RICHMOND, Ky. – For the second-straight day, and fourth consecutive match, the Jacksonville State volleyball team came up just short in the fifth set, falling 3-2 to Eastern Kentucky on the road Saturday.
 
The Gamecocks (7-8) fall to 0-2 in Ohio Valley Conference play, while the Colonels remained undefeated at 2-0 through the opening weekend of league action. JSU will return home to Kennamer Hall for the first time in over a month next weekend when it welcomes Tennessee State and Belmont.
 
Freshman Lena Kindermann continued her offensive onslaught with a career-high 21 kills as one of five Gamecocks to reach double figures in kills. Sophomore Kaylie Milton also eclipsed her career mark with 15 kills, while setter Lexie Libs surpassed her previous best with 55 assists. Milton finished with a double-double courtesy of 16 digs, behind libero Jade Humphrey with a team-high 18.
 
JSU secured the opening set by pulling away from a 22-22 tie with three-straight points to end the frame. Kindermann broke the deadlock with a kill, followed by a couple of errors from the Colonels.After trailing 18-13 in the second, the Gamecocks battled back to pull with one on three separate occasions, but failed to even the score as EKU held on for the 25-23 win to tie the match 1-1.
 
EKU took the critical third, leading 24-17 late, but the Gamecocks returned the favor with an 18-8 lead in the fourth on their way to the win that forced the fourth-straight five-set affair for JSU.
 
Jax State led 8-5 and the change in the fifth, but the Colonels immediately embarked on a 7-1 run to take a commanding 12-9 advantage late. The two sides swapped serves from there as EKU held on for the 15-12 result.