RICHMOND, Ky. – Junior Jessica Sabath registered a match-high 21 kills to lead the Eastern Kentucky volleyball team past Jacksonville State, 3-1 (23-30, 30-22, 30-18, 30-27), Friday night at McBrayer Arena. The Colonels have now won 21 consecutive home matches.

Sabath hit .389 for the match and tallied 20 digs, the fourth time in six matches she has recorded at least 20 digs. Meanwhile sophomore Brittany Nobilio, who earned her second OVC Defensive Player of the Week award of 2005 on Monday, led the Colonels (14-5, 6-1) with 22 digs. Junior Kelly Jennings recorded her team-high 8th double-double of the season with 11 digs to go along with 51 assists.

Jacksonville State charged out to a 9-4 lead in the opening game, and would not relinquish it on the the way to the 30-23 win. It was Eastern's first game one loss at home this season.

EKU came right back in game two, building a seven-point edge midway through the game thanks to a kill from sophomore Shelly George and consecutive Gamecock attack errors. The Colonels maintained the lead from there, getting a kill each from George, senior Liz Guard and two from Sabath to coast to the eight-point victory, 30-22.

Eastern took control early in game three, scoring the first two points on a JSU attack error and a kill from sophomore Amy Arlinghaus, a lead they would keep for the rest of the game. With the score tied at 7, the Colonels scored the next four points on consecutive blocks, part of a season-high 14, and after a Gamecock attack error and a Guard kill, the Gamecocks were forced to take a timeout. JSU would get within three at 18-15, but the Colonels closed the game on a 12-3 lead to take a 2-1 lead.

Game four saw EKU jump out to a 10-4 lead, but JSU fought back with an 8-1 run to take the lead, 12-11, on a kill from sophomore Abbey Breit. The action remained close the rest of the game, with the Gamecocks taking a 27-26 lead on a Suzi Terrell kill. However, Eastern responded by scoring the last four points, tying the game on a Gamecock attack error and then closing JSU out with Sabath kills on two of the last three points.

The Gamecocks were led by Breit's team-high 19 kills and Kisha West's match-high 23 digs.

The Colonels are back in action Saturday against Samford at 2 p.m.