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KENNESAW, Ga. – A strong overall match pushed Kennesaw State Volleyball's win streak to three, as the Owls swept Jacksonville State 3-0 (25-21, 25-18, 25-20) on Saturday afternoon in Conference USA action from VyStar Arena. The Owls (12-6) are now tied for third place in Conference USA with FIU at 6-2, with at least a two-game lead over the rest of the pack.
STAT OF THE GAME: The Owls recorded their third-highest hitting percentage of the season and best in league play with a .389 (40K-12E-72TA). Jax State meanwhile finished at .173, the second straight game the Gamecocks were held under .200 against KSU.
OWL OF THE GAME: Sophomore
Kiernan Stamey shined on Saturday, recording 10 kills and a .500 hitting percentage. She also added one ace, one block and a pair of digs.
THE RUNDOWN – While the set scores ended up close in the first and third set, for the most part the Owls controlled the game the entire afternoon, including leading the entire opening set. The Gamecocks did hold a 3-1 lead early, but the Owls scored eight of the next 10 points for a 9-5 edge and never looked back on the way to a seven-point victory, putting them ahead 2-0 in the match. Set three the Owls pulled away early, opening up a 17-11 edge and they did not allow Jax State to come closer than four points before closing out the set and the match.
POSTGAME QUOTES
KSU HEAD COACH KEITH SCHUNZEL
"An excellent effort and execution by our team today. That was one of our more complete matches of the season. Jax Stake makes you really uncomfortable with how hard they serve the ball and how aggressively they play. We handled the ball really well today though, and I thought we were super locked in behind the service line and on defense in general. Two nice wins on the weekend for us against a really feisty well coached team. We just need to keep growing and improving one day at a time."
NOTES
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Manu Johnsen led the Owls with a team-high 11 kills to go along with five digs.
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Kourtney Brown and
Kaeley Walz led KSU with 17 and 16 assists, respectively.
-This was the seventh straight win in the all-time series for the Owls against Jax State.
NEXT TIME OUT: The Owls continue their homestand next weekend with a pair of games against Delaware, on Friday, Oct. 24 at 7 p.m. and Saturday, Oct. 25 at 1 p.m., both in VyStar Arena. Both games will also be streamed on ESPN+.
The Owls Fund
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.
