.

The setting tandem of Walsh and newcomer Nicole DeVries (Orangeville, Ill. /East Tennessee State) also registered double-doubles. DeVries finished the match with 26 assists and 11 digs. Walsh collected 22 assists and 10 digs.

In total, five Pacers recorded double-digit digs with Byers, DeVries, Patten, Walsh and Samantha Lukralle claiming 10 or more digs. Lukralle (Lindenhurst, N.Y./Lindenhurst) led the Pacers in their loss to the Railsplitters with 19 digs.

Three Lincoln Memorial players ended their efforts with double-digit kills with Candace Richardson (16), Blaire Fowler (15) and Jennifer Drumm (12) all notching a double-digit kill match. Allison Beavers guided the Railsplitter attack with 54 assists.