JACKSONVILLE – Jax State impressed in the opening day of the Gamecock Classic with two convincing victories over Arkansas – Pine Bluff and New Orleans.
 
"It just feels good, you know," second year head coach Derek Schroeder said. "There wasn't a lot of winning last year, just to start off with a couple, feels good. A couple where we executed at a high level. I'm happy about that."
 
The Gamecocks got the day started in their 12 p.m. first serve against the Lions from Pine Bluff with a 3-0 victory. The first set saw the Red-and-White control the Lions with a 25-13 victory. In set two, Pine Bluff kept things tight until Jax State pulled away with a 25-18 win. To complete the sweep, the Gamecocks clinched set three by a score of 25-17.
 
Against Pine Bluff, Jax State scored 63 points, had 48 kills, 12 aces, 46 assists, and 44 digs. The Lions only statistical advantage was collecting seven blocks to the Gamecocks' three.
 
Setter Ellie Garrett picked up where she left off in 2023 against Pine Bluff with 42 assists to lead Jax State. The Windsor, Colo., native also had two kills and four digs to her stat line in the match. Plenty of Garrett's sets ended in a Kayla Williams kill. Williams led the Gamecocks with 14 kills on 24 attempts for a .333 hitting percentage. Williams also paced the team in points with 16.5 against the Lions.
 
Defensive specialist Luci Wilkinson led the Red-and-White with 13 digs, followed closely by libero Brooklyn Schiffli who added 12, respectively. Katelyn Crofts had 11 kills, while Hana Aiana and hitter Caty Havekost added nine kills.
 
To bookend the opening day of the Classic Jax State swept New Orleans 3-0. The first set was a battle before the Gamecocks pulled out the win 25-19. In sets two and three, Jax State handled business, winning both sets 25-16.
 
Garrett continued her impressive day with 40 assists, leading Jax State, seven digs, three kills, and a .429 hitting percentage. Williams kept shining as well against the Privateers with another team-best 14 kills, on 27 attempts, and a .370 hitting percentage. Wilkinson also had another team-high nine digs.
 
Kaylee Moseley and Havekost had eight kills apiece in the win over New Orleans. Moseley tied for second-best on the squad with a .500 hit percentage with Sanni Rantanen. Aiana had a team-best .600 hit percentage in one set played for the Gamecocks in game two.
 
Against New Orleans, Jax State scored 61 points, had 57 kills, nine aces, five blocks, 45 assists, and 40 digs, controlling the stat sheet and the scoreboard throughout.
 
"The goal for this evening was to get better as the match went on," Schroeder said. "I feel like we did that. We did that by making a substitution that helped and did that by controlling the ball a little better and just finding better execution as the match went on. "
 
Jacksonville State will now set their sights on West Georgia for a 2 p.m. first serve Saturday to conclude the Gamecock Classic. West Georgia won their matchups against New Orleans, 3-1, and Pine Bluff, 3-0 on Friday as well. For fans who cannot make it to the Pete Mathews Coliseum Saturday, the game will be broadcasting on ESPN+.
 
To stay up-to-date with the Gamecocks, follow their Twitter (@JaxStateVB), Instagram (@JaxStateVB), and Facebook (Jacksonville State Volleyball) accounts.
 
Gamecock Classic Results & Schedule
Friday, Aug. 30 @ 12 p.m. – Jacksonville State 3, Arkansas – Pine Bluff 0
Friday, Aug. 30 @ 2 p.m. – West Georgia 3, New Orleans 1
Friday, Aug. 30 @ 5 p.m. – West Georgia 3, Arkansas - Pine Bluff 0
Friday, Aug. 30 @ 7 p.m. – Jacksonville State 3, New Orleans 0
Saturday, Aug. 31 @ 12 p.m. – Arkansas – Pine Bluff vs. New Orleans
Saturday, Aug. 31 @ 2 p.m. – Jacksonville State vs. West Georgia