Box Score AIKEN, S.C. – The University of South Carolina Aiken volleyball program opened Peach Belt Conference action with a 3-1 victory over Lander Wednesday evening. Game scores were 21-25, 25-16, 25-16, 28-26.
The Pacers improve to 4-1, 1-0 on the season while the Bearcats fell to 3-1, 0-1.
Three USC Aiken student-athletes registered double-doubles in the victory. Leading the way was rookie
Shawn Hotson, who posted match-highs with 14 kills and 22 digs. Fellow freshman
Taylor Stratton notched 14 kills to share match-high accolades to go along with 10 digs.
Senior
Leah Rodgers and junior
Hannah Tierney each slammed home 10 kills while fourth-year standout
Endea Ellison pounded home eight kills while hitting .438.
Amanda Bologna distributed a match-high 32 assists and sliced the defense with three aces.
Sheila Walsh added 20 assists and 10 digs for a double-double.
Defensively,
Monica Cardona got into the action with 10 digs. Tierney posted two solo blocks and added two block assists while Rodgers had a solo stuff. Ellison and
Ashley Diedrich were both in on two blocks.
After dropping the first set, Bologna's strong serving allowed the Pacers to jump out to a 5-0 advantage. During the run, Rodgers and Hotson both had aces. USC Aiken was never seriously threatened in the set, holding an eight-point lead at 18-10 when Stratton's attack found the court. Leading 24-16, Hotson's kill ended the set, tying it at 1-1.
In the second set, Hotson's kill made it 1-0. She then dropped back to serve for nine consecutive points. During the spurt, Stratton tallied three kills while Hotson and Mercer each had one.
After extending the margin to 13, 15-2, a time-out by the Bearcats gave the visitors some momentum as the squad pulled within eight. However, Ellison quickly ended any thoughts of a comeback with her tip that fell for the final point of the set.
The Pacers found themselves behind early in the fourth set, trailing 17-11. Head coach
Glenn Cox used a time-out to help his team regroup. Ellison's kill pulled the home team within five, but LU quickly answered with a point of its own.
Trailing 21-17, Stratton's kill pulled the Pacers within three and Tierney's solo block made it a two-point contest. Cardona's service ace forced a time-out by the Bearcats.
USC Aiken reeled off two of the next three points, tying the set at 22. Hotson's kill and an error by LU made it 24-22, but the Bearcats fought back, tying the set at 24. The teams traded the next six points. With the frame tied at 26, Hotson and Rodgers found the court on back-to-back attempts for the victory.
The Pacers return to action Friday when they host the USC Aiken Invitational. The team takes on Converse at 3 p.m. and Limestone at 7 p.m.
