Box Score AIKEN, S.C. – Despite trailing 2-0 heading into intermission, the University of South Carolina Aiken volleyball team rattled off three straight set wins en route to the come-from-behind 3-2 victory on Senior Day against Montevallo Saturday afternoon.
The Pacers have won 14 straight and improve to 23-3 on the season, including a 12-3 mark against league foes.
Ashley Diedrich led the way with a match-best 19 kills to go along with 18 digs for a double-double. Taylor Stratton added 14 kills. Aly Johnson posted 11 kills and five total blocks. Alicia Hines and Julia Forster each hammered home 10 kills.
Emily Teelon's 60 assists were a match high and were the sixth most in school history in a five-set match. The 60 assists were the eighth most in school history.
Defensively, Katie Toman poured in a school-record and match-high 45 digs. Shawn Hotson accounted for 22 digs while Monica Cardona totaled 19.
The Pacers had 69 kills, which was the 10th most in school history. The 243 total attacks were the second most in school history and the second-most in a five-set match. The 68 total assists tied for seventh most in school history. The 147 digs marked a school record as well.
The first set was a back-and-forth affair that saw the Falcons take a 20-17 lead. However, a kill by Stratton and a pair of miscues by the visitors knotted the contest. Stratton's kill pushed the score to 21-20. Montevallo took a 24-23 lead, but an attack error knotted the contest. The teams would trade points the rest of the way until a pair of miscues by head coach Glenn Cox's team allowed the Falcons to take a 35-33 win in the first set.
After dropping the second set 25-13, the Pacers regrouped during intermission.
USC Aiken trailed 11-9 before Hines hammered home a pass from Teelon, starting a 7-0 run. During the spurt, Hines added a kill and Stratton posted a pair. Hotson served up a pair of aces. Montevallo pulled within three at 18-15, but Diedrich and Johnson answered with back-to-back kills prior to Forster and Johnson blocking a shot for a 21-15 advantage. The Pacers cruised to a 25-18 win.
USC Aiken found itself trailing in the fourth set 19-16, but an error by the Falcons and a kill from Hines pulled the home team within one at 19-18. Trailing 20-18, Diedrich found the court as did Stratton, forcing a time-out with the score tied at 20 apiece. Johnson and Stratton slammed home kills and a ball handling error gave the Pacers a 23-20 lead. After the Falcons pulled within one, Stratton and Diedrich garnered back-to-back kills for the 25-22 victory.
In a wild fifth set that saw several lengthy rallies and strong defensive play by both squads, Cox's team led 7-5 after a point by the visitors. Forster and Stratton posted back-to-back kills and a pair of errors by the Falcons made it 11-5. However, Montevallo fought back and knotted the contest at 13-13.
The Falcons had match point, but Johnson took a pass from Teelon and quickly found the court, forcing extra points for the second time in the match. Trailing 16-15, Diedrich blasted the ball onto the court for the tying point. She then barely served the ball over the net for an ace. A ball handling error by Montevallo secured the 18-16 victory and the 3-2 come-from-behind win.
It marked the last regular-season home match for seniors Monica Cardona, Ashley Diedrich, Aly Johnson and Jenni Law.
The Pacers return to action Wednesday when they play at Lander. The match is slated to start at 7 p.m.
