Friday, September 25
Edwardsville, Ill.
7 p.m.
Jacksonville State University
at
SIU Edwardsville
JSU Volleyball Opens Conference Play This Weekend In Illinois
9/24/2015 12:00:00 PM | Volleyball
JACKSONVILLE – The Jacksonville State volleyball team prepares for the opening weekend of Ohio Valley Conference play with a trip to Illinois to face SIU Edwardsville on Friday night and Eastern Illinois, Saturday afternoon.
The Gamecocks (7-9) have worked to mature a young lineup during the pre-conference schedule. JSU starts two true freshmen up front in Mackenzie Rombach and Kim Krutsinger. In addition, five freshmen overall have seen extensive playing time.
Ten of head coach Terry Gamble's 13 players are freshmen or sophomores. That includes sophomore setter Jennifer Hart, who's surpassed 500 assists through the first 16 matches of the season, and libero Hannah Kirk, who leads the team with 214 digs. Outside hitters Allyson Zuhlke and Charis Ludtke round out the sophomore squad as the duo have combined for 268 kills so far in 2015.
Senior Emily Rutherford serves as the veteran on the floor leading the team in kills, with 169, and is tied for first with 11 service aces. She also has the second-most digs (146) and fourth-most blocks (13).
The Gamecocks will meet a defensive-minded squad Friday night in Edwardsville. SIUE (2-8) has one of the lowest opponent hitting percentages in the league allowing their opposition to hit just .235 on average. The Cougars' 487 kills allowed is the second fewest for any OVC team trailing only defending champion, Murray State. SIUE's front line takes away many of opponents' kill chances. The Cougars average nearly two blocks per set tied for second-best in the OVC.
Saturday, the pressure may shift to Jax State's defense. Eastern Illinois (5-9) enters the contest as the conference's top hitting team with a .228 attack percentage. JSU is third, hitting .219. The Panthers' offense has 735 kills coming off 688 assists, both league-highs currently.
A year ago, the Gamecocks hosted the same two schools to open the conference slate in 2014. That weekend ended with JSU winning both matches en route to a 5-0 start in OVC play. Jax State begins its quest for a similar start in 2015 Friday night at 7 p.m. Live stats will be available for both games at JSUGamecockSports.com. Video stream will also be available through the OVC Digital Network.
The Gamecocks (7-9) have worked to mature a young lineup during the pre-conference schedule. JSU starts two true freshmen up front in Mackenzie Rombach and Kim Krutsinger. In addition, five freshmen overall have seen extensive playing time.
Ten of head coach Terry Gamble's 13 players are freshmen or sophomores. That includes sophomore setter Jennifer Hart, who's surpassed 500 assists through the first 16 matches of the season, and libero Hannah Kirk, who leads the team with 214 digs. Outside hitters Allyson Zuhlke and Charis Ludtke round out the sophomore squad as the duo have combined for 268 kills so far in 2015.
Senior Emily Rutherford serves as the veteran on the floor leading the team in kills, with 169, and is tied for first with 11 service aces. She also has the second-most digs (146) and fourth-most blocks (13).
The Gamecocks will meet a defensive-minded squad Friday night in Edwardsville. SIUE (2-8) has one of the lowest opponent hitting percentages in the league allowing their opposition to hit just .235 on average. The Cougars' 487 kills allowed is the second fewest for any OVC team trailing only defending champion, Murray State. SIUE's front line takes away many of opponents' kill chances. The Cougars average nearly two blocks per set tied for second-best in the OVC.
Saturday, the pressure may shift to Jax State's defense. Eastern Illinois (5-9) enters the contest as the conference's top hitting team with a .228 attack percentage. JSU is third, hitting .219. The Panthers' offense has 735 kills coming off 688 assists, both league-highs currently.
A year ago, the Gamecocks hosted the same two schools to open the conference slate in 2014. That weekend ended with JSU winning both matches en route to a 5-0 start in OVC play. Jax State begins its quest for a similar start in 2015 Friday night at 7 p.m. Live stats will be available for both games at JSUGamecockSports.com. Video stream will also be available through the OVC Digital Network.
Players Mentioned
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