VALDOSTA, Ga. – The University of South Carolina Aiken volleyball team posted 3-0 victories over Albany State and Valdosta State Friday.
The Pacers are now 4-1 on the season.
In the opening match against Albany State,
Christine Carroll paced the team with 11 kills against one miscue en route to a .588 attack percentage.
Kelsey Spurlin slammed home eight markers while hitting .615.
Alie Smith tallied four kills while
Brittani Vialdores and
Anita Cookey-Gam had three kills apiece.
Alli Bell dished out 15 assists while
Ali Kirk accounted for eight. Bell also served up three aces in the sweep.
Defensively,
Rebecca Martinez led everyone with 10 digs. Carroll led the match with four total blocks, including three of the solo variety.
In the first frame, head coach
Glenn Cox's team jumped out to a 7-2 lead off a kill from Smith. Leading 16-12, Carroll accounted for a kill, a block and a kill, sparking the squad to a 5-0 run en route to the 25-14 victory.
Holding an 8-6 advantage in the second stanza, Spurlin found the court off a pass from Bell. The point was the first of 11 straight, allowing the Pacers to cruise to a 25-10 win.
An 11-1 run by the designated visitors in the third frame gave the squad a 14-4 lead en route to the 25-10 victory.
In the nightcap, Carroll posted a match-high 13 kills. Smith accounted for 10 kills while Spurlin and
Andrea Bernal added eight and seven kills, respectively.
Bell distributed 23 assists while Kirk was perfect, dishing out 19 assists on 19 sets.
Defensively, Martinez led everyone with 24 digs while Vanna Strozier and Smith tallied 11 each. At the net, Carroll thwarted five attempts by VSU. Spurlin chipped in a pair of blocks.
Against the Blazers, Bell served up a pair of aces in the first few moments, propelling USC Aiken to a 5-1 edge. Kills from Smith and Vialdores pushed the margin to 16-7. The home team pulled within six, but Smith put VSU away with a kill for the 25-17 win.
After jumping out to a five-point edge in the early portion of set two, the Pacers saw the Blazers fight back and take a 19-16 lead. Spurlin slammed home a kill and was in on a block, pulling USC Aiken within one.
Down 20-18, Spurlin accounted for another kill and an ace. Kirk found Carroll for a kill and a 21-20 advantage. A time-out by the home team could not stop the momentum. Four consecutive miscues by VSU sealed the 7-0 spurt by Cox's group in the 25-20 win for the visitors.
Tied at 16-16 in the third set, Bell took a pass from Martinez and promptly found the court, giving the Pacers the lead for good.
Kayla Duggan hammered home a pass from Bell for a two-point edge. Carroll and Duggan blocked an attempt prior to a miscue by the Blazers. Martinez sliced the defense for an ace for a 21-16 advantage. USC Aiken cruised to the 25-19 victory, clinching the match on a service error.
The Pacers return to action tomorrow morning when they play Spring Hill at 9:30 a.m. Live stats and video will be available at PacerSports.com.
