AUGUSTA, Ga. – For just the third time in PBC history, the No. 5 seed made it to the PBC Championship. Despite playing some of the best volleyball in the region, the University of South Carolina Aiken lost a dramatic 3-2 match to No. 3 Flagler Saturday afternoon in the championship match.

Mallory Barash and Sadie McKay garnered all-tournament team accolades for their effort.

The Pacers are now 19-13 on the season while the Saints are 18-9.

Set scores were 23-25, 25-18, 24-26, 25-21, 14-16.

McKay registered a double-double and totaled a match-high 25 kills while hitting .258. She also registered 17 digs.

Emily Lammers and Anna Sommer had 14 kills apiece. Sommer hit .393 while Lammers hit .224. Lammers also notched a double-double with 17 digs. 

Barash posted a double-double with 52 assists and 13 digs to go along with seven kills. Kaitlyn Rodriguez added eight kills while Brooke Wroten and Kaitlyn Lund had four and two, respectively. 

Kari Mercer led the defense with 27 digs. 

After dropping the first set, head coach Glenn Cox's team went on a 5-1 run to least 15-8. During the run, Barash had one kill and Rodriguez found the court twice. Up 19-16, Wroten slammed home a pass from Barash. Two plays later, Barash served up an ace. Leading 23-18, Rodriguez powered home a kill before Sommer's point ended the set.

Down 24-20 in the third frame, USC Aiken went on a 4-0 run to knot the score. A miscue on the serve made it 24-21. McKay added a kill. Two plays later, Mercer baffled the defense with her service ace. However, the Saints managed to pull out the 26-24 win.

With their backs against the wall, Cox's group came out and forced an early time-out by the Saints. Up 6-5, McKay added a kill. After two errors by Flagler, McKay found the court once again. Barash and Wroten combined for a block before Mercer's ace made it 12-5. 

The Saints pulled within one at 16-15 but Lammers took a pass from Barash and registered the point. Rodriguez served up an ace before Sommer's block made it 19-15. McKay and Sommer each had a kill for a 21-16 edge. Leading 22-21, Lund gave the side-out back to USC Aiken with a kill. Two plays later, Rodriguez forced a fifth set with the beautiful attack and point.

Flagler jumped out to a 4-1 lead only to see Cox's group knot the score at 4-4. Up 4-2, Sommer registered a block and a kill. Two plays later, the rookie tied it at 5-5 with another kill. 

Down 9-5, a service error gave the serve back to the Pacers. McKay registered three kills while helping the visitors pull within one at 10-9. Flagler held a 13-9 edge before McKay garnered a kill. Lammers and Lund accounted for a block before Lund and McKay each notched kills. Ater a point from Flagler, Lammers knotted the score at 14-14 before Flagler managed to earn the final two points.

For the match, USC Aiken hit .241 while limiting the Saints to .217. 

The Pacers will now wait until the NCAA Selection Show Sunday night at 10:30 p.m., to see if they will earn an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament.

All-Tournament Team
Katie Miller, Lander
Alexis Diaz-Infante, Augusta
Mallory Barash, USC Aiken
Sadie McKay, USC Aiken
Edie Lamoreaux, Flagler

Tournament MVP
Jordan Berglin, Flagler