Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 FLORENCE, S.C. – The University of South Carolina Aiken volleyball team posted a 1-1 mark on the first day of the Francis Marion Invitational. The Pacers notched a 3-0 win over Mount Olive in the opener before falling 3-1 to Newberry in the second match of the year.
In the first match of the year, the Pacers recorded a 3-0 victory over Mt. Olive (25-23, 25-14, 25-8).
The first set saw both teams go back and forth before USC Aiken built a 24-22 advantage. The Trojans netted one, but the Pacers quickly finished the set with a powerful kill.
From that point forward, the Pacers kept the momentum and raced through the next two sets. The teams traded leads early in the second set, but the superb serving by head coach
Glenn Cox's squad put the set away.
The team wasted little time in the final set, jumping out to a large lead and never looking back.
Every student-athlete that dressed for the match saw playing time – and each made solid contributions in the first contest of the season.
For the match, USC Aiken improved its hitting percentage in each set, tallying a scorching .478 in the final frame. Overall, the team tallied a .298 attack percentage.
Aly Johnson led the well-balanced attack with a match-high nine kills with no errors.
Hannah Tierney added seven kills while hitting .875 while
Shawn Hotson,
Leah Rodgers and
Taylor Stratton all powered home six kills.
Amanda Bologna dished out a match-high 20 assists while
Sheila Walsh hit double figures with 11 assists. Walsh also sliced the defense with a sensational five aces.
On the defensive front,
Danielle Mercer garnered a match-high 18 digs. Hotson and Bologna added 12 and 11, respectively. At the net, USC Aiken had just one solo block, coming via Tierney. Johnson assisted on eight blocks while
Endea Ellison added five block assists.
Against Newberry (20-25, 18-25, 28-26, 22-25), the Pacers dropped the first two sets before tallying a sensational win in the third frame.
USC Aiken trailed 9-3 in the early going, but a time-out fueled the squad. The team slowly crept back into the set, despite trailing by as many as seven, 17-10.
Hotson got things going with a kill. After Walsh dropped back to serve, an error by the Wolves made the score 17-12. Walsh then confused the entire team, placing the ball between four defenders for an ace.
Trailing 21-15, a service error made it a five-point edge. Rodgers and Ellison then teamed up to stuff a shot before Rodgers took a pass from Bologna and slammed it home, forcing a time-out by the designated visitors.
After the break, Bologna kept things going with another ace, making it 21-19. After the teams traded points, Johnson produced a kill and teamed with Ellison for a block, making it 22-22.
The Pacers fell behind 24-22, but Johnson came through with a huge kill. An attack error tied the contest at 24. The teams traded the next four points before Hotson took a pass from Walsh and found the court for a 27-26 advantage.
Ashley Diedrich finished off the Wolves in the set with a kill.
USC Aiken carried the momentum over to the fourth set, building a six-point edge at 20-14 on Ellison's kill. However, Newberry's late run gave the Wolves the win.
For the match, Rodgers and Ellison had nine kills apiece while Hotson and Johnson each posted eight. Bologna distributed 24 assists while Walsh had 19. Mercer led the defense with 17 digs. Rodgers and
Katie Toman added 15 and 10, respectively. At the net, Tierney assisted on four blocks while Johnson was in on three.
The Pacers continue play at the Francis Marion Invitational tomorrow morning at 9 a.m. when the squad takes on Mars Hill.
