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KENNESAW, Ga. – After a struggle with its service in the first set, Kennesaw State Volleyball bounced back with three straight wins to take down Jacksonville State 3-1 (21-25, 25-19, 25-17, 25-22) on Friday night in Conference USA action from VyStar Arena. The win kept the Owls in third place in the conference standings at 5-2 (11-6 overall), while Jax State dropped to 9-10, 3-4 in league play.
STAT OF THE GAME: KSU had one of more efficient games on offense this season outside of the service line, as the Owls hit .305 (50K-18E-105TA) for the game. Jax State meanwhile was limited to a .112 hitting percentage as a team.
OWL OF THE GAME: Sophomore
Haley Patterson showed up big on offense against the Gamecocks, as she led the Owls with 13 kills on just 19 total attempts for a game-high .632 hitting percentage. She also added three total blocks in the win.
THE RUNDOWN – Six service errors for KSU was the story in the first set, wasting an otherwise strong performance in which the Owls hit .379. The score was tight the entire set, and the Gamecocks nearly gave away a late three-point edge, but three service errors in five points would keep the score tied at 20-20, and the Gamecocks used a 4-0 run to close out the set for a 1-0 win. In set two, an early 6-0 run put the Owls up 9-4, and they led comfortable to take their first set on the night. Sets three and four took very similar paths, with the Owls using big runs early to open up a comfortable lead and for the most part cruised from there to close out the victory.
POSTGAME QUOTES
KSU HEAD COACH KEITH SCHUNZEL
"I thought we made some nice adjustments today as the match went on. We got knocked on our heels early with their service pressure and overall aggressive play. But then our passers responded, our defense mentality changed, and we started to get some pressure on them with our serve. Overall, that team fought like we fought exactly like we knew they would, they are going to battle and scrap for every single point and not let you get comfortable, so that's a nice win for us. We'll make a few adjustments and get ready to compete hard again tomorrow."
NOTES
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Kiernan Stamey also posted double-figures in kills with 12 while hitting .455.
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Manu Johnsen recorded a double-double with 10 kills and 10 digs.
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Olivia Burrage paced the team in blocks with six while adding seven kills.
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Leah Freeman finished with a team-high 11 digs and
Kaeley Walz led the way with 28 assists.
NEXT TIME OUT: The Owls close out the weekend series on Saturday with a 2 p.m. start against the Gamecocks on ESPN+.
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The Owls Fund is the primary fundraising arm of Kennesaw State Athletics with the goal of supporting our student-athletes, coaches and each of our 18 NCAA Division I programs. Through initiatives such as Legacy Lockers, the Dot Martin Scholarship Golf Classic, sport-specific giving opportunities, general donations and season tickets, The Owls Fund connects fans with KSU's programs and student-athletes. Members receive exclusive benefits such as hospitality seating areas and events at Kennesaw State home games, and more. Join The Owls Fund here and discover more opportunities on how you can support Kennesaw State Athletics.
