AIKEN, S.C. – Taja Valmyr recorded a match-high 18 kills to lead Flagler College to a 3-1 (5-25, 26-24, 25-19, 25-21) win over the University of South Carolina Aiken in a Peach Belt Conference volleyball match Friday night at the Convocation Center.

With the win Flagler evens its overall record to 14-14 and improves to 8-9 in the Peach Belt. The Saints are now in a three-way tie for fifth place with one regular season match remaining. USC Aiken had its five-match win streak snapped and it fell to 21-7 overall and 13-5 in conference play. The Pacers concluded their regular season and is expected to be the No. 2 seed in the upcoming conference tournament which begins Tuesday (Nov. 11).

Valmyr added eight digs and an ace to her line. Sara Davis added 12 kills, hit .304 and recorded six block assists. Genel Sturgeon hit an efficient .375 with 10 kills and one error on 24 swings. She added three block assists. Caitlyn Kovach collected a team-high 20 digs while Amelia Morgan just missed a double-double with her 40 assists and eight digs.

The Saints overcame an abysmal first set where they hit -.138 with just two kills and six errors on 29 swings. Flagler had a complete turnaround in the second set where it hit a scintillating .424 with 17 kills and just three errors on 33 swings to win a hard-fought 26-24 set.

Ashley Diedrich led the Pacers with 13 kills, four block assists and three aces. Taylor Stratton added 10 kills. Monica Cardona collected a match-high 25 digs while Sheila Walsh tallied 43 assists and eight digs.

The deciding fourth set featured eight ties and four lead changes. Valmyr had eight of her 18 kills in that set to help the Saints. Flagler had built a 16-12 lead only to see USC Aiken whittle away and tie the score at 21 on a hitting error by Valmyr. A service error by Katie Toman and then a kill by Ashley Lechleidner-Rodriguez gave the Saints a 23-21 lead. Valmyr atoned for her earlier error by putting away the last two points on kills to win the set and the match.

Flagler closes out the regular season tomorrow (Nov. 8) at Lander University at 2 p.m. at Greenwood, S.C. The PBC volleyball tournament bracket will be released tomorrow night.