AASU Volleyball wins Peach Belt tournament

Press release courtesy of Armstrong Atlantic State University Sports Information

PBC TOURNAMENT CHAMPS! Pirates Blank FMU, 3-0, For Title

PEMBROKE, N.C. - The Armstrong Atlantic State volleyball squad defeated Francis Marion, 3-0, on Sunday afternoon to capture the 2008 Peach Belt Conference Volleyball Tournament championship at the English E. Jones Center in Pembroke, N.C. Game scores were: 25-16, 25-20, 25-18.

Freshman Torrie Bevolo led the way for the Pirates (25-6) with a match-high 13 kills, 15 digs and four blocks, earning PBC Tournament MVP honors. Senior Rindy Vidovich, earlier in the weekend crowned the 2008 PBC Player of the Year, earned All-PBC Tournament honors as well as she collected 12 kills and 13 digs on the afternoon. Sophomore Gwen Clarke hit .385 with 10 kills and was AASU's third honoree on the All-Tournament team.

Sophomore Hannah Segebart tallied 43 assists and freshman libero Casey Howett notched a match-high 16 digs as well for AASU. Francis Marion was led by All-PBC Tournament honoree Amanda Mitchell, who notched nine kills, libero Kelsie Deaton's 15 digs and setter Jenna Kaiser's 23 assists.

The first set was a nip-and-tuck affair until junior Marina Marinova went back to serve at 13-13. Marinova ripped off 10 straight points on her service as the Pirates built a large lead and closed out the first set, 25-16. Set number two was also nip-and-tuck as FMU led 20-18 on a kill by Jenna Kaiser, but AASU ended the match with seven straight kills, five from Clarke, to take the set 25-20.

AASU closed out the match in set three behind Vidovich, who collected six kills, none more emphatic than the one she delivered on match point.

For the Pirates, it was just their second PBC Tournament title, but for head coach Will Condon, it was his third straight league tournament crown as he led USC Aiken to the 2006 and 2007 titles. Prior to this season, AASU's only tournament title came in the 2002 season.

AASU now will advance to the NCAA Southeast Regional as the automatic bid recipient from the PBC. It is the Pirates' first appearance in the NCAA Championships since 2004 and the sixth overall appearance in school history.