Friday, September 1
Chicago, IL
2:30 P.M.
Jacksonville State University
vs
Southeast Missouri State
Windy City Classic on Deck for Gamecocks
8/31/2023 12:08:00 PM | Volleyball
CHICAGO, Ill. – Jacksonville State volleyball will face three competitive squads this weekend as they head north for the Windy City Classic. The Gamecocks will take on Southeast Missouri State and the host, Chicago State, on Friday before finishing up against UC Irvine on Saturday.
Jax State (1-2) opened the season last weekend at Auburn's War Eagle Invitational, claiming a win in the season-opener versus McNeese State then falling in straight sets to MEAC power Coppin State and an improved Auburn squad. Now, the Red-and-White are set for a trip to the Land of Lincoln to take on three solid opponents.
Several players had impressive starts to their season last week on the Plains. Oakland transfer Clarke Adams had 39 kills (3.55/set) and a hitting percentage of .345 at Neville Arena and Gracie Danziger finished with a team-best 41 digs (3.73/set) and three aces. Ellie Garrett set a new career-high with 52 assists against McNeese and had a grand total of 77 on the weekend. Furthermore, sophomore middle blocker Morgan McClure leads the squad with 11 blocks through three matches.
"Last week we learned when the going gets tough we have to rely on our training- who we are as a team and what we do in our system," head coach Derek Schroeder said. "We did that in a few different instances, so hopefully we can find that more as we move forward. They've been excited to improve upon some things this week in practice, so I'm hoping they can dive into operating our system more smoothly."
An old Ohio Valley Conference rivalry will be renewed on Friday afternoon as Jacksonville State meets Southeast Missouri State (2-1) at 2:30 p.m. The Redhawks, who were picked as favorites to win the OVC earlier this month, are coached by 13th-year head coach Julie Yankus. The veteran leader returns 14 players from last year's roster, including two All-OVC Preseason selections in outside hitter Zoey Beasley and 2022 OVC Defensive Player of the Year Tara Beilsmith. SEMO scored wins over Central Michigan and Evansville before falling to Southern Illinois in last weekend's SEMO Invitational.
The Gamecocks will duke it out with Chicago State (2-0) for the second year in a row on Friday night in the Windy City. Last season, Jacksonville State thumped the Cougars to the tune of a 3-0 sweep in the Indiana Tournament. CSU brings back a strong amount of their production from last year's eight-win squad, including four impactful seniors in Whitney Barnes, Yanlis Feliz, Mesalina Severino, and Maria Fernanda Lopez Torres Tapia. Tony Trifonov's team defeated Northern Illinois twice on the road last weekend to open their 2023 campaign.
UC Irvine (0-3) is a perennial power in the Big West Conference but dropped three matches against stout competition in last week's UCI/adidas Invitational. They lost in three sets to Seton Hall, four sets to San Francisco, and five sets to New Mexico. The Anteaters have a mix of returning and incoming talent guided by 2022 BWC digs leader Campbell Jensen.
Jax State is 18-11 all-time versus SEMO, having last played the Redhawks in the 2021 OVC Tournament Semifinals. The Gamecocks are 3-0 against Chicago State after last year's victory but have never played UC Irvine.
The Gamecocks will play Southeast Missouri State at 2:30 p.m. Friday, Chicago State at 7:30 p.m. Friday, and UC Irvine at 12 p.m. Saturday. Each of this weekend's matchups will be broadcasted on YouTube Live. Links to watch or follow along with live stats will be provided at JaxStateSports.com. In addition, score updates will be posted on Jax State Volleyball's X account (@JaxStateVB).
"I'm excited to get on the road with the girls," Schroeder said. "We had a lot of fun on the bus and in the hotel this weekend, so getting to Chicago should be fun. With the schedule, there's going to be some free time to go out and explore the city and bond as a team."
To stay up-to-date with the Gamecocks, follow their Twitter (@JaxStateVB), Instagram (@JaxStateVB), and Facebook (Jacksonville State Volleyball) accounts.
Jax State (1-2) opened the season last weekend at Auburn's War Eagle Invitational, claiming a win in the season-opener versus McNeese State then falling in straight sets to MEAC power Coppin State and an improved Auburn squad. Now, the Red-and-White are set for a trip to the Land of Lincoln to take on three solid opponents.
Several players had impressive starts to their season last week on the Plains. Oakland transfer Clarke Adams had 39 kills (3.55/set) and a hitting percentage of .345 at Neville Arena and Gracie Danziger finished with a team-best 41 digs (3.73/set) and three aces. Ellie Garrett set a new career-high with 52 assists against McNeese and had a grand total of 77 on the weekend. Furthermore, sophomore middle blocker Morgan McClure leads the squad with 11 blocks through three matches.
"Last week we learned when the going gets tough we have to rely on our training- who we are as a team and what we do in our system," head coach Derek Schroeder said. "We did that in a few different instances, so hopefully we can find that more as we move forward. They've been excited to improve upon some things this week in practice, so I'm hoping they can dive into operating our system more smoothly."
An old Ohio Valley Conference rivalry will be renewed on Friday afternoon as Jacksonville State meets Southeast Missouri State (2-1) at 2:30 p.m. The Redhawks, who were picked as favorites to win the OVC earlier this month, are coached by 13th-year head coach Julie Yankus. The veteran leader returns 14 players from last year's roster, including two All-OVC Preseason selections in outside hitter Zoey Beasley and 2022 OVC Defensive Player of the Year Tara Beilsmith. SEMO scored wins over Central Michigan and Evansville before falling to Southern Illinois in last weekend's SEMO Invitational.
The Gamecocks will duke it out with Chicago State (2-0) for the second year in a row on Friday night in the Windy City. Last season, Jacksonville State thumped the Cougars to the tune of a 3-0 sweep in the Indiana Tournament. CSU brings back a strong amount of their production from last year's eight-win squad, including four impactful seniors in Whitney Barnes, Yanlis Feliz, Mesalina Severino, and Maria Fernanda Lopez Torres Tapia. Tony Trifonov's team defeated Northern Illinois twice on the road last weekend to open their 2023 campaign.
UC Irvine (0-3) is a perennial power in the Big West Conference but dropped three matches against stout competition in last week's UCI/adidas Invitational. They lost in three sets to Seton Hall, four sets to San Francisco, and five sets to New Mexico. The Anteaters have a mix of returning and incoming talent guided by 2022 BWC digs leader Campbell Jensen.
Jax State is 18-11 all-time versus SEMO, having last played the Redhawks in the 2021 OVC Tournament Semifinals. The Gamecocks are 3-0 against Chicago State after last year's victory but have never played UC Irvine.
The Gamecocks will play Southeast Missouri State at 2:30 p.m. Friday, Chicago State at 7:30 p.m. Friday, and UC Irvine at 12 p.m. Saturday. Each of this weekend's matchups will be broadcasted on YouTube Live. Links to watch or follow along with live stats will be provided at JaxStateSports.com. In addition, score updates will be posted on Jax State Volleyball's X account (@JaxStateVB).
"I'm excited to get on the road with the girls," Schroeder said. "We had a lot of fun on the bus and in the hotel this weekend, so getting to Chicago should be fun. With the schedule, there's going to be some free time to go out and explore the city and bond as a team."
To stay up-to-date with the Gamecocks, follow their Twitter (@JaxStateVB), Instagram (@JaxStateVB), and Facebook (Jacksonville State Volleyball) accounts.
Players Mentioned
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