VALDOSTA, Ga.- Valdosta State Blazer volleyball suffered a heartbreaking five-set (25-21, 25-18, 20-25, 26,28, 9-15) Gulf South Conference upset against the Flames of Lee on Saturday afternoon in The Complex.
 
With the loss, the Blazers dropped to 4-9 on the season and 2-4 in conference play. Meanwhile, Lee uplifted their overall record to 4-6 and 1-4 in GSC action.
 
Valdosta State captured the first two sets of the contest and were in the driver's seat for a sweep over the Flames. In the first set, the Blazers racked up 13 kills with only two hitting errors which fashioned a 25-21 victory over Lee. The momentum carried into the second set as Antia Rodriguez-Sanchez opened the match with a kill and Carly Smart followed with a service ace. The Blazers finished the set with authority, as Susanna Peonia put one away and allowed the Blazers to defeat the Flames, 25-18.
 
The Flames came alive and finally answered back in the third set. Lee collected 17 kills with only five hitting errors compared to the Blazers 10 kills and four attack errors. The Flames accumulated a .261 hitting average on the set which allowed them to clinch set three, 25-20.
 
The two teams duked it out in the fourth set and tied the score eight times. The Flames kept the lead for majority of the set as VSU struggled to find rhythm both offensively and defensively. Lee used aggressive serving to their advantage and fashioned four aces on the set, two of which came from Kristi Farley. The Blazers found themselves outnumbered by the Flames with only five kills in the set against Lee's 14, leading to a 28-26 victory for LU.
 
The Flames maintained a 7-3 lead over Valdosta State in the deciding set, until Tristyn Sells put one down and Peonia followed with an ace to put the Blazers back in it. However, the Blazers suffered a breakdown in serve receive, which allowed the Flames to take advantage offensively. Lee tallied 10 kills in the frame, which produced a .421 hitting percentage and ultimately allowed the Flames to capture the fifth and final set, 15-9. In comparison, the Blazers landed a total of 6 kills to earn a .294 attack percentage.
 
For the Blazers, Peonia carried the offense with 13 kills on the day, and Sells displayed strong efforts with 12 kills in the contest. Sara Dandridge and Smart split the offense with 22 and 20 assists, respectively. Smart and Peonia each added 10 digs on the day to highlight a double-double performance from the two. Gabie Velez-Ortiz led the defense with 26 digs.
 
The Blazers look to improve their record as they hit the road for another GSC showdown against Union on September 30th. The event is scheduled to tip off at 8:00 p.m. in Jackson, Tenn.