VALDOSTA, Ga. – The Valdosta State volleyball program made waves in the Gulf South Conference on Saturday morning in Valdosta, Ga. with a big 3-1 (25-23, 25-20, 16-25, 25-20) win over the Hawks of Shorter, who entered Saturday's contest as the number one team in the GSC.

The loss marked the first of the season against a league opponent for the Hawks and dropped the squad's record to 13-3 overall, 11-1 in GSC play. Meanwhile, the Blazers increased their current streak to six straight and improved to 12-3 overall, 9-3 in the conference.

The pair of team's represented two of the top defensive teams in the GSC, and Saturday's match reflected the defensive strengths that both Shorter and VSU have displayed throughout the season. As a team, the Blazers racked up 76 digs in the contest while the Hawks led in the blocking column with 14 total blocks. Kills were at a premium all morning long, and the Blazers were held to an .062 hitting effort, while the Hawks hit just .116 in the match.

"I think our defense has the potential to cause problems for the teams we'll face throughout the rest of this season," said Head Coach Mike Swan. "We're looking for our blocking to get going again, but we have done a great job in finding ways to keep points alive."

Three Blazers reached double-digit figures in the dig column, with Ashley Lala notching a team-high 22 digs. The performance marked the fourth time this year that the senior picked up 20 or more digs.

Prior to the start of the 2014 season, Lala stated that the 2014 squad had a goal to win all of their home games. With Saturday's win, the team moved their home record to a perfect 7-0 and are now one step closer to accomplishing that feat.

"This win feels amazing," said Lala following the match. "I knew we could get this done today because we just feel so comfortable on our home court. We have that fire in this building and we want to play well for the fans and each other."

For the second straight day, Jenna Kirkwood led the pack on offense. The senior outside hitter posted 21 kills and was just one dig shy of a double-double. Kirkwood was the only Blazer to reach double digits in the kill column, while Jasmine Cook and Anna Graham were the only two players to eclipse the double digit mark on the attack for the Hawks.

The Blazers will continue action with a slew of matches in the next seven days, but the red and black will enjoy a brief respite from GSC play throughout the course of the week, as each of the next five scheduled matches are against non-conference opponents.

Action continues at The Complex for Valdosta State next Tuesday when the Rollins Tars come to town for a 6:00 p.m. match in TitleTown. Stay tuned to www.vstateblazers.com for all things VSU volleyball, as the Blazers battle on toward the Gulf South Conference Tournament.