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University of South Carolina Aiken Athletics

September 13, 2018: during an NCAA volleyball match against the North Greenville Crusaders at the Convocation Center in Aiken, SC. (Artie Walker, Jr./Special to the Aiken Standard)
3
Winner USC Aiken USCA 1-1,1-1 Peach Belt
1
Francis Marion FMU 1-1,1-1 Peach Belt
Winner
USC Aiken USCA
1-1,1-1 Peach Belt
3
Final
1
Francis Marion FMU
1-1,1-1 Peach Belt
Set Scores
Team 1 2 3 4 F
USC Aiken USCA 27 25 20 25 (3)
Francis Marion FMU 25 22 25 22 (1)

Game Recap: Volleyball |

Smith’s Career Night Leads Pacers Past Patriots

FLORENCE, S.C. – The University of South Carolina Aiken volleyball team notched a 3-1 victory at Francis Marion Tuesday. Set scores were 27-25, 25-22, 20-25 and 25-22.

The Pacers are now1-1 on the season while the Patriots fall to 1-1.

Alie Smith led the way with a career-high and match-best 31 kills on 63 attempts. Smith was a dig shy of a double-double. She hit .302 in the contest, had two blocks and an ace. The 31 kills by Smith marked the fifth-most in school history. It also marked the third-most kills in a four-set match in school history.

Rookie Sydney Bresee notched 10 kills to go along with six digs. Fellow first-year standout Alisha Pitt accounted for five kills and five total blocks. Anita Cookey-Gam totaled six kills and was in on a block.

Caroline Foster dished out a match-high 47 assists.

Defensively, Emily Duggan led the team with 14 digs while Kari Mercer was just behind her with 13. Kayla Duggan totaled 10 digs while Kaitlyn Rodriguez and Foster tallied seven and six, respectively. 

The first set was a back-and-forth affair. An ace by Rodriguez and a kill from Smith gave the visitors a 21-19 lead. After FMU tied it at 21-21, neither team could gain more than a one-point lead. Smith's kill made it 24-23, but the Patriots netted the next two points. A service error knotted the match at 25-25, but an attack error by the home team made it 26-25. Smith served up an ace for the 27-25 victory.

Set two was tied at 18-18 before Rodriguez slammed home a pass from Emily Duggan. An attack error by FMU pushed it to 20-18, but the home team pulled within one. Up 21-19, Smith found the court. Bresee took a pass from Foster to make it 23-19. Smith closed the door on the Patriots with the final two points for USC Aiken in the 25-22 win.

After dropping the third set, head coach Glenn Cox's team prevailed in the fourth stanza. Tied at 16-16, Smith had back-to-back kills before a bad set made it 19-16. Up 22-21, Smith put the visitors up by two. An attack error by the Patriots gave USC Aiken at 24-21 edge. Cox's group led 24-22 and won on a service error by the Patriots.   

The Pacers return to action Friday, March 12, when they play at UNC Pembroke. The match is slated to start at 6 p.m.
 
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