HICKORY, N.C. – The University of South Carolina Aiken volleyball team posted a pair of victories Friday afternoon at the Lenoir-Rhyne Tournament, downing Mount Olive 3-1 and Converse 3-0.

The Pacers are now 2-0 on the season.

In the opener, set scores were 25-21, 25-23, 19-25, 25-14.

Head coach Glenn Cox's team was led by Alisha Pitt's team-best 10 kills to go along with four blocks. Emily Lammers narrowly missed a double-double with 12 digs and nine kills to go along with three aces and a pair of blocks. Lexi Rogers and Anna Sommer each had seven kills while Sadie McKay chipped in five.

Mallory Barash dished out 34 assists and had 11 digs for a double-double. She also accounted for a match-best four aces. Kari Mercer led the defense with 18 digs. 

Tied at 17-17 in the first set, an error gave the Pacers a lead they would not relinquish. Barash served up an ace and found Sommer for a kill, making it 20-17. After a point by the Trojans, Lammers found the court as did McKay for a four-point edge. Rogers served up an ace for a 23-18 lead en route to the 25-21 win.

UMO led 16-15 in the second frame but Cox's group would tie it quickly. With the score at 22-22, a service error and a bad set by the designated home team gave USC Aiken a 24-22 lead. Up 24-23, Lammers and Pitt combined for a block, sealing the two-point win.

After the Trojans won the third set, the Pacers made quick work of the home squad. Leading 10-7, an error by UMO and an ace from Izabella De Lima made it 12-7. Up 13-9, Rogers slammed home a pass from Barash. Holding a 15-10 advantage, McKay hammered home a pass, sparking a 4-0 spurt that included a pair of kills from Pitt. USC Aiken led 22-13 before the rare libero kill from Mercer and a block from Barash and Pitt made it 24-13. Rogers finished the match of with a cross-court kill at 25-14. 

In the second match of the day, USC Aiken won by scores of 25-23, 25-12 and 25-18. 

Cox's team was led by McKay's 13 kills. She added five aces and five digs. Pitt garnered eight kills and a pair of blocks while Rogers added eight kills and seven digs. Sommer chipped in five kills and a pair of solo blocks.

Barash distributed 36 assists and had 10 digs for a double-double. Mercer led the field with 21 digs in the victory. 

The Pacers trailed in the early going of the first set but went on a 4-0 run for an 8-6 advantage thanks in part to a pair of aces by Lammers. USC Aiken jumped out to a 15-10 lead on a service error by the Valkyries but the designated home team managed to tie the set at 17-17. Cox's group rallied for a 20-17 edge after a block from Barash and Pitt and a kill from McKay. Tied at 22-22, Pitt and Sommer slammed home back-to-back kills. Leading 24-23, Rogers found a spot on the court for the kill and two-point victory.

USC Aiken jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the second frame and never looked back. Sommer blocked a shot, McKay had a kill and Rogers had an ace in the run. Up 7-5, Pitt garnered a kill, sparking a 7-0 spurt to essentially put away the set. McKay notched three aces during the span while Pitt and Barash combined for a block and Rogers chipped in a kill. Moments later, a kill from Sommer extended the advantage to 19-9. Up 20-12, Lammers throttled home a kill. She dropped back to serve and finished off the 25-12 win with an ace.

USC Aiken continued the momentum into the final frame and let from start to finish. Leading 7-5, Pitt added a kill. An error and an ace by De Lima pushed the score to 10-5. Cox's team slowly increased the margin until it reached double figures at 18-8 on a point from McKay. The home team pulled within six late at 23-17 but Lammers recorded a kill. Two plays later, McKay ended the match with a kill at 25-18. 

The Pacers return to action tomorrow when they play at Lenoir-Rhyne at 2 p.m. Live stats and video will be available at PacerSports.com.