AIKEN, S.C. – The University of South Carolina Aiken volleyball team picked up an impressive 3-0 victory over Augusta Saturday afternoon on Senior Day in the Convocation Center in a Peach Belt Conference contest.

The Pacers improve to 27-3 on the year, including a 16-2 mark against league foes. The Jaguars fall to 17-14 on the year and 8-9 against conference competition.

Leading the way for head coach Glenn Cox's team was junior Julia Forster, who hammered home a match-best 12 kills. Taylor Stratton added nine kills while Kassy Johannsen tallied eight markers in the victory.

Emily Teelon dished out a match-best 31 assists to go along with eight digs, four kills and three aces.

Defensively, Danielle Mercer led everyone with 17 digs. Shawn Hotson and Rebecca Martinez added five digs apiece. At the net, Christine Carroll stuffed three shots. Johannsen and Amber Hendry had two blocks apiece.

USC Aiken started off the match strong, registering a 5-0 run out of the gate. Carroll netted the first point while an error made it 2-0. Carroll and Hendry combined for a block before Teelon notched back-to-back aces. The spurt was indicative of how the Pacers would play in the opening stanza as they cruised to the 25-16 win.

Leading 16-14, an error by the Jaguars made it 17-14. Forster slammed home a kill before Stratton dropped back to the service line and registered back-to-back aces. Carroll and Hendry combined for a block prior to Forster, Carroll and Brittany Faulkner each garnering kills. Three plays later, Forster's kill secured the victory.

Cox's team jumped out to a 7-2 lead in the second stanza. Leading 9-6, USC Aiken embarked on a 5-1 run. Johannsen had three kills in the frame while also serving up an ace.

Carroll's kill made it 23-16 and an error pushed the margin to 24-16. Two plays later, Stratton gave the Pacers the victory on a kill.

Augusta took control of the third frame with a 16-10 lead. However, the resilient USC Aiken squad chipped away at the margin. Forster recorded back-to-back kills. An error by the visitors and an ace by Mercer made it 14-10.

Trailing 18-14, Forster hammered home a kill before Teelon and Johannsen stuffed a shot.

With the score at 22-20 in favor of Augusta, Hotson sliced through the defense with back-to-back kills. USC Aiken trailed 24-23 before Forster knotted the contest with a kill. She then stuffed an attempt by herself before Johannsen finished off the match with the kill.

It marked the last regular-season home match for Faulkner, Hotson, Johannsen, Mercer and Stratton, who were all honored prior to the start of the match.

The win gives USC Aiken at least a share of the PBC regular-season championship for the second consecutive season.

The Pacers return to action Friday, when they compete at the PBC Tournament, which is hosted by Georgia College. The league office will send out a bracket after completion of the last regular-season match.