AIKEN, S.C.--A young USC Aiken squad battled the nation’s 10th ranked team, but in the end North Florida (11-4, 4-0 PBC) proved to be too much handing the Lady Pacers (12-6, 2-2 PBC) the 3-0 defeat in Peach Belt Conference volleyball action on Friday night at “The Courthouse”. Game scores were 30-24, 30-26, and 30-20. UNF, the seven-time defending PBC regular season champions, extended their remarkable regular season conference winning streak to 53 matches.

Senior captain Jenny Lloyd led the Lady Pacers with 11 kills and 11 digs, extending her streak of double digit kill matches to 19. Freshman Veronica Seidle added eight kills while freshman Mandy Gerolstein chipped in six kills and three blocks. Setter Rachel Dalitz had 30 assists and three of the Lady Pacers’ five service aces. As a team, USCA hit .096 compared to UNF’s .356.

Jackie Struck paced the Lady Ospreys with nine kills and a match-high nine blocks. Maegan Weisert added 12 kills while Emily Kohler registered 11 kills and a .714 hitting percentage. Setter Valerie Martinez, the reigning AVCA National Player of the Week in Division II, rung up 11 digs and four blocks to go with her 38 assists.

After opening the match with a Lloyd kill, USCA found itself on its heels with a 6-0 North Florida run capped by a Struck kill. Following a timeout by head coach Will Condon, the Lady Pacers worked themselves back into the match, eventually taking the lead on a 6-1 spurt at 13-12 following back-to-back blocks and a kill, all by Gerolstein.

With the score knotted up at 15-15, North Florida began to pull out in front by winning points at a two-for-one pace. Trailing 25-20, USC Aiken made a final run to edge up within striking distance at 25-23, but the Lady Ospreys won five of the final six points to take the game 30-24.

In game two, the score was tied 14 times including 11 of those before 13-13. Three consecutive kills by the Lady Ospreys created the first separation of the game as an 8-2 run made the score 20-15. Trailing 21-16, Gerolstein, Dalitz, and Lloyd each had kills as the Lady Pacers rattled off a six-straight to pull in front 22-21. Back-to-back Dalitz aces again rallied USCA from a deficit and gave the Lady Pacers a late 26-25 advantage. But a 5-0 run to close the game put North Florida up two games to none.

Close play again characterized early action in game three with the score knotted up six times until 8-8. But a 6-0 run opened up a 13-8 UNF lead and a late 4-0 run proved to be decisive as the Lady Ospreys won 30-20.

USC Aiken will host Armstrong Atlantic State on Saturday, October 2 at 3:00 PM in Peach Belt Conference play. North Florida will travel across the Savannah River to face Augusta State also on Saturday at 3:00 PM.

Short Box Score (Match)
#10 North Florida vs USC Aiken (Oct 1, 2004 at Aiken, S.C.)
North Florida def. USC Aiken 30-24,30-26,30-20

North Florida (11-4, 4-0 PBC) (Kills-aces-blocks) - Weisert, Maegan 12-0-2; Kohler, Emily 11-0-1; Struck, Jackie 9-0-9; King, Jennifer 7-0-4; Brydon, Krystle 4-0-2; Martinez, Valerie 2-0-4; Shellenback, Lori 0-2-0; Totals 45-2-14.0. (Assists) - Martinez, Valerie 38. (Dig leaders) - Martinez, Valerie 11; Taylor, Tara 5.

USC Aiken (12-6, 2-2 PBC) (Kills-aces-blocks) - Lloyd, Jenny 11-1-1; Seidle, Veronica 8-0-1; Gerolstein, Mandy 6-0-3; Williams, Laura 5-0-0; Dalitz, Rachel 2-3-0; Deardorff, Missy 1-0-1; Lane, Jessica 0-1-0; Totals 33-5-4.0. (Assists) - Dalitz, Rachel 30. (Dig leaders) - Lloyd, Jenny 11; Gayle, Brandi 5.

Site: Aiken, S.C. (The Courthouse)
Date: Oct 01, 2004 Attend: 145 Time: 1:28

Boxscore