NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Jacksonville State came up on the short end of a 3-2 decision to Belmont on Friday at in the Curb Event Center.
 
The Gamecocks (14-13, 6-7 Ohio Valley Conference) led 1-0 and 2-1 in the match, but were unable to close the door on the surging Bruins (5-20, 5-8 OVC). Belmont's now won three-straight matches and put its sluggish start in the past.
 
Sophomore Kaylie Milton led the offense with 16 kills, just ahead of Lena Kindermann who registered 15. Kaylie Frear added 11 kills, and three blocks to lead on the defensive side of the net. Senior Mackenzie Rombach also had a big night with nine kills as sophomore setter Lexie Libs finished with 51 total assists to surpass 1,100 for the season. It's the 10th time a Gamecock setter has dished 1,100 assists in a season since the program moved to Division I in 1995, the most recent was by Jennifer Hart in 2015.
 
The numbers were just as impressive on the opposite side of the net as Libs and sophomore libero Dani Steele both set career highs with 28 digs apiece. The efforts led to JSU collecting 91 total digs, the most this season since the Gamecocks upped 81 attacks against Boston College in Phoenix, Ariz., on August 31, and the most overall since JSU had 98 at Eastern Illinois last year. Individually, Libs and Steele's tally was the highest since former Gamecock Hannah Kirk had 35 in that EIU match last year.
 
On a night where big numbers were posted, it was the miscues that sank JSU. Despite earning 14 more kills than BU, JSU had 12 more hitting errors (29-17) and 13 service errors.
 
After JSU won the opening set 25-18, the Bruins came alive, starting the second set with a 10-2 lead that quickly grew to 15-5 causing the Gamecocks to go ahead an take their final timeout of the frame. JSU worked the deficit back down to four at 21-17, but couldn't draw any closer as BU evened the match with a 25-20 victory.
 
The Gamecocks pulled away from a 6-6 deadlock in the third with a 5-0 run powered by three-straight aces from Halverson. JSU managed to hold that advantage throughout the remainder of the set, even after BU threaten down just three at 21-18. The Bruins staved off defeat in the fourth holding on to a tightly contested 25-19 game to force a fifth set.
 
In the final set, BU started strong one again with a 3-0 start to force a quick Gamecock timeout. The Bruins led 7-3 and then 13-9, before Jax State rallied with four straight to knot things up at 13-all. The Bruins managed to fight off JSU's surge to take the final two points and the match.
 
The fifth set has proven to be a thorn for the Gamecocks this season as JSU falls to 2-7 in matches that go five. The red and white will remain in Nashville overnight and prepare for a 2 p.m. match at Tennessee State on Saturday.