AIKEN, S.C. – The University of South Carolina Aiken volleyball team lost a 3-1 decision to GRU Augusta Friday evening in a Peach Belt Conference contest.

The Pacers are now 8-2 on the season, including a 1-2 mark against league foes.

Senior Monica Cardona turned in an impressive defensive performance, registering 32 digs, which is the second most by a USC Aiken student-athlete in a four-set match. Her 27 digs through three sets would have established a school record (for a three-set match). Shawn Hotson reached double figures with 12 digs.

Sophomore Alicia Hines was superb at the net, totaling nine blocks, including eight of the assisted variety. She posted four kills against just one error.

Offensively, Ashley Diedrich paced everyone with 14 kills. Taylor Stratton posted eight kills while Ashley Lind added five. Aly Johnson and Emily Teelon each accounted for four kills and Johnson did not commit an error.

Teelon led the squad with 31 assists and she added seven digs. Lauren Howard came in and added six assists to go along with a kill.

The teams opened the first set battling back-and-forth. The visitors claimed a three-point edge at 11-8, but Hines trimmed the deficit to two with a kill. An error by Kali Boatwright made it a one-point set before Diedrich and Hines combined for a block, knotting it at 11-11.

Tied at 14-14, an error by the Jaguars and a block from Lind and Julia Forster pushed the advantage to two. The Pacers maintained the margin until the Jaguars went on a 3-0 run, tying it at 19-19. After USC Aiken made it 20-19, the visitors went on a 5-1 run before an error made it 24-22. The Jaguars closed out the set with a 25-23 victory.

In the early going of the second frame, the Pacers had to battle back from a two-point deficit, but a pair of miscues by the Jaguars knotted it at 4-4. However, the visitors embarked on a 5-0 run for a 9-4 edge. USC Aiken was unable to recover as the closest the team got the rest of the way was three points at 24-21.

Head coach Glenn Cox's team took control of the third set early on and led most of the way. Leading 7-6, a service error made it 8-6. Stratton and Diedrich posted back-to-back kills for a 10-6 lead.

With the score 13-8, Diedrich slammed home a pass from Teelon, making it a six-point affair. The squad added two more points for a 16-8 lead and never looked back, cruising to the 25-17 victory as Hotson and Hines combined for a block on the final point.

Cox's squad rallied from a five-point deficit in the fourth frame. Trailing 9-4, the team tied it at 11-11 on a kill from Stratton. Stratton added another kill prior to Diedrich and Johnson each taking a turn, forcing a time-out by the Jaguars.

USC Aiken maintained a small lead, pushing the score to 21-18 on an ace by Teelon. However, an error on the next serve started a 3-0 run by the Jaguars.

Cox's team led 23-21 off an attack error, but the Jaguars tallied back-to-back points. USC Aiken answered with a kill from Diedrich, but the visitors tied it at 24-24. An attack error by USC Aiken and a kill from Rachel Windle clinched the match for the Jaguars.

The Pacers return to action tomorrow when they host Georgia College. The match is slated to begin at 2 p.m.