JACKSONVILLE – The Jacksonville State volleyball team will open the 2013 home schedule on Monday night against Auburn University at 6 p.m at Pete Mathews Coliseum. Admission is free.

The Gamecocks (2-5) will face off against an Auburn (6-1) team that is coached by former JSU head coach Rick Nold. Nold coached at JSU from 2002-10 and compiled a 171-98 record while winning three Ohio Valley Conference Tournament Championships.

JSU is coming off a 1-2 performance at the Lipscomb Invitational. The Gamecocks were swept by Lipscomb before picking up a 3-1 win over South Alabama. JSU then closed the tournament after being swept by Samford.

The Tigers managed to go 2-1 over the weekend at the Auburn Active Ankle Challenge. Green Bay handed the Tigers their first loss of the season with a 3-2 win. Auburn then picked up two victories on the final day, sweeping Mercer and handing Troy a 3-1 defeat.

Several Gamecocks currently find themselves ranked in the Top 10 in several OVC statistical categories. Sophomore Emily Rutherford ranks sixth with 3.29 kills per set. The Georgetown, Texas, native is coming off a weekend that saw her tie her career high with 22 kills in the Gamecocks' 3-1 win over South Alabama.

Junior Nicole Merget ranks fourth in the league with a .348 hitting percentage and second with 1.17 blocks per set. Merget is coming off a weekend in which she averaged 2.70 kills per set while hitting .343 to be named to the Lipscomb Invitational All-Tournament Team. The Canton, Mich., native also recorded 13 blocks during the weekend to average 1.30 blocks per set. 

Defensively, senior Kelly Cole leads the Gamecocks and ranks fourth in the OVC with 5.00 digs per set. Cole currently has 120 digs on the season, which gives her 1,028 digs for her career. That total makes her just the 10th player to eclipse 1,000 career digs and ranks her 10th all-time in JSU's Division I history.

The Gamecocks will return to the road on Sept. 13-14 at the Alabama State Invitational. The Gamecocks will take on Savannah State at 11 a.m. and Arkansas-Pine Bluff at 3 p.m. on Friday before taking on New Orleans  at 11 a.m. and Alabama State at 3 p.m. on Saturday.