MOREHEAD, Ky. – With much still on the line in Monday's season finale, the Jacksonville State volleyball team did secure at least a share of the spring 2021 Ohio Valley Conference championship on Sunday night in a thrilling 3-2 win over Morehead State.
 
The Gamecocks (15-0 OVC) remain perfect for the season, and knock MSU (14-1 OVC) from that position handing the Eagles their first setback in the first of two championship-deciding matches this weekend. JSU repeats as league champs, going back to the fall of 2019 in pre-Covid competition. With a five-set win, the door remains open for the Eagles to win on Monday and split the regular-season crown which could still hand MSU the right to host the four-team conference tournament later in the week.
 
Having lost just four sets in their first 14 matches, Sunday marked the Gamecocks' first five-setter of the season, and it didn't disappoint. MSU led the match 1-0 and 2-1, including a 19-15 fourth-set lead, before the Gamecocks rallied to force a fifth frame. In the final stanza, Jax State started fast and never looked back on its way to a 15th-straight win.
 
Junior Lena Kindermann, an offensive leader all season, put her dominance on full display with a career-best 26 kills on 52 swings to go along with two blocks. Freshman Courtney Glotzbach shined equally as bright on the offensive side, tying a career-high with 17 kills as part of a trio of Gamecocks in double figures, which included senior Kaylie Milton's 12 putaways.
 
Overall, JSU out-hit MSU, .272 to .216 and registered more than double the blocks with an 11-5 edge in that category. Junior Katie Montgomery had a team-high five blocks, while Glotzbach and freshman Sadie Brown had a hand in four turnaways. Senior setter Lexie Libs, who dished a season-best 54 assists in the longest match of the year, also took part in three blocks.
 
The top marks weren't just on offense as sophomore libero Erin Carmichael recorded a career-best 28 digs. Libs upped 20 attacks in a great defensive showing, while freshman Tahya Pozorski registered eight. Kylee Quigley had five digs and scored one of JSU's only two aces for the night to clinch the second set.
 
The Gamecocks fell behind on the road early, with a 6-1 deficit, which evolved to 14-8 by the time head coach Todd Garvey was forced to take a timeout. JSU regrouped, but it wasn't enough to overcome the margin, falling 25-20 in the first. The second set opened 4-4, but a kill by Libs sparked a 5-0 JSU run that helped the Gamecocks lead 12-6 soon after. The Eagles consistently stayed within three or four points, before JSU took the final three points to cap a 25-18 set win.
 
In the pivotal third set, MSU led 15-9 midway through, and soon held a decisive 20-11 advantage. The gap would stay the same in a 25-17 Eagle victory. Looking to close out the match, MSU led 14-10 and later 19-15, pushing JSU to the brink of defeat. Glotzbach, Milton and Glotzbach again exchanged kills for JSU to quickly pull within a point. After an Eagle timeout, the momentum continued with a 5-0 stretch that propelled JSU to a 24-21 advantage before winning 25-22.
 
In the winner-take-all fifth frame, JSU forced three Eagle errors for a 3-0 start and ultimately led 8-3 at what would normally be the changeover point. Glotzbach added a trio of kills down the stretch as JSU grabbed a 15-8 win to claim the set, match, and piece of the title.
 
The same two teams meet at 2 p.m. EST/1 CST Monday on ESPN+.