MOREHEAD, Ky. – In a battle between two of the top teams in the Ohio Valley Conference, the Jacksonville State volleyball team stunned conference-leading Morehead State in a 3-0 road sweep on Saturday.
 
The last five meetings between the two schools all went five sets, but on Saturday, JSU (17-9, 11-3 OVC) took straight sets 25-19, 25-22 and 25-18 inside MSU's Johnson Arena. It was just the second loss in 15 home matches for the Eagles (20-7, 11-3 OVC) this season behind West Virginia's 3-1 win on Oct. 15.
 
The win pulls JSU even with MSU, who JSU swept the season series from, and Southeast Missouri for a share of the OVC lead heading into the final weekend of the regular season. If all win out, SEMO would host the league's postseason tournament by way of its wins over JSU and MSU. None the less, Jax State controls its own destiny to earn its first OVC regular season title since 2009.
 
The dominating win was the first time the Eagles have been swept on their home court in 14 months since Wright State took a 3-0 victory on Sept. 1, 2018. Junior Kaylie Milton had a team-high 10 kills as the only Gamecock in double figures with JSU using a balanced attack. Sadie Anderson added seven kills, followed by six from Kaylee Frear and Lena Kindermann, and five more for Shayla Schmidt. Junior Lexie Libs finished with just 25 assists as the Gamecocks needed just 35 total kills to finish things off.
 
On defense, Schmidt, Milton and Frear led the way as tallied nine team blocks. Freshman Erin Carmichael led the way with 13 digs. All nine Gamecocks to play recorded digs, with Dani Steele and Maddie Cloutier continuing to be fixtures in the back row.
 
A 9-3 start for JSU in the first set would signal early how the day would progress. MSU brought it back to one at 11-10, but JSU used a 5-1 run to rebuild its lead and go on to a 25-19 victory. The second set was the closest of the day after MSU led 10-5 and then 13-8. After Frear and Milton tied the frame at 15-all, a MSU error gave JSU its first lead. Tied at 19-19, Anderson, Schmidt and Kindermann put down consecutive kills to spark JSU to a 25-22 win.
 
In the third, the Gamecocks wasted no time and a service ace from Steele made it 10-3 early. The Eagles climbed back with five twice at 18-13 and 23-18, but JSU took the final two points to solidify the statement road sweep.
 
JSU brings its 11-3 mark home next weekend for senior weekend where the Gamecocks will face Belmont on Friday night, before hosting Tennessee State for Senior Day in the regular season finale on Saturday afternoon.