Gamecocks' Third-Set Rally Falls Short Against Bearkats - Jacksonville State University Athletics

Friday, October 30

Huntsville, TX

6 PM

Jax State

3-20,0-11CUSA

Sam Houston

15-9,6-5CUSA

Team	1	2	3	Final F
Jacksonville St.	17	16	23	0
Sam Houston	25	25	25	3

10/30/2026 8:00:00 PM | Volleyball

Box Score

HUNTSVILLE, Texas – Jax State volleyball fell 3-0 to Sam Houston on Friday night at Johnson Coliseum, dropping the opening match of the road series. The Bearkats claimed the match with set victories of 25-17, 25-16 and 25-23.

Sophia Schweikert led the Gamecocks offensively with 10 kills, while Azavia Thomas added eight kills and three total blocks. Sofia Varela paced the offense with 21 assists, and Gemma Morris and Reese Tiesing recorded six digs apiece to lead Jax State defensively.

Sam Houston took control early in the opening set, using an efficient offensive performance to earn a 25-17 victory. The Bearkats hit .333 in the frame, while Jax State recorded 11 kills. Schweikert led the Gamecocks' attack in the opening set.

The Bearkats carried their momentum into the second set, earning a 25-16 win to take a two-set lead. Jax State was limited to six kills in the second.

Jax State responded with its strongest offensive performance of the night in the third set, recording 14 kills and hitting .281. The Gamecocks stayed within striking distance throughout the third, pushing Sam Houston to the final points before the Bearkats secured a 25-23 victory to complete the sweep.

The Bearkats came out in the third hot and claiming an early 12-5 advantage. Schweikert capped a 5-0 run to get the Gamecocks within two, 13-11. After the media timeout, Varela notched a service ace to highlight a 3-0 run that made it 15-14 Bearkats. Later in the third, another 3-0 run by Jax State made it 21-20. Back-to-back kills by Taya Nordmann and Schweikert made it 24-23 Sam Houston before a Bearkat kill ended the match.

Jax State finished with 31 kills, 30 assists, 30 digs and five total blocks. Meanwhile, the Bearkats recorded 33 kills, 32 assists and 10 service aces in the victory.

The Gamecocks will return to Johnson Coliseum on Saturday for the second match of the series against Sam Houston. First serve is scheduled for 1 p.m. CT.

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