JACKSONVILLE – An offensive explosion lifted Jacksonville State's (13-1, 1-0) volleyball team to a 3-1 (25-11, 25-19, 19-25, 25-14) victory over Central Arkansas (7-6, 0-1) in Friday night's ASUN Conference opener. Katie Montgomery, Sophie Riemersma, Courtney Glotzbach, and Lena Kindermann each had double digit kills, leading JSU to a collective hitting percentage of .411 in that decisive triumph.
 
Fifth-year middle blocker Katie Montgomery had an all-around strong performance, finishing with a team-high 13 kills. The ASUN's leader in hit percentage hit .429 against the Sugar Bears and added three assists, three blocks, and three digs. 
 
Graduate transfer Sophie Riemersma ended up with 12 kills and had a game-high (minimum five attacks) .571 hitting percentage in Friday night's victory. Redshirt sophomore Courtney Glotzbach had 12 kills, and both Riemermsa and Glotzbach had six digs each. Despite having five errors, fifth-year outside hitter Lena Kindermann still shined with her 11 kills, four digs, and two blocks.
 
"Sophie, Katie, and Courtney all had really good nights offensively for us which played a big part in the win," Jacksonville State head coach Todd Garvey said following that massive league triumph.
 
The Gamecocks started the match in dominating fashion. As a team, they hit .667 in the opening set and were seemingly unstoppable on offense. JSU rolled to a 25-11 win in the first after starting the match on a 7-1 run and ending it with a 5-0 run.
 
Central Arkansas' offense found their footing in the second set, keeping it close throughout, but it was not enough to match Jacksonville State's consistency. Garvey's squad compiled three 3-0 runs and one 5-0 in the second, securing a 25-19 victory.
 
Unfortunately, the fans at Pete Mathews Coliseum were unable to take advantage of the Chick-Fil-A Sweep sponsorship when offensive woes struck in the third set. JSU had seven attack errors in the frame, and those mistakes allowed the Sugar Bears to force a fourth set with a 25-19 win of their own.
 
Jacksonville State's defense clinched the win in the fourth set. JSU held UCA to a .057 hit percentage. Conversely, the Gamecocks hit .519 in the interval, pulling away early and never looking back in a 25-14 fourth frame.
 
"I thought we came out and played one of the best sets of volleyball that we have all year in that first set," Garvey said. "And then we let our guard down a bit in the second and third sets. We have to learn to keep our foot on the gas, but I was happy to see us respond in that fourth set."
 
Graduate transfer Claire Ochs had 39 assists, six digs, and four kills in the win over Central Arkansas. Senior middle blocker Zoe Gonzales picked up her first start since suffering an injury earlier in the season and finished with three kills and three blocks. Senior Kylee Quigley tallied six digs, two kills, and two service aces. Senior Erin Carmichael had 11 digs and three assists while sophomore Brooklyn Schiffli added nine digs, three assists, and one ace. 
 
The Gamecocks return to play Saturday afternoon at the Pete for their second ASUN showdown in as many days. Jacksonville State will welcome North Alabama (10-3, 0-1) to Calhoun County for an important intrastate matchup. The Lions started 10-1 but have lost back-to-back contests, including a four-set loss at Kennesaw State on Friday.
 
Saturday's match at Pete Mathews Coliseum will start at 4 p.m. Admission is free, but fans unable to attend can watch on ESPN+. Score updates will be posted on JSU Volleyball's Twitter account (@JSUGamecockVB). Live stats and post-game coverage will be provided at JSUGamecockSports.com.