LIVINGSTON, Ala. – Valdosta State picked up where they left off on Tuesday with three strong sets and a convincing 3-0 (25-18, 25-18, 25-13) sweep of the West Alabama Tigers in Gulf South Conference volleyball action in Livingston, Ala.
 
The win boosted Valdosta State's overall record to 16-5, 11-2 in Gulf South Conference play. The loss for West Alabama represented their sixth straight defeat and dropped the Tigers to 7-16 overall, 5-8 against conference opponents.
 
VSU hit the ground running with a 6-2 run to open up the first frame before the Tigers answered with four straight points to tie the set up at 6-6. The Tigers even took an 8-7 lead moments later, before a kill by freshman Ashley Miller and three UWA errors allowed the Blazers to reclaim an 11-8 advantage. VSU never trailed again in the set and posted a 14-10 run to win 25-18 and take a 1-0 match lead.
 
The second set progressed in similar fashion, with UWA taking an early 8-6 lead before allowing the Blazers to retake a 16-10 lead with a 10-2 run. The Tigers regained their composure and used three kills, a service ace, and a Blazer attack error to pull to within one point, but the Blazers answered with six straight points to open up a 22-17 lead. Two service errors surrounded one last point for West Alabama and preceded a booming set point kill by Lea Jaklen, who recorded 15 kills on the night and finished with a career-high .789 hitting percentage.
 
In the third and final set, Valdosta State completely dominated the frame to cap off the match with a 25-13 victory. Miller put the finishing touches on the closing set with one of six kills in the match. All but one of the freshman's seven swings in the contest resulted in kills, which resulted in a .714 hitting percentage for Miller.

"I was really pleased to get this win in three," claimed Head Coach Mike Swan following the victory. "We've struggled here the past two seasons, but I thought we came in very focused tonight. Lea was tremendous attacking the ball tonight and our offense seemed to flow. This was a quality win at a tough place to play."
 
Valdosta State quickly returns to action on Saturday in Carrollton, Ga., with yet another conference showdown against the Wolves of West Georgia. The match, scheduled for an 11:00 a.m. start, can be followed live at www.vstateblazers.com.