A marvelous fifth set by fifth-year middle blocker Katie Montgomery led Gamecock volleyball to a 3-2 victory over an undefeated Clemson squad on their home floor.
The veteran from Idaho Falls, Idaho, tallied five kills, one service ace, and two block assists in the deciding game. Montgomery's efforts played a big part in Jacksonville State's triumph over Clemson in a marathon of a match, moving JSU to 5-0 on the season.
"I'm really proud of this team for beating a very good Clemson team in a tough environment," head coach Todd Garvey said following the match. "I thought our middles, Katie Montgomery and Zoe Gonzales, played tremendous. They had 11 and nine kills and hit .500 and .353 against a very good blocking team.
"I also thought our defense and serving was outstanding all night," Garvey added. "To have 13 aces and hold Clemson to .174 (as a hitting percentage) took a lot of focus and discipline. We were dialed in to the scouting report all night."
The Gamecocks started the undefeated bout at Jervey Gym with a dominant first set. A 7-0 scoring run helped JSU out to an early 10-2 lead, and Garvey's squad showed no mercy as they cruised to a 25-11 win. The Tigers battled back in the second set and used a big run down the stretch to take a 25-21 decision and tie the match.
That momentum carried over into the following set, where Clemson took a quick advantage, until a 7-0 scoring from Jacksonville State stopped the Tigers in their tracks. Their 25-20 third-set win was followed by another tightly contested triumph for Clemson in the fourth set, in which the hosts took a 25-20 win of their own.
Clemson claimed the first three points of the fifth set and led 6-3 before a miraculous 9-1 run by JSU put them in front, eventually leading to a 15-11 win and a match victory.
Fifth-year athletes Lena Kindermann and Katie Montgomery led the way with 17 and 11 kills respectively. Montgomery added four blocks, four digs, and three service aces. Graduate transfer Claire Ochs had 41 assists, seven digs, and five kills, while senior Erin Carmichael and sophomore Brooklyn Schiffli led the team with 21 and 17 digs in the win in Clemson. As mentioned by Garver, senior Zoe Gonzales hit .353 against the Tigers and had nine kills as well.
The Tigers' loss at Jervey Gym marks their first setback of the 2022 season and is their first defeat at home to a non-conference opponent since a 3-1 loss to Charlotte on Jan. 30, 2021.
Jacksonville State will wrap up their action in the Clemson Invitational tomorrow morning in upstate South Carolina. The Gamecocks will take on Gardner-Webb at 10:30 a.m. CST in Clemson. It will be JSU's final match on the road before next weekend's Gamecock Classic at the Pete Mathews Coliseum.
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