 AIKEN, SC--Ninth-ranked North Florida (27-3,
14-0 PBC) grabbed early leads in all three games to power past the USC
Aiken Lady Pacers (13-20, 5-9 PBC) 3-0 in Peach Belt Conference volleyball
action on Saturday afternoon at “The Courthouse”. Game scores
were 30-20, 30-21, and 30-16. In pre-game ceremonies, USCA honored its
lone senior, Helena Jantti, playing in her final home game.
North Florida won its 51st consecutive PBC regular season match and wrapped up
the program’s seventh consecutive conference title. The last conference
loss for the Lady Ospreys in the regular season came on October 25, 2000 at Armstrong
Atlantic State.
In game one, UNF took an early 10-4 lead and extended it to 16-8 on a Jackie
Struck kill. USCA, however, battled back with a 5-0 run keyed by a pair of service
aces from sophomore Brooke Cubbage. Cubbage, who entered this weekend with three
career aces to her credit, finished with two today and five for the weekend.
Struck totaled eight kills and three blocks for UNF. The last Cubbage ace made
it 16-12, but the Lady Pacers could get no closer falling 30-20.
The second game also started slow for the Lady Pacers with North Florida winning
the first six points before a solo block by Amy Long stopped the run and gave
USCA its first point. The Lady Pacers stayed within five points much of the way
until three straight points to close out the game set the final margin at 30-21.
Long had a team-high 11 kills to go with two blocks and one ace for USCA.
 In the final game, North Florida’s hot start again proved to be the difference.
After claiming an 8-1 lead, USCA had to play catch up throughout the game. They
closed within six on a couple of occasions but another 6-0 run stretched the
advantage to 22-9 as UNF won 30-16.
Jantti finished with two kills on five attacks to go with one assist and two
blocks. Jenny Lloyd added eight kills, Jessica Lane registered three aces,
and Rachel Dalitz recorded 23 assists.
Allison O’Neill and Jessica Bosacki each added nine kills and combined
for six blocks for North Florida. Setter Valerie Martinez chipped in two kills,
two aces, six digs, two blocks, and 40 assists as the Lady Ospreys hit .404
as a team.
USC Aiken will now wait to find out its first round opponent in the 2003 Peach
Belt Conference Tournament hosted by USC Spartanburg on November 14-15. North
Florida will enter the tournament as the top seed and will face eighth-seeded
UNC Pembroke.
Boxscore
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