Jax State Volleyball Ready for UNA Tournament
FLORENCE, AL. – Jacksonville State volleyball will head to Florence, Ala., this weekend for the UNA Invitational. The Gamecocks are coming off a midweek win over Chattanooga in five sets on Tuesday and hope to continue their great start to the 2024 season.
Jax State (6-1) will open the weekend against in-state rival UAB (3-2) on Friday at 1 p.m. Later, Friday, Jax State will take on Arkansas State (5-1) at 4 p.m. The Gamecocks close out the weekend event with a showdown against another in-state rival and former ASUN Conference foe, North Alabama (3-4) on Saturday at 3 p.m.
It took the Gamecocks five sets to defeat Chattanooga on Tuesday, Sep. 10, in a standalone match to earn their sixth win of the year. Jax State’s back-row of Brooklyn Schiffli (24 digs), Luci Wilkinson (20 digs), and Madison Konopka (14 digs) helped lead the Red-and-White over the Mocs. Ellie Garrett was a standout once again with 50 assists and 10 digs.
Offensively, Kayla Williams led the squad with 19 kills followed by Caty Havekost with 16 kills, and Sanni Rantanen with 15 kills, respectively. Katelyn Crofts led Jax State with eight blocks against Chattanooga.
UAB has had a solid start in 2024, including a 3-1 win over one of the newest Big 12 Conference members, Cincinnati. UAB currently holds an 11-4 record all-time against Jax State. The last time the two teams played was an exhibition in Birmingham to start the 2022 season. The Gamecocks won that match 3-2. The Blazers were picked to finish last in the American Conference 2024 preseason poll.
The second match of the day on Friday, Sep. 13, sees Jacksonville State and Arkansas State taking the court against one another. The Gamecocks has a 2-1 lead all-time over the Red Wolves. Although Arkansas State was picked sixth out of seven in the Sun Belt West Division in the preseason, the Red Wolves are off to a 5-1 start this year, including a 3-1 win over Ole Miss.
The Gamecocks close out the tournament against hosting North Alabama. The longtime rivals have played 76 times, with the Lions holding a 39-37 advantage over Jax State. North Alabama was chosen to finish fourth in the ASUN preseason poll this season.
To stay up-to-date with the Gamecocks, follow their Twitter (@JaxStateVB), Instagram (@JaxStateVB), and Facebook (Jacksonville State Volleyball) accounts.
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