AUGUSTA, Ga. – The University of South Carolina Aiken volleyball team lost a hard-fought 3-1 contest to No. 2 Lander in the PBC Semifinals Friday evening.

The Pacers are now 16-10 overall while the Bearcats improve to 27-5.

Head coach Glenn Cox's team was led by a double-double effort from Emily Lammers and Mallory Barash. Lammers erupted for a match-high 20 kills to go along with 16 digs. Barash accounted for 43 assists and 12 digs.

Gyöngyvér Araczki notched 12 kills to go along with five digs. Sadie McKay and Lexi Rogers had six kills apiece while Kaitlyn Rodriguez added four kills. Alisha Pitt and Brooke Wroten notched two kills apiece.

Rogers posted for 18 digs while McKay had 10. Kari Mercer led the defense with a team-best 23 digs. 

Trailing 2-0 in the first set, Lammers got things going with a kill. After an error by Lander, Lammers went back to work, slamming home back-to-back points. Up 5-3, Mercer served up an ace. The designated visitors increased the margin to 8-4 when Lammers found the court off a pass from Barash. Down 13-12, Lammers knotted the score with a kill. Down by two, Araczki registered back-to-back kills to knot the score at 15-15. However, the Bearcats accounted for a 10-3 run to win the set 25-18.

Lammers started the second stanza with a kill. After a ball handling error and an attack error by the designated home team, Lammers sliced the defense for a kill. Rogers and Pitt garnered back-to-back kills for a 6-0 edge. A kill from Araczki moments later pushed the margin to three at 10-7. Lander continued to cut into the advantage and knotted it at 12-12. The Bearcats managed to take the set 25-18.

Up 7-6 in the third frame, Araczki and McKay tallied back-to-back kills. Another point from McKay made it 10-6. Leading 13-9, Lammers and Araczki garnered kills, forcing a time-out by Lander. Cox's team maintained the advantage throughout. Holding a 23-21 advantage, Wroten slammed home a kill. Up 24-22, Lammers finished off the set with a tremendous point.

Lander jumped out to a 5-0 lead in the fourth frame but USC Aiken sliced into the deficit. Down 12-5, McKay befuddled the defense with a kill. Barash served up an ace, making it 12-7. The Bearcats held a 16-9 edge but an error gave the Pacers the side-out. Rodriguez found the court for a point, cutting the margin to five, 16-11.

Facing a 21-14 deficit, McKay hammered home a kill. An error by Lander made it 21-16. Down 22-16, Lammers started a run with a point. Rodriguez blocked an attempt before netting a kill to pull within three, 22-19. Trailing 23-21, Mercer garnered an ace. Araczki followed it up with a kill, tying the contest. Down 24-23, Araczki knotted the score once again before LU pulled out the two-point win.

The Pacers will await the NCAA Selection Show on Nov. 20.