PEMBROKE – The UNC Pembroke volleyball team kept up the pace with the visiting USC Aiken Pacers to start each of the three sets, but the Pacers utilized 61 digs and 39 kills to take the 3-0 win over the Braves on Friday evening in Peach Belt Conference action on Lumbee Guarantee Bank Court inside the English E. Jones Center.

USC Aiken (8-0, 1-0 PBC) remained perfect on the season, while UNCP (2-9, 0-1) suffered its second-straight loss. The set scores were 25-22, 25-18, 25-11.

Junior Josephine Yang tallied a team-best 10 digs, while Ka'asha Jefferies posted nine digs, Nicole Mathews had nine kills and Alicia Paeplow logged nine assists and nine digs. The Braves capped off the evening with nine team blocks as Mathews and Caroline Pridgen each carried six block assists.

The opening set proved to be the closest as the Braves were narrowly edged out in the final points by USC Aiken. After grabbing the second set, the Pacers were challenged by the Braves' defense in the opening points of the final set, but recorded an 11-0 run with 15 kills and a .289 hitting percentage to control the win.

USC Aiken's Ashley Diedrich totaled 14 kills and 14 assists, while setter Emily Teelon had a double-double with 24 assists and 11 digs.

The Braves will be back in action on Saturday when they host PBC foe Lander (8-2, 1-0) in a noon match followed by regional opponent Claflin (1-2) at 4 p.m.