AIKEN, S.C. – The University of South Carolina Aiken volleyball team registered a 3-1 win over GRU Augusta Friday. Set scores were 25-19, 22-25, 25-14 and 25-20.

The Pacers improve to 10-2 overall, including a 4-0 effort against league foes.

Ashley Diedrich led the way with a team-best 16 kills. Taylor Stratton buried nine attacks while Aly Johnson and Sheila Walsh pounded home eight kills apiece. Johnson hit a match-high .500 while Walsh narrowly missed a triple-double as she added a match-best 30 assists to go with 12 digs.

Diedrich, along with Katie Toman, shared match-high honors with 16 digs apiece. Monica Cardona chipped in 14 while Shawn Hotson accounted for 13.

Defensively, Alicia Hines had four block assists while Johnson totaled four blocks, including a solo stuff. Hotson was in on three block assists while Stratton was part of two.

The Pacers jumped out to a 13-3 lead in the opening set. Leading 4-3, Toman dropped back to serve and helped guide the team on a 9-0 spurt. During the run, Johnson and Hotson hammered home two kills apiece while Toman sliced the defense for an ace.

GRU Augusta pulled within two at 19-17, but Hines turned the momentum back in the favor of the home team with a kill. Diedrich added one and the Pacers ended the set when Hotson found the floor off a pass from Toman.

After the Jaguars won the second frame, head coach Glenn Cox's team bounced back to win the next two sets.

In the third stanza, USC Aiken jumped out to an 11-5 lead, forcing the visitors into a time-out. After the Jaguars pulled within four at 12-8, Stratton slammed home a pass from Walsh. She then dropped back to serve and guided the team to an 18-8 lead. During that time, she had an ace and Diedrich registered two kills. The Pacers stretched the lead to double figures and won the set on a service error by the Jaguars.

Cox's squad was in a battle during the fourth frame and trailed 16-14. However, Hotson and Johnson combined for a block, sparking the team. The Pacers evened the set at 17 and the squads traded points until a ball handling error pushed the home squad in front, 20-19. Walsh and Hines blocked the next attack and Walsh added a kill for a 22-19 lead.

An error by the Jaguars, along with a block by Hines and Stratton, made the score 24-20. An attack error by GRU Augusta gave the Pacers the 25-20 victory.

The Pacers return to action Saturday at 2 p.m., when they host Georgia College in a PBC contest.