Box Score FLORENCE, S.C. – After a slow start, the University of South Carolina Aiken volleyball team responded with a five-set victory over No. 3 Francis Marion in the final quarterfinal match of the Peach Belt Conference Tournament. Set scores were 14-25, 25-20, 23-25, 25-18, 15-8.

The Pacers improve to 18-12 on the season.

Rookie Taylor Stratton led everyone with 17 kills against just three errors while hitting .333. Ashley Diedrich notched 11 kills while Leah Rodgers slammed home 10 kills.

Sheila Walsh dished out a team-best 22 assists while Amanda Bologna distributed 21 assists and 13 digs for a double-double performance. Rookie Katie Toman defended the back-line with 22 digs while Danielle Mercer hit double figures with 11. Monica Cardona added nine in the victory.

At the net, junior standout Hannah Tierney was in on a match-high seven blocks. Stratton, Aly Johnson and Endea Ellison all were in on three blocks while Diedrich added two block assists. Ashley Lind and Rodgers chipped in a block assist.

The Pacers also totaled eight service aces in the match, including three by Tierney.

For the match, USC Aiken slammed home 56 kills while hitting .155. The squad totaled 53 assists and 81 digs.

After dropping the first set, USC Aiken led 13-12 before a kill by Johnson sparked a huge run. Ellison and Stratton combined for a block while Ellison and Tierney earned the next point with another block, forcing a time-out. Stratton's kill made it 17-12.

The Pacers maintained at least a two-point edge the rest of the way. With the score 20-18, Diedrich plastered two passes from Walsh onto the court for kills. An attack error by the Patriots pushed the margin to 23-18. Rodgers pounded home the final point of the 25-20 victory.

The teams were knotted at 21 in the third frame before FMU netted two straight points for a 23-21 edge. However, Johnson answered with a kill and an attack error by the Patriots tied the set at 23. A miscue by the Pacers and a kill by the home team allowed FMU to take the third set.

Just like many other times this year, the Pacers found a way to force a fifth frame. FMU jumped out to a 7-2 lead before Cox gathered his squad in a time-out. The team rallied by reeling off three of the next four points.

Trailing 12-7, Walsh took a pass from Toman and confused the defense with one of her outstanding no-look kills. The point sparked a spurt by the Pacers. An error by the Patriots made it 12-9. Tierney found the court for an ace before Rodgers hammered home another one of her kills. Tierney allowed USC Aiken to relax momentarily as she took care of the next point on an ace, making it 12-12. Rodgers followed it up with a kill and after a time-out by the home team, Tierney notched her third ace for a 14-12 advantage.

FMU pulled within one at 15-14, but Johnson and Stratton posted back-to-back kills prior to Stratton and Johnson stuffed a shot for an 18-14 margin. Cox's crew cruised to the seven-point victory as Rodgers forced the fifth stanza with the final point of the set.

The Pacers jumped out to a 5-0 lead thanks in part to three errors by FMU, a kill by Rodgers and a combined block by Johnson and Rodgers. The home team tied it at eight, but USC Aiken quickly countered with the final seven points of the match.

Stratton and Diedrich posted back-to-back kills. After an error by the home team, Diedrich and Tierney stuffed an attack. The Patriots challenged Tierney and Stratton on the next attack, but the duo was up to the challenge, blocking the ball to make it 14-8.  An attack error by the Patriots allowed the No. 6 seed to register the upset.

The contest marked the 11^th time this season head coach Glenn Cox's squad has played five sets.

The Pacers return to action tomorrow as they take on No. 2 Flagler in the Peach Belt Conference semifinals. The match is slated for a 2 p.m. start.