CHARLESTON, S.C. – The Jacksonville State volleyball team bounced back from a tough opening day in Charleston on Friday, to collect a pair of victories to wrap up tournament action on a high note on Saturday.
 
After dropping a five-setter the day before, Jax State (12-5) responded with a five-set victory of its own (25-18, 22-25, 25-21, 17-25, 15-11) against Charleston Southern Saturday morning inside The Citadel's McAlister Field House.
 
Four Gamecocks finished in double figures for kills highlighted by sophomore Kaylee Frear's season-best 12 off the bench. Junior Mackenzie Rombach also recorded 12 and added a dominating six blocks. Senior Allyson Zuhlke had 14 kills and four blocks, while Charis Ludtke reached 10 kills and two blocks.
 
The defense played a big part in JSU outlasting the Buccaneers for its first five-set win of the season. Jennifer Hart, who dishes 34 assists, also led the way with 24 digs followed by Hannah Kirk with 18 and Kaylie Milton with 12. Sophomore Ashley Clingan posted double-digit digs for the first time this season finishing with 11 four sets of action. Shayla Schmidt and Rachel Perucki were also key for the Gamecocks off the bench providing quality depth during the extended contest.  
 
JSU pulled away from a 13-13 tie in the first with a 6-1 run to build a late five-point cushion which eventually turned into a 25-18 win for the Gamecocks to take a 1-0 lead. The Bucs led the second set from the beginning, at one point by as many as six points. JSU called time down 20-17 in an attempt to make a late charge, but it was to no avail.
 
With the opening two matches nearly point-for-point, the Gamecocks shuffled the lineup for the remainder of the game allowing Frear to make her first appearance of the day. JSU again used a late surge similar to the opening set to pull away from a 21-20 contest. The Gamecocks took the final three points of the set to grab a critical 2-1 match advantage. However, CSU bounced back to win the fourth just as they had the second with Jax State plagued by a handful of errors.
 
In the deciding fifth frame, JSU got off to the best start imaginable with a commanding 10-3 lead, but CSU refused to go easily as had been the case all afternoon. An 8-3 run from the Bucs caused a JSU timeout with a 13-11 lead. Frear put the Gamecocks at match point with her 12th and final kill of the game, followed by a block from Jax State to seal the win at 15-11.
 
In JSU's final match against Alabama A&M, the Gamecocks didn't need quite as many set of action in what turned into a straight-set win for the red and white.
 
In spite of the outcome, JSU trailed early in each of the first two sets against the Bulldogs. JSU tied the first frame at 8-8, and later began to build separation from a 13-all deadlock to go on and win the first, 25-20. In the second, JSU trailed 12-6 and 16-12, before rallying to even the score at 16. The team went back-and-forth until the Gamecocks took the final two points from a 23-23 score to secure a 2-0 match advantage.
 
JSU made the necessary adjustments to send the Bulldogs home quietly in the third to complete the sweep. Ludtke finished with 15 kills, while Rombach had 11 and three blocks. Schmidt led the way at the net with four blocks.
 
JSU returns to Jacksonville for a rematch with A&M on Tuesday night at Pete Mathews Coliseum before heading off again with four-straight road matches to begin Ohio Valley Conference play. Admission is free to all JSU home volleyball matches.