SAVANNAH, Ga. – The University of South Carolina Aiken volleyball team lost a 3-2 match to No. 20 Armstrong State Friday evening. Set scores were 25-20, 22-25, 24-26, 25-22, 9-15.

The Pacers are 12-5 overall, including a 6-3 mark against Peach Belt Conference foes.

Ashley Diedrich led everyone with a match-high 23 kills and hit .245. Sheila Walsh accounted for 11 kills to go along with 47 assists. Julia Forster and Hannah Tierney added nine kills apiece and Taylor Stratton chipped in seven.

Monica Cardona led the squad with 16 digs. Katie Toman totaled 13 digs while Shawn Hotson tallied 10.

Tierney had a match-high three aces while Diedrich and Toman notched two apiece.

In the first set, the Pirates held a 15-14 lead, but then a kill from Forster knotted the contest. It also sparked a 4-0 spurt in which Aly Johnson and Forster both had kills en route to an 18-15 lead. Armstrong State pulled within two on multiple occasions, and even one at 21-20, but Diedrich's kill sparked a late push by the Pacers, who ended the set on a 4-0 run for the 25-20 victory. During the spurt, the Pirates had two errors and Toman sliced the defense with an ace.

USC Aiken held an 18-16 advantage in the second frame, but a 5-0 run by the home team gave them a three-point lead. The Pacers pulled within one at 22-21 on a kill by Diedrich, but the Pirates pulled away for the victory.

It was a back-and-forth affair in the third frame with the score remaining tied throughout the stanza. Trailing 24-22, Johnson posted a block and Forster slammed home a pass from Walsh, knotting the contest at 24. However, Armstrong State posted back-to-back kills for the 26-24 victory.

Head coach Glenn Cox's team regrouped in the fourth frame. The squad trailed by four in the early going, but fought its way back, tying the score at 18 when Diedrich hammered home a pass from Cardona. The teams traded points and Diedrich's kill put the team ahead for good and the visitors claimed the 25-22 win.

USC Aiken fell behind in the fifth set 6-0, but continued to fight hard. The team pulled within four, but could get no closer as the Pirates held on for the 15-9 win.

The Pacers return to action tomorrow at 2 p.m., when they play at Flagler.