RICHMOND, Ky. – Clairissa Hankinson shut down the Jacksonville State hitting corps after tying her career-high of seven blocks and setting a new career-high eight putaways on .667 hitting to aid the Eastern Kentucky University volleyball team in a five-set victory over the Gamecocks Saturday afternoon at Madison Central High School.
EKU won by scores of 22-25, 25-23, 25-21, 20-25 and 15-12.
After dropping the first set the Colonels went ahead 13-8 in the second stanza. The teams exchanged points down the stretch and after a Lena Kindermann kill the Gamecocks drew within one, 20-19. After a pair of JSU attack errors, the Colonels extended the lead, 22-19. Although Jacksonville State would not quit EKU sealed the set on back-to-back kills from Lindsey Wilkins.
The third set was a copy of the second and its back-and-forth affair. Neither squad was able to take an advantage until EKU forced a JSU attack error to spark an 8-1 run that ended on a kill from Hankinson, 23-15.
A service ace from Sydney Schoen and a commanding kill from Wilkins ended the set in favor of the Colonels, 25-21.
Cassie Knutson collected a pair of kills to open the deciding frame. Mackenzie Rombach found an answer to put JSU on top, 3-2. Similar to the previous sets, the teams took turns raising the score. Jacksonville State forced a Colonel attack error and rattled off four in a row to take a 7-4 advantage.
Rombach collected another kill take the lead into the side change.
A service error from JSU propelled a 7-1 run for Eastern that ended on another service ace from Schoen as EKU took the lead, 12-9. A kill from Wilkins and a textbook setter’s dump from Rachel Woody called the match in favor of the Colonels, 15-12.
Eastern Kentucky stays perfect after weekend one of Ohio Valley Conference play, moving to 3-11, 2-0 OVC while Jacksonville State drops to 7-8, 0-2 OVC.
Knutson tallied a match-high 21 kills while Chloe Rojas collected a match-high 18 digs. Woody collected a double-double with 36 assists and 10 digs. Wilkins rounded out the Colonels in double-figures with 14 kills.
Kindermann tied for the match-high with 21 kills of her own.
EKU will be back in action on Wednesday, September 26 at Morehead State. First serve is slated for 6 p.m.
