FLORENCE, SC – Sixth-seeded USC Aiken scored the opening five points and the concluding seven points of the decisive fifth set to earn a 14-25, 25-20, 23-25, 25-18, 15-8 win over third-seeded Francis Marion University, Friday evening (Nov. 22) in Peach Belt Conference Volleyball Tournament quarterfinal action.

Francis Marion likely ends its season at 21-9, as the Patriots entered the tournament with a slim hope of an at-large bid to the NCAA Division II national tournament.  The 20-win season was the first for the Patriots since 2008 and the 17th in team history.

USCA improves to 18-12 and advances to face second-seeded Flagler College in Saturday's second semifinal match at 2 p.m.  Flagler defeated seventh-seeded Lander University 25-20, 26-24, 17-25, 25-21 on Friday afternoon.

In other quarterfinal action on Friday morning, top-seeded and 17th-ranked Armstrong Atlantic State University beat eighth-seeded UNC Pembroke 25-9, 25-15, 25-16 and fifth-seeded University of Montevallo downed fourth-seeded Columbus State University 23-25, 25-13, 25-20, 25-22.  AASU and Montevallo will meet in Saturday's first semifinal match at 12 noon.

Single-day admission is $5 for adults, $3 for seniors and children 6-to-12 years old, and free for children under the age of six.  All students at PBC member schools will be admitted free with a valid student ID.  The championship match is set for Sunday at 2 p.m., also in FMU's Smith University Center.

Sophomore Alexzandra Reed led Francis Marion on Friday with 17 kills and 13 digs, while junior Emily Sears added 12 kills.  Junior setter Sloane Shank, subbing for the injured Kailey Smith, handed out 43 assists and dug up 11 balls for her third career double-double, all of which were posted in the past three weeks.

Junior libero Rebekah Davis registered a match-high 30 digs, while senior middleblocker Megan Mooney chipped in nine kills and three blocks.

Taylor Stratton led the Lady Pacers with 17 kills, while libero Katie Toman dug up a team-high 22 balls.  The setting tandem of Sheila Walsh (22) and Amanda Bologna (21) combined for 43 assists.

FMU never trailed in the opening set and cruised to the 11-point victory.  The Lady Pacers trailed only at 1-0 in their set-two win that evened the match.  FMU rallied from a 17-11 deficit in set three to claim a narrow 25-23 win that was capped by a Reed kill.

Francis Marion jumped out to a 7-2 advantage in the fourth set and later led 12-7.  However USCA used a 7-0 run to erase the deficit and take the lead for good.  The Lady Pacers accounted for 18 of the final 24 points in the set.

The opening and closing spurts enabled USCA to win the fifth and final set.  FMU did manage to tie the match at 8-8 on consecutive service aces by Reed before the Lady Pacers scored the final seven points.

USC Aiken def. Francis Marion Univ. 14-25,25-20,23-25,25-18,15-8

USC Aiken (18-12 (6th seed)) (Kills-aces-blocks) - Taylor Stratton
17-0-3; Ashley Diedrich 11-0-2; Leah Rodgers 10-0-1; Aly Johnson
6-0-3; Ashley Lind 5-0-1; Hannah Tierney 3-3-7; Sheila Walsh 3-1-0;
Endea Ellison 1-0-3; Katie Toman 0-1-0; Danielle Mercer 0-3-0; Totals
56-8-10.0. (Assists) - Sheila Walsh 22; Amanda Bologna 21. (Dig
leaders) - Katie Toman 22; Amanda Bologna 13; Danielle Mercer 11;
Monica Cardona 9

Francis Marion Univ. (21-9 (3rd seed)) (Kills-aces-blocks) -
Alexzandra Reed 17-2-4; Emily Sears 12-0-3; Megan Mooney 9-0-3;
Jessica Imbimbo 7-1-1; Caroline Boone 5-0-4; Sloane Shank 2-1-0; Paige
Perreault 0-1-0; Rebekah Davis 0-1-0; Totals 52-6-8.0. (Assists) -
Sloane Shank 43. (Dig leaders) - Rebekah Davis 30; Alexzandra Reed 13;
Sloane Shank 11; Paige Perreault 10; Jessica Imbimbo 10

Site: Florence, SC (Smith Univ. Center)
Date: Nov 22, 2013   Attend: 257   Time: 1:59    
Referees: Pat Martin, Arleen Hughes, Stringer & Spann
Liberos: Davis (FMU), Toman (USCA)