PEMBROKE — The UNC Pembroke volleyball team recorded eight service aces and won the first two sets, but Augusta rallied and finished the contest with nine blocks to defeat the Braves 3-2 (25-23, 25-20, 22-25, 20-25, 13-15) on Tuesday evening at Lumbee Guaranty Bank Court.
It is the third-straight fifth set match for the Braves (3-8), who have lost their last five contest against Augusta. The Jaguars (9-2) improve to 2-1 on the road this season and 15-14 all-time against UNCP when playing in Pembroke.
Augusta took a 9-5 lead in the opening set following a block from Marin Freeland and Jada Suguturaga. UNC Pembroke hit a team-best .250 from the net and would knot the score at 12 apiece after a 4-0 scoring run. The Jaguars pushed their lead out to 19-15 after a kill from Jacklyn Simms, but the Braves closed out the set on a 10-4 surge to take the opening set, 25-23.
Mckenna Hayes sparked the Braves offense in the second set with a kill and started a 4-1 run to give UNCP a 17-12 advantage. Augusta chipped away at its deficit, 19-16, with a kill from Lauren Posa, but the hosts stayed in control of the set and limited the Jaguars to just a .093 hitting percentage during the set to earn a 25-20 win and take a 2-0 match lead.
Tyler Patterson registered a pair of service aces to give UNC Pembroke a slight 9-8 lead during the third set. Augusta hit a match-best .275 from the net and used an 8-3 run to take a 16-12 lead following a pair of blocks. The Braves rallied off five straight points to work their deficit back to 22-21 with a service ace from Savannah Whaley, but the Jaguars won three out of the final four points of the set and won 25-22.
Augusta jumped out to a 14-8 fourth-set lead with an ill-timed attack error from UNCP. The hosts cut into their deficit with a 3-0 run to trail 16-13, but the Jaguars padded their lead, 24-19, with a UNCP service error. The Braves fended off a set point with a kill from Precious Daley, but a kill from Mikayla Kline clinched a 25-20 set win for the Jaguars and sent the match a deciding set.
Augusta won five-straight points to take a 9-3 fifth-set lead with a service ace from Marah Zenner. UNCP answered with six consecutive points to tie the score at 10 apiece, but the Jaguars took the lead for good, 14-13, following an attack error from UNCP, and won 15-13.
Daley had 16 kills for UNCP, Abby Peduzzi had 13 kills and 21 digs, Hayes had 11 kills and two blocks, Patterson had 51 assists and three aces, Savannah Whaley had 24 digs, three aces and two blocks and Brette Doile had 18 digs and two aces.
The Braves will return to conference action on Friday when they travel to Spartanburg, S.C., to take on Converse. First serve is set for 7 p.m. inside the Tom & Tracy Hannah Gym.
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