By Mike Lehman, TTU Sports Information

JACKSONVILLE, Ala. – Hitting the road for the first time in three weeks, the Tennessee Tech volleyball team ran into one of the hottest teams in the Ohio Valley Conference Sunday evening, falling to undefeated Jacksonville State, 3-0 (25-9, 25-17, 29-27).

Competing at Pete Mathews Coliseum, the Gamecocks (7-0, 7-0) looked comfortable on their home court early, exploding out of the gates for a 25-9 win in set one. The home squad hit .500 in the opening set, accounting for 15 kills.

In set two, Jax State opened things on a run again, taking as large as a 13-point lead in the match at 21-8. The Golden Eagles (4-3, 4-3) dug deep and showed some grit, closing the set on a 9-4 run to build some momentum.

It was set three where the team's heart truly shown on the night, trailing the Gamecocks late, 20-12. Setter Ashley Hand sparked the Tech rally with one of her sneak-attack, dump kills. With Madeline Furtado serving, the purple and gold railed off six straight points, including three service aces from the redshirt sophomore.

The Gamecocks earned a quick point, but the Golden Eagles weren't finished. Thanks to an Ali Verzani kill, Tech turned in back-to-back points to even things at 21-21. Both sides traded the lead, heading into extra points, but it was Jacksonville State that was able to claim the win, 29-27.

Furtado finished the match with a team-high 11 kills and a .233 hitting percentage. She also turned in the three service aces, seven digs and two blocks. Freshman libero McKenna Young produced 12 digs to lead the purple and gold.

The Golden Eagles put together some valuable momentum heading into the second match of the weekend between the two programs competing as OVC rivals for the final time. Match two is set for a 4:00 p.m. CT first serve on Monday at Pete Mathews Coliseum.

File photo by Jim Dillon