CARROLLTON, Ga. --- The Jacksonville volleyball team completed an undefeated first weekend of ASUN play, defeating the West Georgia Wolves in straight sets. The Dolphins have won seven of their last eight matches, and they take an early first place lead in the conference after the first weekend of league play.

Senior Breanna McDonough led JU with 12 kills, hitting a clean .435 on the day. She recorded double-digit kills and hit over .390 in each of Jacksonville's wins this weekend.

How It Happened
Set 1
Jacksonville took five of the first six points to set the tone for a dominant Sunday showing. It started off the serve, where the Dolphins notched six service aces in the opening set. The offense showed out as well, with McDonough, junior Rebekah Williams and graduate student Madi Novak peppering the Wolves side of the court with kills.

Williams closed out the set, ripping back-to-back kills to secure a 25-19 Jacksonville win.

Set 2
The Wolves kept it close in the opening moments of the second set, but the Dolphins showed their quality as the set went on. Jacksonville took a firm 13-9 lead, then an eight-point JU run put the set out of reach, 21-10. West Georgia rallied with its back against the wall, taking 13 of the next 15 points to make the game 24-21. Junior Claire Mrukowski took care of business for the Dolphins scoring her fifth kill of the set to secure the win for JU.

Set 3
Jacksonville raced off to another early lead in what would be the final set, with six-straight UWG errors putting the 'Phins up 6-1 early. The Wolves rallied to turn the game into a back-and-forth, but a powerful lefty rip from Mrukowski forced the hosts to call timeout trailing 14-7.

The Dolphins pulled away to reach match point, 24-13. On the final point, senior libero Kristina Nika made a diving dig, leading to a perfect set for junior Jade Cuya Cobos and another hammer from Mrukowski to ice the match.

Coach's Comments
"It was a great first weekend of conference play. I'm proud of how we prepared and handled ourselves on the road," head coach Alicia Manguiat said. "Both teams gave us a challenge and showed us some areas we need to grow. We're excited to get back home and get back to work." 

Game Notes

• Jacksonville has six straight-sets win of the season, and 14 under Manguiat.
• This is JU's first 2-0 start in ASUN play since 2017.
• Nika tallied a team-best 17 digs. She's averaging 5.3 digs per set in conference play.
• Jacksonville hit .294 as a team while holding UWG to just .143.

Up Next
The Dolphins return to Jacksonville for the first River City Rumble of 2025, hosting the North Florida Ospreys Thursday, Oct. 2. First serve is slated for 7 p.m. in Swisher Gymnasium. The match will also be streamed on ESPN+.