CLEMSON, S.C. – Jacksonville State's volleyball team jumped on top early and never looked back in Saturday morning's quick three-set victory over Gardner-Webb in the Clemson Invitational. With that win over the Runnin' Bulldogs, JSU swept their three matches in upstate South Carolina and improved their season record to 6-0.

"I thought we did a great job of still playing with a lot of energy and focus this morning after last night's five-set win," head coach Todd Garvey said after the win. "Our middles played great and were dominant again today."
 
Fifth-year Katie Montgomery hit .714 with 11 kills, seven blocks, three digs, and two services aces, and senior Zoe Gonzales hit .474 with 10 kills and six blocks in that triumph at Jervey Gym. Their offensive excellence follows up a pair of impressive performances by the two veteran leaders in last night's win over Clemson.
 
Additionally, JSU's defense shined again in Clemson, holding Gardner-Webb's offense to a collective hitting percentage of .067. The Runnin' Bulldogs hit -.143 in the final set, leading to a decisive win for Garvey's squad. 
 
The Gamecocks started hot in Saturday morning's match. Zoe Gonzales led the team with six kills in the opening set, helping Jacksonville State pull away for a 25-18 win. JSU continued their dominance in the second set by going on a pair of 6-1 scoring runs in a 25-14 victory. That momentum carried over into the following set, in which the Gamecocks hit .435 and clinched the victory with another 25-14 set win.
 
Graduate transfer Claire Ochs had 36 assists and five digs in the victory, and senior Erin Carmichael led the team with 11 digs. Senior Kylee Quigley and fifth-year Lena Kindermann added five kills each against Gardner-Webb, and freshman Ava Heyne had four blocks against the Runnin' Bulldogs. 
 
Several student-athletes received their first playing time as a Gamecock in the match, including junior Maddie Stayer and freshmen Morgan McClure, Parker Phenicie, and Kathryn Smith.

"I also loved being able to get everyone onto the court," Garvey said. "One of the reasons we have gotten off to a good start this season is because of how competitive our practices have been. It was fun seeing some of our role players out there today getting the opportuntity to play."
 
Jacksonville State's outing in the Clemson Invitational set history for the program. The victory over Gardner-Webb clinched Jacksonville State's first 6-0 start to non-conference play since moving to Division I in 1995.  
 
In addition, with Friday night's victory over Clemson, JSU has beaten multiple "Power 5" opponents in a single season for the first time since 2009. By going 6-0 in the Indiana University Tournament and the Clemson Invitational, the Gamecocks have swept consecutive road invitationals for the first time in 18 seasons.
 
After two long weeks on the road, Jacksonville State volleyball returns to the friendly confines next weekend as they will host a trio of non-conference opponents in the 2022 Gamecock Classic. Their first match at the Pete Mathews Coliseum will take place on Fri., Sept. 9 against Nicholls, before the Gamecocks meet South Dakota State at 7 p.m. The next day, JSU will face off against Samford at 6 p.m. The showdowns against Nicholls and Samford will be broadcast on ESPN+.