Augusta, Ga. – The Augusta University Volleyball team defeated the UNC Pembroke Braves 3-0 in a conference contest. The Jags Improve to 18-6 on the year and are now 3-2 in conference play. The Braves drop to 11-15, while falling to 0-5 in Peach Belt match-ups.
Leading the offense for Augusta was Nicolette Ramos who amassed 21 kills on 36 swings with only three errors for a .500 hitting percentage. Chloe Allen had another outstanding performance notching 10 kills and 11 digs for a double-double on the evening while also hitting .471. Kassie Till lead the squad with assists dishing out 41 in the match, while also falling just one dig shy of a double-double of her own.
The defensive leaders for the Jaguars were Kylie Martin, Holland Martin, and Allen. K. Martin picked up a team high 12 digs for the contest, while H. Martin and Allen picked up 11.
As a team, the Jags hit a solid .294 with 54 kills, 59 digs and 10 blocks.
In the first set The Braves jumped out to an early 6-3 lead before the Jags would knock out three straight to tie things up at six. UNCP would regain the lead, however, at the halfway mark, forcing the home team to take a timeout at 14-11. The break seemed to work against the Jaguars at first, as the Braves picked up three of the next four points right out of the timeout. A sharp kill from Ramos put the Jags on a four point run though, to bring the score within one. After forcing the Braves to burn a timeout of their own, Augusta poured on the offensive pressure, picking up six of the next seven points to take the lead 21-18 late in the set. UNCP managed to tie things up at 22, but a costly attack error, and a stuff from Madison Malloch and Jessica Hedrick, would put the Jags up by two before closing the set out 25-23 on a kill by Till.
For the second set, Augusta put their foot on the gas early, taking an 8-3 lead which included a run of five straight points, forcing the visitors to take an early timeout. The Brave went on a run of their own fresh out of the break, earning four straight for their cause. Augusta would take the next three points to make it 11-7 as the squads started to trade off points through the middle part of the set. With the score 20-15 in favor of the Jags, Allen would start a five point run for Augusta with a devastating kill from her setter Till. UNCP picked up one more point before Ramos slammed the door at 25-16 on the second set.
Augusta carried some of the momentum from the second set into the third, as the home team opened up with a 4-1 run. The Braves managed to battle back early though, tying the score at 6. That would be the closest the set would get however, as the Jaguars took the lead back and never let it up. As the head into the end of the set with a 16-13 lead, the Jags went on another scoring run, this time scoring seven in a row to put the match well out of reach. Augusta would close out the set, and the match, 25-14 by letting an attack from the Braves side sail out the back end.
The Jags will be back at it tomorrow, October 26th, when they face off against Francis Marion at 2:00 p.m.