Jaguars' volleyball team goes undefeated in Pacer Invitational
By Payton Willis | Sports writer
AIKEN, S.C.—The Augusta University volleyball team went unbeaten in the Pacer Invitational tournament on Sept. 2 and 3.
The Jaguars (5-2) swept their four tournament matches after a 1-2 start to the season in Lakeland, Fla., in the Florida Southern College Volleyball Classic the previous weekend.
On Friday, Sept. 2, the Jaguars started the first day of the tournament with a win in their match against North Greenville University by a margin of 3-1 and finished the day with a close match against Francis Marion University, winning 3-2. In the first match, Jazmyn Wheeler led AU with 14 kills, followed by Alexis Diaz-Infante with 10. Wheeler added 23 kills in the win over FMU.
The next day, the Jaguars began with a convincing win in their match against Auburn University Montgomery, sweeping the Warhawks 3-0 behind 12 kills from Diaz-Infante. AU finished the final match of the tournament with a close one against the University of Mount Olive, winning 3-2. Wheeler had 13 kills in the finale, in which AU took the final set 15-8. Abigail Breeden led the Jaguars with 20 assists.
According to Sharon Quarles, the AU coach, saw balance as a key in the Jaguars’ performance in the USCA tournament.
“It was a team effort,” Quarles said. “We are now seven games in, and that was the first time everything clicked from serving, to passing, to defense, to blocking.”
Host USC Aiken (7-1) won three of its four matches in the invitational.
On the season, Wheeler, Augusta’s junior outside-hitter from Phoenix, Ariz., paces the team in kills with 58 and Diaz-Infante has 57, while Breeden, the team’s sophomore setter from Spartanburg, S.C., leads in assists with 119. Middle-hitter Jada Suguturaga, a sophomore from South Jordan, Utah, leads the team defensively with 21 blocks.
Diaz-Infante was pleased with the team’s performance in the USCA tourney.
“We played very well and put into action all of the skills we worked on during the week beforehand,” she said. “Our hard work paid off.”
The senior middle blocker said the Jaguars still have work to do.
“In practice this week, we need to continue to work on discipline and control,” Diaz-Infante said. “We had some moments this weekend where we fell behind when we were previously up. That just requires us to work on coming out the gate strong and staying that way.”
The Jaguars will play in the PBC/Gulf South Crossover on Friday, Sept. 9, and Saturday, Sept. 10, in Carrollton, Ga. AU opens with West Georgia on Friday, and then the Jaguars will play Valdosta State and Montevallo on Saturday. Augusta opens its home campaign on Tuesday, Sept. 6, with a 6 p.m. match against Shorter.
Contact Payton Willis at paywillis@augusta.edu.
Libero Kiera Barr (in blue), Jordan Jerome (4), Madelyn Eden (15) and Samantha Zittrauer (10) prepare to play defense in the Pacer Invitational. At the top of the page, the Jaguars huddle during a sideout. AU’s Jerome, Barr and Jazmyn Wheeler (16) are in the foreground, while Alexis Diaz-Infante (L), Abigail Breeden (C) and Kayli Cleaver are facing them. (photos by Madison Keel)
