VALDOSTA, Ga. - Valdosta State volleyball has a special night planned on Tuesday, September 30, when the Wolves of West Georgia come to town for a Gulf South Conference battle in The Complex, followed by a special message to be delivered by former Ohio State running back Maurice Clarett.The Blazers have teamed up with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and Cass Burch Auto of Quitman and Valdosta for "Volley and Victory" night with special guest Clarett. Following the highly anticipated conference match between the Wolves and the Blazers, the former running back for the Ohio State Buckeyes is scheduled to deliver a message to the crowd on his personal story of victory.
West Georgia will bring a two-game winning streak to TitleTown on Tuesday along with a 4-8 overall record and a 2-6 record in GSC play, while the Blazers will seek to keep their perfect 4-0 home record intact. Valdosta State will enter Tuesday's matchup on the heels of a thrilling comeback 3-2 win over the Alabama-Huntsville Chargers on Saturday, which improved Head Coach
Mike Swan's club to a 7-3 overall record and a 4-3 mark in conference play.
With the exception of a hitch on Friday night against North Alabama in Florence, Ala., the Blazers have shown signs of steady improvement in recent weeks, and senior
Destiny Berry is leading the charge. The fourth year middle blocker has been the squad's most efficient player on offense this year and has found a spot among the top five attackers in the Gulf South Conference with her .331 hitting percentage.
Even more impressive, perhaps, is Berry's defensive effort at the net so far this season. Her blocking total received a significant boost on Saturday with a
record-setting performance against the Chargers on Saturday in Huntsville, Ala., and the senior has made her way to the top of the GSC leaderboard with a league-leading 53 blocks on the year.
Another four-year veteran,
Ashley Lala, continues to impress as the team's defensive anchor. She currently holds a 4.26 digs per set average, and her 166 digs on the season place her among the top ten defensive players in the league.
Berry has also enjoyed the assistance of a strong supporting cast on the attack, with
Jenna Kirkwood and
Lea Jaklen providing solid numbers from the outside hitter positions. The pair make up two of the top seven hitters in the conference in terms of kills per set, with Kirkwood holding a 3.10 average and Jaklen cruising at a 2.95 pace. Additionally, UNA's Andrea DeLeon is the only setter in the league that stands between VSU's
Jessica Codato and the top position on GSC leaderboard for assists per set.
The Blazers will need to be mindful on Tuesday night of West Georgia middle blocker Tiesha Alston, who has established herself as one of the top blockers in the conference. Her .289 hitting percentage also places among the top ten hitters in the league.
The action kicks off at 6:00 p.m., with Clarett expected to speak immediately after the conclusion of the match. Don't miss "Volley and Victory" on Tuesday night in Valdosta, Ga.!
