MURRAY, Ky. – In its return to the Ohio Valley Conference tournament after a one-year absence, the Jacksonville State volleyball team was unable to upset three-time defending conference champion, Murray State, falling 3-0.
 
The Racers (21-8) extended their overall winning streak to 13 matches behind three-time Player of the Year Scottie Ingram's match-high 14 kills. MSU remains perfect inside Racer Arena this season moving to 9-0 on its home court.
 
JSU (18-19) finishes the season tied with the most wins since its 2009 NCAA Tournament berth campaign. The season saw one of the youngest teams in the league advance to postseason play despite two key injuries and no senior experience.
 
For the Gamecocks, sophomore Mackenzie Rombach carried the load once more which became a regular occurrence down the stretch. The All-OVC honoree hit .333 with six kills and five blocks. The five rejections brings her season tally to 175, where her single-season school-record will now stand.  
 
Fellow all-conference selection, junior Allyson Zuhlke, recorded a team-best eight kills on 29 attacks, and pitched in three blocks as well. JSU totaled 10.5 blocks for the match altogether, to increased its national-leading mark to 376 to finish the year. Freshmen Kaylee Frear and Sadie Anderson finished with four and three blocks each, respectively. Anderson added seven kills and five digs.
 
Freshman Shayla Schmidt led the offense with 12 assists, one more than classmate Rachel Perucki who finished with 11. Perucki ends her season with a team-high 757 assists, while Schmidt recorded 424 as both filled in for injured Jennifer Hart.
 
Junior Hannah Kirk posted 10 digs in her season OVC Tournament appeareance. Perucki had eight, followed by Ludtke with six. In their first conference tournament experience, J'Nae Fraser notched three digs, Maddie Cloutier had two and sophomore Ashley Clingan finished with one.
 
The Racers took control early as they had all season, jumping out to a 7-1 lead in the forcing JSU head coach Terry Gamble to call time to settle his group on the road. MSU slowly expanded its lead to double-digits late en route to a 25-14 victory.
 
The second set was considerably tighter as the Gamecocks were within three at 11-8. The Racers made a run to go ahead 17-11, but JSU fought back to tie the match at 21. However, veteran exoerience paid off for the home squad as the Racers made plays in the end to secure a 2-0 match lead at the break.
 
In the third, JSU trailed 21-15 before a final charge which eventually evened the match at 23. With a chance to take its first lead, the Gamecock attack could find the floor for a kill and the Racers took the final two points to win 25-23.  
 
"I'm proud of this program," said third-year JSU head coach after the match. "Our goal was to be here from the start and we made it even with big injuries. We never quit tonight against a very tough team. We play five freshmen regularly, our future is very bright." 

The JSU volleyball program will next turn its attention to the Spring beach season, where the Gamecocks will be competing in its second season.