FLORENCE, S.C. – The University of South Carolina Aiken volleyball team lost a 3-0 decision at Francis Marion Saturday afternoon in a Peach Belt Conference clash.

The Pacers are now 8-1 on the season, including a 1-1 mark against league foes.

USC Aiken hit just .131, committing 24 errors against 40 kills in 122 attempts. The Patriots had 16 attack errors, which was the biggest difference in the match.

Ashley Diedrich led everyone with 11 kills. Taylor Stratton totaled eight kills while Julia Forster and Ashley Lind had seven kills apiece. Alicia Hines connected for five kills against one assist while Emily Teelon added two.

Teelon posted a double-double with 32 assists and 13 digs. Monica Cardona led the squad with 15 digs. She also added the team's lone service ace.

With the score tied at 7-7 in the opening frame, the Patriots netted the next two points. Stratton had a kill, but the home team tacked on another point for a 10-8 lead. Diedrich answered with a point, but FMU went on a 5-0 run and never looked back in the set.

The teams battled back-and-forth in the early going of the second set, but head coach Glenn Cox's team scored four of the next points, starting with a kill by Hines. A pair of attack errors followed, but the Patriots pulled within one. Diedrich and Forster answered with back-to-back kills and stretched the lead to four at 18-14 thanks to kills from Diedrich and Lind. Leading 20-16, USC Aiken was outscored 9-3 to end the set.

USC Aiken led 7-6 in the third stanza, but the Patriots quickly took a 9-7 lead thanks to three straight errors by the Pacers. USC Aiken pulled within one on a pair of occasions after kills from Lind and Hines, but Cox's team was unable to tie the contest the rest of the way.

The Pacers return to action Friday night at 7 p.m., when they host GRU Augusta.