Hi @leumaseleets,
Do you have a DMM (digital multimeter)?
If so on the existing volume control potentiometer (assuming it has been removed from the board) use the meter and measure the resistance between pins 1 & 3 of the pot and then measure the resistance between pins 1 & 3 of the replacement pot (when disconnected from the board) and check its resistance and see if they're the same.
It may be that different specification pots were used for different versions on the GBA
Just what I'd try.