Jaguars sweep Pacers, clinch share of PBC regular-season crown
By Rodrigo Burgos Avila
Augusta closed its regular season with a sweep at the USC Aiken Convocation Center on Saturday, Nov. 15 securing at least a share of the Peach Belt Conference regular-season title with a 25-22, 25-22, 25-18 win. The Jaguars improved to 24-7 overall and 12-3 in conference play. The Pacers dropped to 15-15 and 6-9.
Augusta’s balance on the pins and its ability to take control of long rallies powered the sweep, highlighted by the move of Angela Mateos from right side to the outside, a shift that paid off immediately. Mateos finished with seven kills on .174 hitting, four blocks, and the solo block that closed the first set.
Coach Sharon Quarles said that change in personnel helped stabilize the attack early.
“Well, especially when we incorporated a change in player personnel and moving Angela from right side to the outside on two days of practice, that speaks volumes, and I think that was a game changer there,” Quarles said. “She was hitting like a 200, and Nelson was sitting at 250 at the time. Having that kind of offensive balance on the outside opens up all the attackers.”
Lauren Nelson again led the offense in critical stretches, finishing with 10 kills while navigating several late-set pressure rotations. She said staying composed has always come down to keeping perspective.
“I just take a deep breath, and I’m like, It’s okay,” Nelson said. “You never know what God has in store for you. I think just calming down and breathing and saying, this could be my last game, whether it’s graduation or season. More than anything, just being grateful for the fact that I get to play.”
The senior said earning a share of the regular-season title added extra joy to the moment.
“Right now, I’m thinking about how for regular-season champs, we get a way bigger ring,” Nelson said with a laugh. “It’s so exciting, because this team has more than enough to do it. We have a lot to prove, but we also have a lot to work on. I think coming in, we got to focus on this week during practice.”
Aiken challenged Augusta early behind long rallies and strong first-ball defense, but the Jaguars created separation as soon as the serve game steadied and the block began influencing swings. Augusta recorded eight team blocks, with Mateos, Lauren Posa, and Sofiia Snitsarevych combining for key touches that limited the Pacers’ middles.
Quarles said the serving approach improved as the match progressed.
“Well, weaponizing our serve was the key, but we were not doing it early,” Quarles said. “Then they start moving the ball, and we got them out of system. Blocking wise, it was just trying not to float, just going straight up and down. It was not a great blocking day, because we blocked better in previous matches, but at least we were setting a somewhat closed block where they could defend around it.”
Mateos said her confidence at the net came from her teammates’ communication.
“Coach letting me know that 6 is open, and then I really appreciate my teammates,” Mateos said. “Whenever I am hitting, they let me know what is open and where to hit. It takes a lot of responsibility off my shoulders. I give a lot of credit to my teammates for that.”
Layne Witherspoon, who had a clean hitting day with eight kills on .444 efficiency, said the balanced attack gave her more freedom.
“It was wonderful,” she said. “They were not on me as much, so I had free range to use. It was kind of nice to sit back and be like, Wow, I do not have to carry the weight of the world on my shoulders.”
Augusta hit .228 as a team and held Aiken to .103. Snitsarevych added eight kills while Posa provided two kills. Setter Mia Saavedra totaled 20 assists and 6 digs. Giulia Rodrigues led the Jags with 10 digs.
With the win, the Jaguars move into postseason play with momentum and the chance to claim the outright PBC title depending on the result of the Flagler vs. Lander match. If Lander wins, the Jags will be outright champions and will host the conference tournament. If Flagler wins, they will be crowned co-champions along with the Jaguars and the Saints will host the conference tournament, holding the tiebreaker against Augusta.
Contact Rodrigo Burgos Avila at rburgosavila@augusta.edu.
Layne Witherspoon (20) attacks down the middle for one of her eight kills. She finished the match with no errors. (photo by Rodrigo Burgos Avila/the Bell Ringer)
At the top of the page, Angela Mateos (13) swings on the outside, her first time playing the position this season.
Below, Coach Sharon Quarles discusses a play with Sydney Harrington (13) and Mia Saavedra (right) during a timeout. (photos by Rodrigo Burgos Avila/the Bell Ringer)
