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By: Josh Fuller

COLUMBUS – The Columbus State University women's volleyball team battled Peach Belt Conference leader USC Aiken to five sets before falling 3-2 (24-26, 25-19, 25-19, 19-25, 15-10) Friday evening. The PBC match took place inside the Lumpkin Center.
 
Megan Frame had an outstanding match for CSU with 14 kills and seven blocks while hitting .538 with zero attacking errors. The senior's hitting percentage is the third-best in a single match from a Lady Cougar with more than 12 kills. Zoemy Barreto Pereira and Mary McCarty each had 12 kills while Caytlin Merritt had a match-high 29 digs.
 
"We took a very good USC Aiken team to the limit tonight," said head coach Casey Cornett. "We did some things very well tonight, but we have to tighten up our overall game and get back on the winning track tomorrow."
 
It was all Columbus State (14-11, 5-10 PBC) to begin the match as the Lady Cougars won seven of the first 10 points. Malaisia Stallworth started off hot recording two kills as well as assisting on a block. The match would tighten though and USC Aiken would eventually even the score at 14-all.
 
After the two sides exchanged points, CSU found itself up 21-20 before the Pacers ran off three straight points to take a 23-21 lead. The Lady Cougars roared back though winning five of the final six points in the stanza to grab the opening set 26-24. The Pacers had a couple of attacking errors that helped CSU, while Barreto Pereira and Stallworth teamed up to block the final point of the set.
 
USC Aiken (23-3, 12-2) took control of the second set thanks to a dominant run. With CSU up 9-8, the Pacers won seven of the next eight points to jump in front 15-10. USCA extended its lead out to 21-14 before four straight points from the Lady Cougars made things tight. However, it was too late as USC Aiken closed the set out strong winning it 25-19 to tie the match.
 
After the break, Columbus State won the four of the third set's first five points to race out to a 4-1 lead. The Pacers eventually tied it at seven before the two sides went back-and-forth. CSU looked to be in good position after a Barreto Pereira kill made it 14-12, but the Pacers strung together four straight points to jump in front 16-14. Columbus State was never able to tie the score again in the set as the Pacers went ahead 2-1 with the 25-19 win.
 
It was Columbus State's time to pull away thanks to a long rally as the Lady Cougars faced a must-win fourth set. With USC Aiken holding an early 8-5 lead, Columbus State won the next seven points to grab control of the set at 12-8. Barreto Pereira had two kills while McCarty added another and Frame included a solo block.
 
USCA broke the run with two straight points, but Columbus State ran off four straight again to go up 16-10. The Pacers inched to 22-18 until the Lady Cougars slammed it shut winning three of the final four points to take the set 25-19.
 
The fifth set was tight, but the Pacers won three straight points to break a four-all tie and moved in front 7-4. CSU made things interesting closing the score to 13-10 before USC Aiken took the final two points to win the set 15-10.
 
It was the seventh five-set match for Columbus State this season.
 
The Lady Cougars will be back in action Saturday afternoon against Lander. The match will begin at 2 p.m. in the CSU Student Recreational Center.