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Box Score

JACKSONVILLE, Ala. – Behind another stellar performance by junior Ashley Edmond, the Eastern Kentucky University volleyball team led 2-1 but couldn’t hold off a Jacksonville State rally and fell 3-2.

The Gamecocks (11-11, 5-3 OVC) won by scores of 25-23, 22-25, 22-25, 25-23 and 15-3.

After recording a season-high 19 kills on Friday at Tennessee Tech, Edmond matched that total again on Saturday.  She made just six errors in 52 attempts for a .250 attack percentage, blocked three shots and contributed a team-best 20 digs.

Senior Toni Michalski finished with five blocks.

Nicole Merget led Jacksonville State with 18 kills.  Hivya Leite added 17 kills.  Jen Meyer finished with 16 kills and a .406 attack percentage.

In the second set, EKU had a one-point lead, 19-18, before scoring two straight to make it a three-point cushion.  An ace by Kelsey Kuehner made it a four-point game, 23-19.  JSU scored three of the next four to close within two, but a kill by Edmond ended the set and tied the match.

The third set was tied 20-20 before back-to-back kills by Edmond gave the Colonels a two-point lead.  EKU still led by two when freshman Rachel Vick put away the game winner for a 2-1 lead.

Eastern trailed by as many as eight points early in the fourth set, but battled back.  An 8-2 run by the Colonels turned a 17-11 deficit into a 19-19 tie.  With Jacksonville State leading 23-21, EKU scored two straight, including another kill by Edmond, to tie the game.  However, the Gamecocks scored the next two to tie the match 2-2.

JSU scored seven of the first nine points in the fifth set and never looked back.  After Eastern Kentucky cut the deficit to four, 7-3, the Gamecocks ended the match by scoring eight straight.

The Colonels will be back at home to face Tennessee-Martin on Friday.  The match is scheduled to start at 6 p.m.