Box Score AIKEN, S.C. – Taylor Stratton's career-high 19 kills and a double-double performance by Leah Rodgers guided the University of South Carolina Aiken past UNC Pembroke 3-2 in an outstanding Peach Belt Conference volleyball match Saturday afternoon. Set scores were 18-25, 25-16, 25-20, 20-25, 15-7.

The Pacers improve to 7-4 overall and 2-1 in conference action.

For the contest, Stratton also added 11 digs for a double-double. Rodgers amassed 15 kills and 19 digs for a double-double while Aly Johnson hammered home eight kills to go along with six digs and six blocks.

Amanda Bologna garnered 41 assists and 10 digs. Danielle Mercer accounted for 22 digs while Shawn Hotson added 14. Katie Toman recorded a career-high 34 digs in the victory. Hannah Tierney notched five kills and five total blocks.

After dropping the first set, USC Aiken left no doubt in its second-set victory. Rodgers' kill opened the set. She then dropped back to serve and Johnson notched three consecutive kills for a 4-0 advantage. The visitors pulled within two at 10-8, but a service error sparked another run by the Pacers. Thanks in part to a kill by Johnson and a block by Johnson and Rodgers, the squad pulled away. Stratton's kill pushed the lead to nine, 19-10. USC Aiken ended the set on Hotson's ace between three defenders.

The Pacers took a 2-1 set advantage after the third frame. In the set, Tierney and Ashley Diedrich registered back-to-back kills, taking a 13-7 advantage for the home team. The Braves pulled within two at 18-16, but Rodgers provided another spark for the Pacers with a thunderous kill. Two straight errors by the visitors helped the home squad put the set away. Stratton finished the frame with an easy kill.

The fourth set went back-and-forth for the early going. The Braves pulled away, taking a five-point edge at 11-6, but the Pacers pulled even at 19 with a kill by Rodgers. After a time-out, USC Aiken was called for a blocking error and the visitors eventually forced a fifth set.  

USC Aiken left no doubt in the fifth stanza. Johnson's kill made it 2-1 and an attack error pushed the advantage to 3-1. After the Braves pulled within one, Stratton's kill and three straight errors by the visitors made it a 7-2 contest. Tierney and Bologna stuffed an attack to make it 8-2.

The Pacers held a six-point advantage at 13-7 and finished off the win with a kill by Rodgers and a block by Diedrich and Johnson.  

The Pacers return to action Wednesday at Georgia College. The match is slated to begin at 7 p.m.