Box Score MONTEVALLO, Ala. – The University of South Carolina Aiken volleyball team dropped a 3-1 decision at Montevallo Friday night. Set scores were 23-25, 25-23, 19-25, 22-25.
The Pacers are now 17-9 on the season and 8-6 against conference competition.
Leading the way for the Pacers was
Ashley Diedrich's nine kills.
Hannah Tierney and
Taylor Stratton had eight apiece while
Endea Ellison slammed home seven.
Ashley Lind and
Shawn Hotson posted six kills apiece.
Amanda Bologna notched a double-double with 27 assists and 12 digs while
Sheila Walsh added 21 assists.
Defensively, Hotson managed a team-high 15 digs while
Monica Cardona and
Katie Toman registered 12 digs each.
Trailing 23-20 in the first set, Walsh found Ellison for a kill. After a point by the home team, Diedrich added a point. A miscue by the home squad allowed head coach
Glenn Cox's team to pull within one at 24-23, but an error by the Pacers ended the set with a 25-23 loss.
In the second frame, USC Aiken battled to a 14-11 lead thanks in part to kills by Tierney and Diedrich, along with multiple errors by Montevallo. After the home squad took a lead, the Pacers managed to reel off four of the last six points, taking the set 25-23. Lind registered the final point of the set with a ferocious kill.
USC Aiken went back-and-forth in the third set for the first 20 points. However, Montevallo went on an 8-4 run to make it 18-14. The Pacers pulled within three at 21-18 on a kill by Tierney, but it was as close as the team would get.
Cox's team found itself trailing 16-9 in the fourth set, but battled back within three. Trailing 20-12, Stratton sliced the defense with a kill. She and Lind connected for a block. Stratton then hammered home two passes from Bologna between an error by Sarah Guidry, making it 20-17. However, the team could get closer only one other time, which came on a kill by Diedrich to make it 24-22.
USC Aiken returns to action tomorrow at 12 p.m. for a match at Columbus State. It marks the second of four straight road matches for the Pacers.
