Augusta State Downs Armstrong Atlantic 3-2 in PBC Volleyball Tournament

GREENWOOD, S.C. -- Sixth-seeded Augusta State opened the 2007 PBC Volleyball Tournament with a 3-2 upset of Armstrong Atlantic State. The Jaguars become the first team with the lowest seed in the tournament to win a game while AASU is ousted from the first round of the PBC Tournament for the first time since 1998. Game scores were 26-30, 30-26, 30-20, 28-30, 15-13.

Jessica Howard led the ASU attack with 20 kills. Diana Meyer added 14 while hitting .367 and added 12 digs. Jessica Lowes had 56 assists while Lindsay Weider had 25 digs. For Armstrong Atlantic State, Gwen Clarke hit .352 with a game-high 26 kills. Allyson Ray had 18 kills while Nicole Yates had 22 digs and Hanna Segebart 50 assists.

AASU finished strong in the opener, taking what had been a back-and-forth affair and winning eight of the final 12 points for a 30-26 score. Clarke had three kills in a row during the run and Antje Reuleke had the final two kills to close out the game.

Augusta State ran out to a 21-12 lead in game two before the Pirates struck back by winning 10 of the next 15 points to pull within four. But the rally came too late as ASU won 30-26. ASU hit .324 as a team in the second game, led by Howard who had six kills.

Game three featured another big ASU run that led to a 30-20 win. The Jaguars took control in the middle of the game, winning four of six points including three straight off the serve of Amy Hunt. Down 22-13, AASU attempted to rally again with four of six points to trim the lead to 24-17, but that would be as close as the Pirates would get as ASU went on a 4-1 run to end the game.

Game four was the closest of the match as neither team opened up more than a two-point lead at any time. Down 27-26, the Pirates rattled off three straight point, getting kills from Ray and Yates. After ASU scored on a Howard kill, Armstrong put the game away on a Yates kill 30-28.

The fifth and deciding game began well for the Pirates, who raced out to a 5-2 lead before ASU answered with five straight points, the last on a kill from Hunt. ASU led 12-11 when Howard rifled a shot down the line, followed by a tip-over from Jessica Lowes to build a 14-11 lead. AASU answered with a kills from Brendyce Budd and Reuleke, but ASU won the match on a kill from Lowes. 15-13.

Augusta State advances to the semifinal round where they will meet the host and second-seeded Lander Bearcats on Saturday at 5:00 p.m.

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