Mar. 22—JACKSONVILLE — If UT Martin was a potential trap for Jacksonville State’s volleyball team, the Gamecocks sidestepped it neatly.
After the JSU football team dominated Southeast Missouri on campus Saturday afternoon, the Gamecocks did the same to UT Martin in volleyball Saturday night. They scored a 25-19, 25-17, 25-20 sweep, remaining undefeated at 13-0.
JSU is tied for first with Morehead State, which is also unbeaten after polishing off Eastern Kentucky in four sets Saturday. JSU is slated to play two matches at Morehead State next weekend with the Ohio Valley Conference title at stake, but the Gamecocks didn’t approach UT Martin as if they were peaking ahead at all.
“We play one point at a time,” JSU sophomore defensive specialist Erin Carmichael said. “We never overlook any team because we don’t know how they’ve progressed from last year to this year. We just play one point at a time and just play together. It’s really fun. We trust each other, and it helps us win.”
With 13 straight wins, JSU owns the fifth longest win streak in NCAA Division I. Also, the Gamecocks have won their last 17 regular-season matches and 21 of their last 22.
The last regular-season match they lost at home was to UT Martin near the beginning of last season.
On Saturday, however, the two teams were tied 11-11 in the first set before JSU reeled off six straight points. From there to the end, the Gamecocks held control of the match.
“We’ve grown a lot the past year, the past two years, in being mentally tough and knowing we can’t let our guard down and knowing anybody can beat us if we’re not focused and ready to go when we step on the court,” JSU coach Todd Garvey said. “They’ve done a great job at that.”
What to know
—JSU outside hitter Lena Kindermann entered Saturday first in the OVC in kills (4.49 a match) and hitting percentage (.402). She kept pace Saturday with a match-high 14 kills and a .345 hitting percentage. She was especially big in the final set as she had six kills. For good measure, she had a season-high four digs Saturday.
—JSU setter Lexie Libs had 39 assists and 11 digs. She entered Saturday ranking third in NCAA Division I with 11.84 assists per set.
—Kaylie Milton had 11 kills, while Katie Montgomery added six. Addie Halverson and Caroline Kasson each had five, all in the third set. Courtney Glotzbach had five kills.
—Erin Carmichael had 23 digs. Kylee Quigley added five.
Who said
—JSU played 14 players Saturday, and with the Gamecocks not losing any steam no matter the lineup, Carmichael said assistant coach Jacob Hepp mentioned they’re like a machine. Carmichael on the Heaps’ comment: “We take one player out and put one player in, and it works the same. … Basically, when (Garvey) puts everyone in, we just trust each other.”
—Garvey on using his bench plenty in the recent matches, including Saturday: “Half of it is we want to get our bench experience in case of COVID or any situation, but the other half of it is we’ve got a great bench this year. We have a lot of talent from 1 to 15. That third set when subbed Addie Halverson and Caroline Kasson, they played great. Anna Nelson played great. Macie (Garrison) at the end there. I’ve got a lot of confidence in all of them. They all work so hard in practice, and they’re such a big part of our team that not everybody gets to see. They’re what makes our practices great every day. It’s nice to be able to reward them, but I’ve also got that confidence to put them in because they prove it every day in practice, too.”
—Garvey on Kindermann: “More than any player since I’ve been here, her mindset has just changed. I’ve seen her go from being shy and timid and not self-confident to somebody who believes in herself and is in a lot better shape now. She’s a great player and knows she’s a great player. Her work ethic has gotten better. That’s what I love coaching for — to see somebody make that transformation and change. She’s been unbelievable all year.”
Next up
—JSU will host UT Martin (5-8) again Monday at 4 p.m. The two matches at Morehead State are March 28-29. The OVC regular-season winner will host the league tournament, which will be April 1-2.
Senior Editor Mark Edwards: 256-235-3570. On Twitter: @MarkSportsStar.
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