AIKEN, S.C. – The University of South Carolina Aiken volleyball team picked up a pair of victories Saturday in Peach Belt Conference action, defeating Columbus State 3-1 before sweeping Montevallo 3-0.

The Pacers are now 13-3 overall, including a 6-2 record in PBC action. The Cougars are now 10-8 overall, including a 2-7 mark against conference competition. The Falcons are 9-10 overall, including a 3-7 mark in the league.

In the win over Columbus State, head coach Glenn Cox's team had a fairly balanced attack. Shawn Hotson led the way with a double-double performance, including a team-best 13 kills to go along with 12 digs. Kassy Johannsen and Taylor Stratton slammed home 11 kills apiece. Johannsen hit .667 while Stratton tallied a double-double with 16 digs.

Emily Teelon did it all, totaling a match-high 46 assists to go along with nine digs, four aces, three blocks and three kills. Christine Carroll chimed in with seven kills. Rebecca Martinez notched 11 digs.

For the match, Cox's team hit .234 and registered 76 digs compared to 58 by the Cougars. The biggest difference came at the service line as the Pacers served up eight aces compared to one for the visitors.

After dropping the first set to CSU, the Pacers held a 12-9 lead. USC Aiken rattled off eight straight points for a 20-9 advantage and never looked back in the second stanza.

Trailing 4-1 in the third frame, the Pacers embarked on a 5-0 run to take the lead. Tied at 12, Johannsen and Stratton posted back-to-back kills, sparking an 8-0 spurt. Carroll's kill ended the set at 25-15.

Cox's squad trailed 23-18 in the fourth frame, but Johannsen answered the call with a kill. A kill by Hotson made it 23-20. Down 24-21, Johannsen slammed home a pass from Mercer. Hotson tipped in a shot before a miscue by the Cougars made it 24-24. After a service error by USC Aiken, Hotson found the court with a kill. Carroll and Teelon teamed up for a block before a ball handling error gave the Pacers the 3-1 win.  

Against the Falcons, Stratton led everyone with 18 kills while hitting .316. She was a dig shy of a double-double. Forster contributed eight kills while Hotson added three. Teelon dished out 33 assists. Mercer led everyone with 19 digs while Hotson chipped in 15. At the net, Johannsen came up huge, stuffing seven shots overall, including two of the solo variety.

In the opening set against Montevallo, Cox's team was in a battle throughout. The squad fell behind 7-4 before rebounding for a 9-7 edge on a miscue by the Falcons. Neither team gained more than a three-point margin. Tied at 17-17, three straight miscues by Montevallo gave the Pacers a 20-17 advantage. However, the Falcons took a 22-21 lead before Stratton hammered home a kill. Johannsen and Stratton combined for a block for a 23-22 margin. An error by the visitors and a kill by Stratton gave USC Aiken the 25-22 victory.

The Pacers carried the momentum from the first set into the second frame. Tied at 2-2, Johannsen's kill gave the home team a lead it would not relinquish. The kill started a 3-0 run as Stratton slammed home a kill prior to Hotson and Johannsen teaming up for a block.

After a service error by USC Aiken made it 12-6, Alicia Hines answered the call with a thunderous kill out of the middle. That started a 7-0 spurt by the home team. During the run, Stratton registered three straight kills prior to Hines stuffing a shot. Martinez served up an ace. Back-to-back miscues by the Falcons made it 19-6. A few plays later, Lauren Howard and Johannsen teamed up for a block to make it 23-7. After a long rally, Johannsen ended the frame with a solo block.

USC Aiken was pushed to the brink in the third set, but Cox's team withstood a strong challenge by the Falcons. The Pacers trailed jumped out to a 10-6 lead, but it was short-lived as the Falcons battled back to knot the score at 13-13. Trailing 20-18, Hines registered a kill. After USC Aiken tied it at 21-21, the squads traded points. Stratton's kill pushed the margin to 23-22 in favor of the home team. Leading 24-23, Stratton closed the door on the Falcons with a kill for the winner.

The Pacers return to action Friday, Oct. 14, when they step out of league play for the PBC Crossover. The plays at Tusculum at 12 p.m., before returning to the hardwood to square off against Mars Hill at 4 p.m.