CULLOWHEE, N.C. – The Jacksonville State volleyball team completed the Catamount Classic on Saturday in sensational fashion recording wins over Charleston Southern and Western Carolina to finish runner-up in the Cullowhee, N.C. tournament.
 
The Gamecocks (2-1) began the day with a hard-fought 3-1 win against CSU, before surging toward a 3-0 sweep of the host-school Western Carolina in the tournament finale. Seniors Charis Ludtke and Allyson Zuhlke were named to the All-Tournament following the final match. Zuhlke finished the opening weekend with 38 kills, with Ludtke just behind her at 35.
 
Zuhlke had 19 put-aways in Saturday's opener against CSU, just four off her career high. The Bucs and JSU went back-and-forth throughout the match, with Jax State pulling away from a 22-22 tie to take the opening set. CSU responded to take the second game to even the match, leading to a pivotal third set. The Gamecocks rushed out to a 10-3 lead to begin the third, but CSU quickly evened the score at 13. Tied at 19, CSU edged out to a 21-19 advantage forcing a JSU timeout. Out of the break, JSU rallied to force extra points before winning 27-25.
 
On the brink of its first win of the season, JSU stormed away with the fourth set starting with a 4-0 lead, which turned to 10-2 and eventually 20-10, before Jax State took the match with a 25-16 result. Junior Mackenzie Rombach joined Zuhlke and Ludtke with double-digit kills with 11 and a .316 hitting mark. She added a team-high six blocks to the team's 12 total stops.
 
In the nightcap, JSU continued the momentum from its first match, starting fast against the host school, Wester Carolina, and not letting up. The Gamecocks again pulled away from a late tie at 18-18 to take the first, 25-22. The second set wasn't as close as Jax State built a 10-point lead at 17-7, before finishing with a 25-14 victory.
 
Holding a 2-0 match lead, JSU closed out its first sweep of the season with a tight 26-24 final set score. Sophomore Kaylee Frear gave JSU a 20-17 lead with a key block near the end, before sealing the match with the final kill of the game. The Colorado Springs, Colo., native posted a .556 hitting clip against the Catamounts with six kills on nine swings. Freshman Kaylie Milton had six kills against WCU after recorded eight earlier in the day against the Bucs along with 14 digs.
 
Senior setter Jennifer Hart dished 79 assists between both Saturday contests, while senior libero Hannah Kirk dug 48 balls on the opposite side of the net. In the process, the Katy, Texas native moved into fifth-place on JSU's all-time digs list, surpassing former Gamecock All-American Abbey Breit. Behind Kirk, sophomore Rachel Perucki had 16 digs against WCU.
 
Freshmen Dani Steele and Madison Cooler continued their early progress as every Gamecock in uniform played in all three matches for JSU in the opening weekend.
 
The Gamecocks will make a stop at Jackson State next Wednesday, before continuing on to Lafayette, Louisiana for their weekend tournament.