Injury-Plagued Pacers Drop Two to National Powers on Thursday

ATLANTA - Despite a combined 39 kills from Shannon Byers in both of its matches, the University of South Carolina Aiken volleyball team dropped two on Thursday, falling 3-1 to Lee and 3-1 to Emory at the Woodruff PE Center.

The two losses came against some of the best competition in all of college volleyball with Lee currently ranked 22^nd in NAIA and Emory presently ranked fourth in NCAA Division III. Emory is also the reigning NCAA Division III national champions.

Despite being injury plagued, the USC Aiken volleyball team still almost pulled out wins in both matches. In the Lee match, USC Aiken, which had a lead in every game with Lee, opened things up by taking a thrilling 26-24 win in the first game. Lee bounced back to earn a 25-20 victory in the second set.

The third game saw the Pacers race out to a 22-12 lead. Things would crumble from there with Lee coming away with a 25-23 win in the third set. The momentum would stay in Lee's favor from there on out with Lee acquiring a 25-22 victory in the fourth set to take the 3-1 match victory.

The Emory match would open much the way the Lee match did with USC Aiken earning a relatively easy 25-18 victory in the first game. The Pacers hit a commanding .306 in the first game, while holding Emory to just .061.

Emory would regroup just like Lee to win the next three games and the match. Emory earned a 25-18 win in the second game before taking the third set, 25-21. Emory closed out its 3-1 win with a 25-19 win in the fourth and final game.

The two losses dropped the Pacers to 13-11 on the 2009 season.

Byers (Morristown, Minn./Faribaul) hit .333 en route to 17 kills in the Lee match. She was one of two Pacers with double-digit kills with Lindsay Mortenson (Aliso Viejo, Cali./Santa Margartia Catholic) hitting .318 with 10 kills. Mortenson also obtained four service aces in the opening match of the day for the Pacers.

Whitney Tabbert (Stewardson, Ill./Stewardson-Strasburg) guided the Pacer offense in the Lee match with 26 assists. Pacer libero Samantha Lukralle (Lindenhurst, N.Y./Lindenhurst) ended the Lee match with 22 digs.

Chelsey Kight (Charleston, S.C./West Ashley) concluded the Lee match with 11 digs.

Megan Disney (Knoxville, Tenn./Karns) finished the Pacers' first match of Thursday with five blocks.

Byers was the only Pacer with double-digit kills in the loss to Emory, ending the match with 12 kills. She also claimed 14 digs to obtain a double-double in the match with the defending national champions.

Lauren Cedeno (Jacksonville, Fla./Bishop Kenny) paced the USC Aiken attack in the Emory match with 18 assists.

Lukralle was right behind Byers in digs in the match with 13.

On Saturday, Oct. 24, USC Aiken will close out its week by playing two neutral site contests in Greenwood, S.C. The Pacers will first take on Limestone at 3 p.m. before taking on Lees-McRae at 5 p.m. The two matches are part of Lander's "Dig Pink" Tournament.

"Dig Pink" is part of the Side-Out Foundation, which raises money to help breast cancer patients. Donations will be accepted during the event, which features nine collegiate volleyball teams.