AU volleyball looks to defend PBC Tournament title; four Jags make all-league team

Staff report Coach Sharon Quarles interview (Click here<--)The Augusta University volleyball team enters the postseason on a roll, with six wins in its last seven matches.Coach Sharon Quarles' squad starts this weekend's Peach Belt Conference Tournament as the No. 3 seed, finishing only a game behind USC Aiken and Flagler, which tied for the regular-season crown. The Jaguars (24-8) helped themselves by beating both USC Aiken and Lander last weekend. That moved AU up to No. 5 in the NCAA Division II Southeast Regional poll. Wingate is the top-ranked team in the region, and USC Aiken is second.The Jaguars have had back-to-back 20-win seasons, and they won the Peach Belt tourney last year by defeating Georgia College in the final.Chloe Allen, a junior, was named to the all-conference first team on Nov. 21. Teammates Jessica Hedrick, Kylie Martin and Nicolette Ramos were named to the all-PBC second team.Quarles sat down and talked to Bell Ringer Media about preparing for the conference tournament, which starts today (Nov. 22) at 4 p.m. with a quarterfinal match against UNC Pembroke in Aiken, S.C. The regional will be held Dec. 5-8. The national championship tournament will be held in Denver on Dec. 12-14.Update: AU won its opening-round match with UNC Pembroke 3-1. Game scores were 25-21, 21-25, 25-11, 25-22. Ramos and Madison Malloch each had 13 kills for the Jaguars (25-8). Hedrick added 11.  Payton Murchie had 22 assists, and Holland Martin totaled 21 digs. AU plays USC Aiken in the PBC semifinals on Saturday, Nov. 23 at 2 p.m., again in Aiken.Coach Sharon Quarles interview (Click here<--)

Jaguars defend Peach Belt volleyball tournament title

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