BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - The Valdosta State Blazers suffered a tough start to the Sunshine State Conference/Gulf South Conference Crossover Tournament in Birmingham, Ala., with a pair of Friday losses to Barry (3-1(25-23, 25-22, 21-25, 26-24) and Tampa (3-0(25-22, 25-17, 25-17).
In the day's opening match against the Bucs, Valdosta State tested Barry throughout the entirety of the contest, dropping the first two sets by just two and three points, respectively.
The Blazers turned the tables and posted a collective .346 hitting percentage in the third frame against Barry's .227 effort. With the score locked at 13-13,
Sara Dandridge delivered one of eight kills in the match to spark a 6-0 run, from which the Bucs were unable to recover.
Despite a 4-1 run by Valdosta State to start the final set, Barry held the match close. After eight ties in the frame, Valdosta State overcame a 22-24 deficit with back-to-back kills by
Ashley Miller and
Katie McInnis. The Bucs fired back quickly, however, and used the next two points to seal the victory.
In the nightcap, the Blazers fought to within three points of Tampa for a 25-22 loss, but the Spartans took control from that point forward, resulting in a pair of 25-17 losses for VSU to close out the first day of competition.
Valdosta State returns to action for a final matchup against Florida Southern at 1:15 p.m. EST on Saturday. Live coverage of Saturday's match can be accessed at www.vstateblazers.com.
