STATESBORO, Ga. - The Jacksonville State volleyball team split its final two matches as part of the "Bash in the Boro" Tournament on Friday inside Georgia Southern's Hanner Fieldhouse.
 
The Gamecocks (2-5) dropped a tough five-set match to Charleston Southern to open the day, before returning in the afternoon to topple Savannah State in straight sets.
 
Against the Buccaneers (3-4), JSU took the opening frame, 25-20, despite just a .100 attack percentage. The offense would turn up the pressure in the coming sets including the second where the Gamecocks put away 18 kills combined. However, CSU hung tough taking the set to extra points. JSU faced two different set-point serves following kills by freshmen Kaylee Frear and Sadie Anderson, but were unable to shut the door on the Bucs, falling 26-28 to even the match at 1-1.
 
Frear finished the match with 16 kills, just two shy of her season-high of 18 which came in her collegiate debut against Air Force. Anderson also had her second-best put-away tally since Air Force finishing with nine kills. Junior Charis Ludtke had posted a double-double with 13 kills and 14 digs, while fellow junior Allyson Zuhlke led the way with 22 kills and a .419 hitting percentage over the five sets.  
 
After dropping the third set (25-22) to CSU, JSU responded in the fourth to force a decisive fifth frame. The Gamecocks held a two-point advantage midway through, before Frear's kill to make it 11-8 began an 8-0 run which sent Jax State on to a 25-16 set victory.
 
In the fifth, the Bucs opened a quick 3-0 lead, before the Gamecocks started to chip away at the deficit. JSU trailed by two (8-6) at the side change, not tying the final frame until 10-10. Momentum shifted after a kill by Frear which would've tied the set was later reversed to a hitting error for a two-point change. The Bucs held on taking the set 15-11 to hand JSU its second five-set loss of the season.
 
Jax State was able to pick up its second win of the tournament on Friday evening sweeping Savannah State (25-15, 25-13, 25-12). A 9-2 lead to start set the tone for JSU to continue on to a 25-16 opening set victory. The Gamecocks hit .333 in the first, led by Zuhlke's five kills.
 
In the second, Jax State lifted its attack percentage to .375 en route to a 25-13 win. The Gamecocks were able to complete the sweep with a strong 25-12 frame.

Freshman Rachel Perucki had a career day out of the setter's position with 51 assists between the day's two matches. Shayla Schmidt added 11 assists against Savannah State, while Perucki also had 11 digs as part of her double-double.

Zuhlke's big day on the offensive attack, along with junior Hannah Kirk's defensive efforts saw those two be selected to the All-Tournament team for the "Bash in the Boro."

The Gamecocks now prepare for their home-opener on Sept. 7. JSU will face North Dakota at 10 a.m. at Jacksonville High School, before taking on Alcorn State at 6 p.m. in the first match of the season at Pete Mathews Coliseum.