Gamecocks Fall Against Bellarmine and Western Carolina

Saturday, September 5

Asheville, NC

12 PM

Jax State

1-4,0-0CUSA

Bellarmine

3-3,0-0ASUN

Team	1	2	3	4	5	Final F
Jacksonville St.	17	12	25	25	8	2
Bellarmine	25	25	20	16	15	3

Team	1	2	3	4	Final F
Western Caro.	25	22	25	25	3
Jacksonville St.	20	25	21	15	1

9/5/2026 8:41:00 PM | Volleyball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

ASHEVILLE, N.C. – Jax State volleyball suffered a pair of setbacks Saturday at the hands of Bellarmine and Western Carolina. Bellarmine downed Jax State 3-2, while WCU defeated the Gamecocks 3-1.

Against Bellarmine, the Knights took the first two sets by scores of 25-17 in the first and 25-12 in the second. The Gamecocks responded with a pair of set victories including a 25-20 third set triumph and a 25-16 fourth set win. The Knights put the Gamecocks away 15-8 in the fifth and final set to take the win.

In the loss against the Knights, Jax State had plenty of individual standouts. Azavia Thomas led the Gamecocks with 18 kills. Claire Evans followed Thomas with 14 kills, and Lauren Buchanan added nine. Thomas and D'Yanna Spicer tied for a team-best six blocks. Sofia Varela led the Gamecocks with 27 assists and four service aces. Addison Stone tallied 19 assists, respectively. On the backrow, Delaney Moon had a team-high 12 digs.

The Gamecocks totaled 51 kills, six aces, 48 assists, 43 digs, and out blocked the Knights 10 to 7 as a team.

Later in the day, Western Carolina took the opening set against Jax State 25-20. The Gamecocks responded with a 25-22 second set win. The Catamounts beat Jax State 25-21 in a tight third set then took the fourth set 25-15 to clinch the match victory.

Thomas and Evans were again the top two offensive options for Jax State as they tied for a team-high 14 kills. Buchanan had 11 kills against the Catamounts. Varela paced the Red-and-White with 24 assists, while Stone tallied 16. Evans and Reese Tiesing matched one another for a team-leading nine digs. Spicer and Taya Nordmann tied for with a team-best four blocks.

Jax State had 49 kills, 45 assists, 45 digs, seven blocks, and four aces against Western Carolina.

Next up, Jax State concludes the 2026 Blue Ridge Classic with a showdown against UNC Asheville Sunday at 10 a.m. central.

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