FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 9-16-06

College Volleyball: USC Aiken 3, AASU 0

Release Courtesy of USC Aiken Sports Information

AIKEN, S.C. – USC Aiken (13-2, 1-0 PBC) posted an impressive 3-0 win over Armstrong Atlantic State (7-10, 1-1 PBC) on Saturday afternoon. Game scores were 30-27, 30-25, and 30-26. The win snaps the Lady Pacers' 18-match losing streak to the Pirates dating back to 1998.

Now 12-4 in Peach Belt Conference openers, USCA hands Armstrong Atlantic State, picked in the 2006 PBC Coaches Poll to repeat as league champs, just its fifth regular season conference loss (excluding North Florida) in the last eight years. They are 80-5 over that period against the rest of the conference.

In game one, play opened close with the 10th tie of the game coming at 16-16 off a Rindy Vidovich kill. The point ignited an 8-3 run that would pit the Lady Pacers in their largest hole of the contest at 23-19. Scoring six of the next eight points, however, USCA tied the game at 25-25 on a ball handling error assessed to the Pirates. Knotted up at 27-27, kills by Laura Williams and Amanda Timm closed out the game one win 30-27.

A 4-0 spurt early in game two created the first separation between the two teams as USC Aiken grabbed the 10-7 advantage. After AASU briefly took a
13-12 edge, the Lady Pacers seesawed back in front, staking their largest lead of the game at 25-18 following a 6-0 run off the serve of Hayden Johnson. The senior libero finished with a match-best four aces to go with 15 digs.

Armstrong Atlantic State clawed back within four at 29-25, but a kill by Jasmine Edney closed out the 30-25 win.

In game three, USC Aiken tried to pull away from the Pirates beginning with a quick 5-1 start. AASU, however, battled back each time until finally taking the lead following six-straight points to push ahead 22-19.

The Lady Pacers now found themselves coming from behind down the stretch, the last time, down 26-24, USCA scored the final six points of the match finished off by a pair of kills from All-Conference middle hitter Mandy Gerolstein. She finished with eight kills, five coming in the final game, to go with two blocks, hitting .400.

Timm tallied a match-high 11 kills while Stefanie Durham tacked on 10 kills and 16 digs. Missy Deardorff chipped in five kills, a match-best 17 digs, and three blocks while setter Cheryl Barcas, the reigning PBC Specialist of the Week, handed out 36 assists and one ace.

Leah Schmiedge totaled seven kills and a .308 hitting percentage for AASU. Setter Magaret Thornton added 11 digs, a team-high, and combined with fellow setter Stacy Yates for 29 total assists. As a team, the Pirates hit just .086 while USC Aiken hit .153.

USC Aiken, off to its best start in the program's 16-year NCAA history, will play at rival Augusta State on Wednesday, September 20 at 7:00 PM. Armstrong Atlantic State returns home to Savannah to entertain USC Upstate on Friday, September 22 at 7:00 PM.

- Pirates -