JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn.--Senior Jenny Lloyd and freshman Mandy Gerolstein combined for 31.5 points as the USC Aiken volleyball team (8-1) downed Mars Hill (6-4) 3-0 on Friday afternoon in the opening match for the Lady Pacers in the Carson-Newman Tournament. Game scores were 30-25, 30-27, and 30-21. USCA has won three straight over the Lady Lions and improves to 5-1 in the all-time series.

With their seventh consecutive win, the Lady Pacers have now posted the program’s best start in the school’s NCAA history, bettering the 7-1 beginning to the 2000 season, the first year of head coach Will Condon’s current tenure.

“We started off a bit sluggish. Mars Hill made us work and took us out of our system,” said Condon who is 78-62 in his five seasons. “We gave up big runs but we were able to work through it and make enough plays. I don’t think the players were satisfied with their performance and that says a lot about their competitiveness and drive.”

Lloyd led the way with her 68th career double-digit kill performance. With 13 kills against Mars Hill, the senior captain has hit double figures in every match thus far this season. She added four aces, one block, and 15 digs to a .310 hitting percentage.

Gerolstein tallied 10 kills, one service ace, and six blocks for 14.0 points to go with a .444 hitting percentage. As a team, the Lady Pacers hit .264.

Freshman Veronica Seidle added eight kills and 11 digs while junior setter Rachel Dalitz had three aces, six digs, and three blocks to go with her 38 assists in directing the offense. On defense, junior libero Karen McClellan added 14 digs.

USC Aiken will take on Converse College at 4:30 PM. On Saturday, the Lady Pacers will face Carson-Newman at 11:00 AM and then square off against Lincoln Memorial at 1:30 PM.

Short Box Score (Match)
Mars Hill vs. USC Aiken (Sep 10, 2004 at Jefferson City, Tenn.)
USC Aiken def. Mars Hill 30-25,30-27,30-21

Mars Hill (6-4) (Kills-aces-blocks) - N/A; Totals 0-0-0.0. (Assists) - N/A. (Dig leaders) - N/A.

USC Aiken (8-1) (Kills-aces-blocks) - Lloyd, Jenny 13-4-1; Gerolstein, Mandy 10-1-6; Seidle, Veronica 8-0-1; Deardorff, Missy 5-0-3; Williams, Laura 5-0-1; Dalitz, Rachel 3-3-3; McClellan, Karen 1-0-0; Lane, Jessica 0-1-0; Totals 45-9-8.0. (Assists) - Dalitz, Rachel 38. (Dig leaders) - Lloyd, Jenny 15; McClellan, Karen 14; Seidle, Veronica 11.

Site: Jefferson City, Tenn (Holt Fieldhouse)
Date: Sep 10, 2004 Attend: 50 Time: 1:25

Boxscore