VALDOSTA, Ga. - After clinching a Gulf South Conference tournament spot for the fourth straight season, the Valdosta State Blazer soccer team will now turn their focus towards seeding in the postseason, and it all starts with Senior Day at 1:00 p.m. on Sunday afternoon at The VSU Soccer Complex.
As the recruiting class for the inaugural season in 2011,
Olivia Mills,
Margaret Stauffer,
Abbi Edwards,
Sydney Smith,
Caroline Moore,
Hannah Mulkey,
Karly Lentz,
Leanne Bishop,
Blakely McClellan, and
Lauren Ingram have been the face of women's soccer at Valdosta State for the past four years and have helped lift the program to coveted heights in the NCAA. This group, was the driving force behind a team that advanced all the way to the Gulf South Conference Championship their freshman year and went on to make appearances in the NCAA National Tournament in each of the last two seasons.
Despite a slow start this season, these ladies, along with seniors
Deysla Reyes and
Zahimara Fantauzzi, who joined the squad in 2013, have led this year's Blazer team to victory in matches that matter most. Valdosta State enters Sunday afternoon's contest holding a 7-1-1 record against league opponents, which places them in a tie at the top of the GSC with West Alabama. Only Lee, a new team in the league that is uneligible for postseason play until next year, holds a better record in the conference.
Sunday's challenger comes to Titletown in the form of the rival Chargers of Alabama-Huntsville, who are 5-9 overall on the season and 4-6 in GSC play. The Chargers face a must-win situation heading into the contest, as only one berth in the 2014 GSC Tournament still remains up for grabs.
The Blazers, who were announced this week as one of six Gulf South Conference teams to rank among the
NCAA South Region's top 10, will look for big offensive outings from Stauffer, Bishop, and
Maegen Doyle. With three goals each, these three have posted nine of the Blazers' 15 goals on the year. The VSU squad and Head Coach
Rebecca Nolin would love nothing more than for the club's offensive attack to find a groove late in the season, and if Tuesday's 3-0 victory over West Georgia is any indication, the Blazers may be primed to break out.
The Valdosta State Athletic Department encourages fans to arrive early for Sunday's matchup for the scheduled Senior Day festivities, which will begin around 12:45 p.m.. For those who are unable to make the match, live coverage will be available at www.vstateblazers.com.
