Jax State Loses to UNC Asheville in Final Match of the Weekend

Sunday, September 6

Asheville, NC

10 AM

Jax State

1-6,0-0CUSA

UNC Asheville

6-1,0-0Big South

Team	1	2	3	Final F
UNC Asheville	25	25	25	3
Jacksonville St.	22	23	21	0

9/6/2026 12:27:00 PM | Volleyball

Box Score

ASHEVILLE, N.C. – Jax State volleyball concluded their four-match weekend at the Blue Ridge Volleyball Classic with a 3-0 loss to UNC Asheville Sunday morning.

The Bulldogs won 25-22 in the first set, 25-23 in the second, and 25-21 in the third.

Jax State had 31 kills, eight blocks, 29 assists, and 38 digs as a team in the setback. Freshman Claire Evans led the Gamecocks with 10 kills, Azavia Thomas had eight, and Taya Nordmann had five. Sofia Varela led the way with 13 assists and Addison Stone followed with 11. Varela also had the team's only service ace of the match. Delaney Moon tallied a team-leading 12 digs.

In the first set, the teams traded blows early until UNC Asheville went on a 7-0 run to take a 15-7 lead heading into the media timeout. Jax State trailed 21-13 but scored three-straight to make it 21-16. After a quick Bulldog score, the Gamecocks went on another 3-0 run to make it 22-19. Later, UNC Asheville went up 24-20. Jax State scored two more to get within two, but the Bulldogs put down a kill to end the set.

The second set was a back-and-forth affair with the teams matching each other's scoring until the middle of the set when the Bulldogs went on a shore 3-0 run to go up 16-14. The Gamecocks trailed 20-17 before a pair of points made it a one-point game again. UNC Asheville went up 24-21 then Lauren Buchanan and Evans rattled off back-to-back kills to make it 24-23. A kill by the Bulldogs ended the second.

In the third set, Buchanan sparked an early 3-0 run to put the Gamecocks in front 8-7. The Gamecocks then went up 10-8 before the Bulldogs went on a 4-0 run and gained a 12-10 advantage. A block from Sophia Schweikert and Nordman capped a 3-0 run to put Jax State back ahead 13-12.

Down by three, a Nordmann kill highlighted a 3-0 scoring run to tie the set at 19-19. Buchanan knocked a late set kill to make it 23-21, but the Bulldogs scored two-straight to end the set and the match.

The Gamecocks are back in action next weekend at the Samford Invite in Birmingham, Ala. Jax State faces UNA on Sep. 12 at 4 p.m., then take on Samford Sep. 13 at 2 p.m.

To stay up-to-date with the Gamecocks, follow their Facebook (Jacksonville State Volleyball), Twitter (JaxStateVB), and Instagram (JaxStateVB) accounts.