VALDOSTA, Ga. - The Blazers picked up two late-season Gulf South Conference wins last weekend, thanks in large part to senior Destiny Berry and freshman Lea Jaklen, who were named by the league office on Tuesday as the GSC Defensive Player of the Week and Freshman of the Week, respectively.

Jaklen, a new addition to Head Coach Mike Swan's squad at the start of the 2014 season, has been a consistent force for the Blazers all season long with 239 kills and an average of 2.57 kills per set. Last week, she led the squad in total kills with 21 for a .306 hitting effort and an average of 3.00 kills per set. Additionally, VSU's young outside hitter posted four blocks on the week to add to her season total of 41. The Freshman of the Week honor marked the first of Jaklen's career.

The Defensive Player of the Week honor was Berry's first of the 2014 season and came on the heels of a week that included ten total blocks in seven sets played. Her performance at the net resulted in an average of 1.43 blocks per set, and three of her denials were of the solo variety. The Texas native was no slouch at on the offensive side either, as she compiled a .333 hitting percentage on the week after swinging for 19 kills and an average of 2.71 kills per set.

Valdosta State returns to action tonight in Carrollton, Ga., with another conference matchup against the West Georgia Wolves. The contest tips off at 7:00 p.m. and can be followed live via stats at www.vstateblazers.com. Also, follow us on Twitter (@BlazerAthletics) for live coverage throughout tonight's match.