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MIAMI – Kennesaw State Volleyball took care of business against the sixth seed, securing a decisive 3–0 victory (25–20, 25–17, 25–22) over Jacksonville State on Friday night in the CUSA Quarterfinals. With the win, the Owls advanced to a conference tournament semifinal for the 11th consecutive season and will now face second-seed Western Kentucky in the semifinals on Saturday.
STAT OF THE GAME: The Owls finished the match with just 13 attack errors and a .240 hitting percentage, while Jax State recorded 23 attack errors and a .136 hitting percentage, which ultimately contributed to their loss.
THE RUNDOWN – KSU recorded 10 kills in the opening frame, four of which came from Haley Patterson. Set two brought the Owls one step closer to victory as they tallied 11 kills and continued to dictate the pace. KSU controlled the set throughout and secured a 25–17 win. Set three intensified as the Owls pushed to close out the match. Both teams traded points in a tight battle until KSU went on a key run to take a 22–17 lead. The Gamecocks attempted to stay within reach but couldn't gain enough control, falling 25–22.Throughout the final set, the Owls showed strong determination and stayed above the fray to finish decisively and claim the win over Jax State.
POSTGAME QUOTES
KSU HEAD COACH KEITH SCHUNZEL
"Super proud of that performance by our group. We competed really hard on both the serve and pass all night and that really set the stage for us to have success. Did some really nice things on the block and had some timely side outs when we needed them in sets 1 and 3. Every game at this stage of the season is against a high quality opponent and Jax State was no different. Congrats to Dex and his team on a great season. We'll rest up and be excited to compete again tomorrow."
NOTES
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Patterson recorded eight kills and finished with 11.5 total points.
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Manu Johnsen tallied nine kills and 9.5 points.
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Setters Kaeley Walz and Kourtney Brown distributed 13 and nine assists, respectively.
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Leah Freeman led the defense with nine digs.
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This matchup marked the 14th meeting between the two programs, with the Owls now leading the all-time series 11–3 thanks to their eighth straight win over the Gamecocks.
NEXT TIME OUT: Saturday's semifinal match is set for a 2:30 p.m. start, and will be streamed live 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. Joining The Owls Fund here and discover more opportunities on how you can support Kennesaw State Athletics.
