JACKSONVILLE – Jax State volleyball reverse swept Conference USA newcomers Missouri State Friday night for a 3-2 home triumph to remain unbeaten so far in Pete Mathews Coliseum.
The Gamecocks dropped the first two sets to the visitors from Springfield, Mo., but gained back momentum with a 25-19 third set victory. Jax State tied the match at two sets apiece with a dominant 25-13 fourth set win. In the fifth, the Gamecocks used a 15-7 win to clinch the match.
Outside hitter
Kayla Williams continued to be a force offensively as she has all season with a team-best and new season-high 27 kills. Freshman hitter
Amaya Tolentino set a new career-high with 16 kills.
Sanni Rantanen joined Tolentino and Williams in double-digits with 10 kills.
Freshman setter
Charlee Solomon had the best match of her career as a Gamecock setting career-highs in assists (56), kills (8), and hit percentage (.667). Solomon also led the Red-and-White with four service aces, while adding nine digs.
Luci Wilkinson, CUSA's reigning defensive player of the week, impressed with 29 digs to lead the Gamecocks. Jax State tallied 76 kills, 10 aces, 71 assists, 71 digs, and six blocks against the Bears.
In the first set, Jax State was up by 17-11 a little over the halfway mark. The Bears got within three later, before Jax State went up 22-17 thanks to a Rantanen kill. The Gamecocks got to set point, 24-19, but Missouri State went on a 5-0 run that tied it up. A late kill by Rantanen made it 27-27, but the Bears would go on to take the first 29-27.
Early in the second set, the teams shared blows. Missouri State went on an 11-1 run to jump ahead of the Gamecocks 20-10. Missouri State was at set point when a service error sparked a 4-0 Gamecock run to make it 24-18. The Bears eventually won the set 25-18.
In third set, the Gamecocks went up 12-7 thanks to kills by
Izzy Whittaker and Rantanen. Missouri State got within one, 12-11, after a 4-0 run.
Morgan Blazzard ripped an ace to make it 20-16 in favor of Jax State later in the third.
Keyauna Linwood clinched the third set with a kill.
The fourth set was all Jax State. Tolentino, Whittaker, and Solomon struck three kills in a row to put the Gamecocks ahead 10-6 early on. Rantanen capped off an 8-1 Jax State run with a service ace to put the Gamecocks up 18-8. After a Missouri State point, Jax State scored four unanswered to extend their lead to 22-9. A Williams kill and an attack error by the Bears put the finishing touches on a fourth set Jax State win.
In the fifth, a bad set by the Bears sparked a 9-1 run by Jax State to put the Gamecocks in front 11-4. Back-to-back kills by Tolentino put the Gamecocks within two points of a match win. Rantanen knocked down a kill to take the set and match.
Jax State returns to action at home Saturday at 1 p.m. to face Missouri State again.
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