LAFAYETTE, La. – The Jacksonville State volleyball team suffered a couple of tough setbacks on the final day of the Sawyer Camillo Memorial Tournament on Saturday afternoon. .
 
The Gamecocks (4-3) started the day facing an unbeaten Houston Baptist squad, and gave the Huskies all they could handle in a five-set heartbreaker. In the tournament finale, JSU met host Louisiana in what became every bit as tight of a match as the one earlier in the day.
 
Senior Charis Ludke led a trio of Gamecock who reached double-digit kills with 13, followed by Mackenzie Rombach (11) and Allyson Zuhlke (10). Senior Jennifer Hart dished 33 assists across the five games in a double-double performance which included 10 digs. Senior Hannah Kirk led the way with 16 digs in the early match.
 
JSU began to pull away from a 10-10 tie in the first to grab a 17-12, but HBU was soon right back within one at 20-19. The Gamecocks hit a powerful .522 in the opening set and staved off the Husky rally to take the first, 25-20.
 
HBU evened the match in the second with 17 kills en route to a 25-16 win, and continued its momentum into the third set running away with a 25-14 win to grab a commanding 2-1 match lead. JSU responded in the fourth to take control early and build a 17-10 advantage before sending the match to a winner-take-all fifth frame with a 25-21 decision.
 
In the nightcap, Jax State was edged out by the host Ragin' Cajun (25-22, 13-25, 24-26, 23-25). The Gamecocks trailed 14-21 in the first set, before mounting a furious rally with nine-straight points that spanned across two UL timeouts. With a 23-21 advantage, JSU held on to take a 1-0 match lead.
 
The Ragin' Cajun quickly bounced back in the second with a 25-13 victory, before the third and fourth set went point-for-point between the two schools. Louisiana needed extra points to finish off JSU in the third, and sealed the match with another two-point win in the fourth.
 
Behind 39 kills and 11 blocks over the weekend, Ottawa, Ill., native Mackenzie Rombach was named to the All-Tournament team following the conclusion of the UL match.  
 
JSU returns home briefly before making a midweek journey back to Mississippi on Sept. 5 and 6 to face Alcorn State and Jackson State on the road before hosting the Jefferson's and State Farm Invitational next weekend at Pete Mathews Coliseum.