AIKEN, S.C. – University of Montevallo junior Rebekah Phelps led the Falcons with eight kills in a 3-0 setback on the road at USC Aiken in a Peach Belt Conference match Oct. 31 featuring a pair of teams ranked in the NCAA Division II Southeast Region rankings.
The Falcons, who are ranked No. 7 in the region rankings, fell to No. 5 USC Aiken 25-19, 25-17, 25-22.
Phelps finished the match with a .368 hitting percentage after registering eight kills on 19 swings.
Senior Katie Best and freshman Kristy Bohan added seven kills each for the Falcons, who fell to 17-10 overall and 8-6 in Peach Belt Conference play.
Sophomore Chandler Cooper contributed three kills and senior Sarah Guidry recorded two kills.
Sophomore Hannah Christie led Montevallo with 15 assists, while junior Briana Marquez contributed 10 assists. Junior Carissa Bell registered a team-high 13 digs.
The Pacers defeated the Falcons 25-19 in the opening set. Montevallo opened the frame with a 4-1 run after two early kills by Bohan. A service ace by Ashley Diedrich and a kill by Julia Forster gave the Pacers a 16-14 lead midway through the set and the Pacers held on down the stretch with Forster and Sheila Walsh providing kills late in the frame to secure the 25-19 win.
Phelps led Montevallo with four kills in the opening set.
USC Aiken took a 2-0 lead in the match with a 25-17 win in the second set. The Pacers opened the frame with a 9-6 run, capped with a kill by Taylor Stratton. Montevallo trimmed the deficit to 12-11 midway through the set following a service ace by Bell, but a quick 3-0 run by the Pacers gave USC Aiken momentum down the stretch on its way to a 25-17 win in the set.
Phelps and Best led the Falcons with three kills each in the second set.
The Pacers closed out the sweep with a 25-22 victory in the third set. USC Aiken opened the third set with a 8-3 run, capped with a kill by Diedrich. The Falcons responded with a 9-3 run of its own, capped with a kill by Bohan, to take a 12-11 lead. The two teams remained locked in a tight battle down the stretch until the Pacers scored the final three points in the set to secure a 25-22 win.
Diedrich led USC Aiken with 13 kills in the match.
The Falcons will return to action Saturday, Nov. 1 with a Peach Belt Conference match on the road at Lander University in Greenwood, S.C. The Bearcats are ranked No. 8 in the region rankings.
First serve is set for 1 p.m. Eastern/12 p.m. Central.
