JACKSONVILLE, Ala. -- In spite of a trio of 20-plus kill performances across a competitive weekend, the Nicholls State University indoor volleyball program (6-3, 0-0 SLC) only managed to close out the two-day Jax State Invitational with a single hard-fought victory over regional adversary Southern Mississippi (5-5, 0-0 C-USA), struggling to find any rhythm in the Red & Gray's other two contests against host Jacksonville State (9-1, 0-0 ASUN) and South Alabama (6-3, 0-0 Sun Belt), all at Pete Mathews Coliseum in Jacksonville, Ala.

KEY STORYLINES & STATISTICS
GAME ONE at Jacksonville State (L 0-3) -- Friday, Sept. 10
-- An aggressive Gamecocks squad took command of the tournament's opening contest with a lethal speed, surging to a two-set advantage before ensuring the straight-sets sweep via a comeback win in the third frame.
-- Individually, no Colonel broke the double-digit kill plateau for the match, as senior Aaliyah Burras paced the squad behind eight while both senior Emily Gauthreaux along with sophomore Yani Johnson added seven apiece.

GAME TWO vs. Southern Miss (W 3-2) -- Saturday, Sept. 11
-- Following a rough first set loss, the Red & Gray quickly found their footing as the squad rattled off consecutive victories in the second and third frames, capturing an early advantage. The Golden Eagles rallied for a tight fourth set win, forcing the Colonels to dramatically seal the match via a 15-9 score in the decisive fifth frame.
-- Individually, junior Devon Bright exploded in an elite overall showcase, earning her first double-double of the young season behind a pair of team-highs in both kills (14) and digs (18); notably, the Georgia native impressed with a particularly efficient offensive performance, hitting .600 for the match with just two total errors.
-- Further, senior Kate Hoerdemann along with redshirt junior S'mara Riley proved instrumental on the offensive end as well, generating 11 kills apiece as the former even secured a double-double behind a strong 11-dig outing.
-- Flying under the radar, junior Lilly Bivens locked in her role as Nicholls' primary setter, collecting a career-best 47 assists during the win.

GAME THREE vs. South Alabama (L 0-3) -- Saturday, Sept. 11
-- Despite the Jaguars jumping out to an early edge behind a decisive opening set, the Red & Gray managed to keep both the second and third frames increasingly interesting, falling to South Alabama by just two and four points, respectively, en route to the straight-sets sweep.
-- Individually, freshman Paige Guidry served as a Colonels' top offensive option throughout the match, scoring a double-double behind a team-best 11 kills paired with 11 digs, tacking on a notable two solo blocks as well. Gauthreaux added nine kills of her own while Bright followed up her solid outing against the Golden Eagles with eight herself.
-- Once again, Bivens expertly handled the team's setting duties, finishing with yet-another double-double as she racked up 33 assists along with 10 digs for the match.
-- Defensively, Lockhart set the tone with a squad-high 17 digs while Riley contributed three total blocks as well.
 
UP NEXT
With the Jax State Invitational officially concluded, the Colonels close out their preseason slate with a final tournament back in Alabama, initially facing Belmont and host Auburn before closing out the round-robin against Florida A&M, all set for Friday, Sept. 17 through Saturday, Sept. 18 in Auburn, Ala.

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