Box Score MILLEDGEVILLE, Ga. – The University of South Carolina Aiken volleyball team used its dominant performance at the net to earn a 3-1 victory over Georgia College in a Peach Belt Conference contest. Set scores were 23-25, 25-21, 25-14, 26-24.

The Pacers improve to 8-4 overall and 3-1 in conference action with the victory.

Junior Hannah Tierney was in on eight blocks while Ashley Diedrich assisted on six blocks. Aly Johnson registered five blocks, including three that were solo stuffs. Taylor Stratton chipped in three blocks, but two of those were of the solo variety.

Collectively, USC Aiken totaled five solo blocks and 20 block assists, thwarting the Bobcats' chances to win the match and forcing them into a .160 attack percentage.

The Pacers' offense was led by Stratton, who hammered home a team-high 13 kills. Diedrich added 11 while Tierney chipped in 10 while hitting .474. Johnson accounted for nine kills.

Amanda Bologna registered a double-double with 41 assists and 12 digs. Shawn Hotson amassed 11 digs while fellow rookie Katie Toman garnered a match-best 19 digs.

After dropping the first set by two, the Pacers found themselves behind 10-7 in the second stanza. The squad tied the set at 13 on one of Johnson's solo blocks. The teams traded the next six points, but Bologna and Tierney's combined block started a run that catapulted the team to the win.

Stratton followed it up with a block of her own before combining with Tierney for a block, pushing the score to 19-16. Stratton's kill gave the squad a four-point edge. After a point by the home team, the Pacers went back to their strength of the night – blocking. USC Aiken picked up four of its final points of the set via the block.

The Pacers took a 2-1 advantage with a strong third set. With the score tied at five, Bologna took a pass from Toman and slammed it home for a lead the team would not relinquish. The point stated a 6-1 run. During the spurt, Tierney had three kills and Diedrich hammered home two.  The team would hold at least a five-point edge the rest of the frame, pushing the margin to as many as 11 on the game-winning point, which came from the strong right arm of Diedrich.

USC Aiken fell behind in the fourth set by five, 13-8. A kill by Tierney got the ball back for the squad. Bologna dropped back to serve and helped the team gain momentum with an ace that split the entire defense. Tierney added a kill while Diedrich had two kills and a block, giving the team a 14-13 lead.

Both squads battled back-and-forth with neither gaining more than a two-point edge. Trailing 23-22, Stratton powered home a pass from Bologna to knot the contest. However, the Bobcats took a 24-23 lead.

Head coach Glenn Cox's team would not allow a fifth stanza as Tierney's kill prolonged the set. Diedrich and Tierney blocked the next two attempts by the home squad, giving the Pacers the win.

USC Aiken returns to action on Saturday as it steps out of conference to face Lees-McRae at 12 p.m. and Erskine at 2 p.m. Both matches take place at Erskine.