AUGUSTA, Ga. – The Georgia College & State University Volleyball team (11-19) saw its season come to a close in the opening round of the Peach Belt Conference (PBC) Tournament Thursday, dropping a three-set bout with USC Aiken (18-12).

The No. 5-seed Pacers took the three sets over the No. 4-seed Bobcats 25-18, 25-16 and 25-17.

GCSU started strong with just a single attack error in the first set, but couldn't turn that into enough points to turn the tide.

All-PBC pick Rachel Machovec (Buckhead) put up a solid effort with 10 kills, hitting a strong .308 for the match. Junior Callie Miller (Acworth) chipped in five kills. Senior setter Emily Long (Mooresville, North Carolina) polished off her career by running the offense with 14 assists.

Freshman Alanis Bernis (Auburn) led with 11 digs, as Machovec had a near double-double with eight digs as well.

The loss brings a close to the season for the Bobcats, a year in which GCSU posted wins over every PBC team except Regular-Season Champion Augusta University. Machovec was also a highlight with All-PBC First Team honors, and sophomore Brooke Roberts (Rome) broke the single-season school record for blocks, finishing the year with 128.

As a proud recipient of the 2021 PBC Sportsmanship Institution of the Year, the Georgia College Department of Athletics sponsors 11 varsity athletic programs at the NCAA Division II level. GC Athletics is now two-time winners of both the PBC Commissioner's Cup and the league's sportsmanship honor. As a Division II program, Bobcat Athletics prides itself on balancing the life of the student-athlete, evidenced by the teams' continued appearances in post-season competition as well as high-level academic success and community-service involvement. Bobcat Athletics embodies the mantra of "Graduating Champions for Life." Sign up at @GCSUBobcats on all social media outlets for up-to-the-minute reports.