Friday, September 4
Asheville, NC
3 PM
Jax State
vs
Seton Hall
.png&width=60&height=60&type=webp)
Photo by: Carley Bieser/JSU
Volleyball Set for Blue Ridge Classic Tournament
9/2/2026 3:30:00 PM | Volleyball
ASHEVILLE, N.C. – Jax State volleyball travels to Asheville, N.C., this weekend to play in the 2026 Blue Ridge Classic. The Gamecocks play Seton Hall Friday at 3 p.m., Bellarmine Saturday at 12 p.m., Western Carolina Saturday at 6 p.m., and UNC Asheville Sunday at 10 a.m.
Jax State is coming off a 1-2 weekend in last weekend's Gamecock Classic. The Gamecocks' 3-1 win over Southern was the first win of first-year head coach Tim Ebbecke's career. Southern Miss did best at the Gamecock Classic where they went 3-0 against Jax State, Southern, and Jacksonville.
The Gamecocks saw Azavia Thomas and Claire Evans make the 2026 Gamecock Classic All-Tournament Team. Thomas tallied 26 kills, including a career-best 12 kills against Southern on Aug. 29. The transfer from Charlotte averaged 2.60 kills per set on a .354 hitting percentage. Meanwhile, Evans had a fantastic weekend as well with 29 kills, including a career-high 16 against Southern. The freshman outside hitter added 20 digs, two service aces, and three total blocks on the weekend.
Other top performers at the Gamecock Classic include Sophia Schweikert who had 23 kills across the three matches, Sofia Varela who had 56 assists, Addison Stone who added 42 assists, and Gemma Morris with 20 digs.
The match against Seton Hall marks the first ever matchup between the Gamecocks and the Pirates. Jax State is 3-0 all-time against Bellarmine, the Gamecocks are 8-2 all-time against Western Carolina, and Jax State is 1-0 all-time versus UNC Asheville.
An interesting note for the Bellarmine match is current Knights head coach, Rick Nold, was formerly the head coach at Jax State. Nold took over Jax State in 2002 where he went 172-98 and took the Gamecocks to eight postseason appearances in his nine seasons at the helm. He led Jax State to NCAA Tournament berths in 2005, 2006, and 2009. Those appearances were the first three NCAA appearances in program history.
Following the Blue Ridge Classic, the Red-and-White will travel to Samford for the 2026 Samford Invite for a pair of matches. Jax State plays UNA on Saturday, Sep. 12, at 4 p.m. On Sunday, Sep. 13, Jax State takes on hosting Samford at 2 p.m.
To stay up-to-date with the Gamecocks, follow their Facebook (Jacksonville State Volleyball), Twitter (JaxStateVB), and Instagram (JaxStateVB) accounts.
Jax State is coming off a 1-2 weekend in last weekend's Gamecock Classic. The Gamecocks' 3-1 win over Southern was the first win of first-year head coach Tim Ebbecke's career. Southern Miss did best at the Gamecock Classic where they went 3-0 against Jax State, Southern, and Jacksonville.
The Gamecocks saw Azavia Thomas and Claire Evans make the 2026 Gamecock Classic All-Tournament Team. Thomas tallied 26 kills, including a career-best 12 kills against Southern on Aug. 29. The transfer from Charlotte averaged 2.60 kills per set on a .354 hitting percentage. Meanwhile, Evans had a fantastic weekend as well with 29 kills, including a career-high 16 against Southern. The freshman outside hitter added 20 digs, two service aces, and three total blocks on the weekend.
Other top performers at the Gamecock Classic include Sophia Schweikert who had 23 kills across the three matches, Sofia Varela who had 56 assists, Addison Stone who added 42 assists, and Gemma Morris with 20 digs.
The match against Seton Hall marks the first ever matchup between the Gamecocks and the Pirates. Jax State is 3-0 all-time against Bellarmine, the Gamecocks are 8-2 all-time against Western Carolina, and Jax State is 1-0 all-time versus UNC Asheville.
An interesting note for the Bellarmine match is current Knights head coach, Rick Nold, was formerly the head coach at Jax State. Nold took over Jax State in 2002 where he went 172-98 and took the Gamecocks to eight postseason appearances in his nine seasons at the helm. He led Jax State to NCAA Tournament berths in 2005, 2006, and 2009. Those appearances were the first three NCAA appearances in program history.
Following the Blue Ridge Classic, the Red-and-White will travel to Samford for the 2026 Samford Invite for a pair of matches. Jax State plays UNA on Saturday, Sep. 12, at 4 p.m. On Sunday, Sep. 13, Jax State takes on hosting Samford at 2 p.m.
To stay up-to-date with the Gamecocks, follow their Facebook (Jacksonville State Volleyball), Twitter (JaxStateVB), and Instagram (JaxStateVB) accounts.
Players Mentioned
OH
/ Volleyball
DS/L
/ Volleyball
OH
/ Volleyball
S
/ Volleyball
OH
/ Volleyball
S
/ VolleyballMonday, August 03
Friday, November 07
Friday, November 07
Saturday, October 25
