Jax State Set for Spring Break Road Trip - Jacksonville State University Athletics

Tuesday, March 21

Saint Leo, FL

11 A.M.

Jax State

Saint Leo

3/17/2023 11:38:00 AM | Beach Volleyball

JACKSONVILLE – Following an 0-4 outing in last weekend's season-opener in the Huntingdon Beach Bash, Jacksonville State beach volleyball will hit the road on Spring Break for nine matches over the course of five days.

"We're looking forward to a long trip to Florida and playing talented opponents," interim head coach Michael Haars said. "We are looking to increase our competitive edge in preparation for a difficult conference tournament at the end of the season."

The Gamecocks (0-4) traveled to Montgomery last week for the season opening Huntingdon Beach Bash. Jax State fell in their opener, 3-2, to Florida Southern before finishing their first day with a 4-1 setback against Chattanooga. After another 3-2 loss versus FSC, Jacksonville State ended action in the invite with a 4-1 decision in a matchup with the host Hawks.

Despite the team's winless start, one pair stood out in the first four matches of 2023. The no. 1 pair of senior Kylee Quigley and freshman Luci Wilkinson went 3-1 against top competition at Huntingdon, marking a solid start to the season. New Gamecocks Gracie Danzinger and Isabelle Fuell also picked up two wins on court two, sweeping Florida Southern's no. 2 pair in their showdowns with the Mocs. Unfortunately, their efforts were not enough as Jax State dropped each of their first four pairings.

Now, Jacksonville State beach volleyball will head south during Spring Break for a week full of action in the sand.

The Gamecocks will open action on Tuesday in the Saint Leo University Dual. Jax State will meet Saint Leo (10-6) at 11 a.m. CST before playing the State College of Florida (0-8) at 1 p.m. Saint Leo, an AVCA DII power, won 22 matches last season and have already scored numerous big wins in the 2023 campaign. SCF, a junior college located in Sarasota, Fla., is also looking for their first triumph after a rough start to the year.

Haars' squad will make the hour drive south for an exhibition at Eckerd College (2-6) in St. Petersburg, Fla., on Wednesday morning. That match against the Tritons will start at 8 a.m. CST. Eckerd is coming off a one-win season in 2022 but have already eclipsed that mark in non-conference play.

Jacksonville State hits the road again for a Thursday morning dual at St. Johns River State College (3-1) in Palatka, Fla. The Vikings field a very competitive squad among the Florida junior college ranks and should pose a good test for the Gamecocks in their two meetings in the Sunshine State, which will begin around 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. CST Thursday.

After taking on some smaller colleges to open the week, Jax State will wrap up a week of beach volleyball in the Jacksonville University Tournament on Friday and Saturday. The Gamecocks will play Warner University (3-6), a NAIA squad from Lake Wales, Fla., at 9 a.m. CST Friday before duking it out with Mercer (0-11) at 1 p.m. Following a Saturday morning showdown with the host Dolphins (4-6), Haars' team will conclude their Spring Break matchups with another pairing with Warner at 1 p.m.

Following their tour of Florida, Jax State will return to action the next weekend in Birmingham at the UAB Beach Classic. The Gamecocks will play UL Monroe and Austin Peay on the morning on Friday, March 31, before opening April with matches versus Mercer and UAB.

To stay up-to-date with the Gamecocks, be sure to follow their Facebook (Jacksonville State Volleyball), Twitter (@JaxStateVB), and Instagram (@JaxStateVB) accounts.