MILLEDGEVILLE, Ga. - The Valdosta State Blazers enjoyed a strong start to the 2017 season with a 3-1 (17-25, 25-15, 25-20, 25-15) win over Lees-McRae, before the hosting Bobcats of Georgia College took the Blazers down 3-1 in the nightcap.

The split gave the Blazers a 1-1 mark to kick off the new campaign and set the stage for their final matchup of the weekend against Emmanuel on Saturday.

In the opening match, The Blazers dropped the opening set 25-17 before turning the tables for a 25-15 win in set two. In the final two sets, the Blazers outscored Lees-McRae 50-35 to cruise to victory.

Chloe' Chubilleau made a splash in her debut appearance as a Blazer with 15 kills in 40 attempts. With just three errors, Chubilleau posted a .300 hitting percentage in the contest, while newcomer Lindsey Robinson followed suit with nine kills and a .235 percentage.

Sara Dandridge paced the contest for the red and black with a team-high 35 assists, and her 12 assists landed the junior a double-double performance. Senior Sydney Chick led the defensive effort with 15 digs, and Tammy Reyes Perez also reached double-digit figures in the dig column with 10.

Dandridge added 44 assists in the days finale against GCSU, and Tristyn Sells delivered a career-high 18 kills. The Bobcats proved to be too much for the Blazers, however, as three different GCSU players swung for 10 or more kills.

The Bobcats hit .259 as a team in the matchup, while the Blazers were held to a .170 hitting percentage. GCSU managed to hang on for three straight wins after falling in the opening set, despite Sells, Reyes-Perez, and Katie McInnis, who all hit for better than .300 in the match.

Next up for VSU, it's their final appearance in the Bobcat classic in a match slated for a 3:00 p.m. tip on Saturday in Milledgeville, Ga.

Stay tuned to www.vstateblazers for more as the weekend progresses, and be sure to mark your calendars for the all-new "Lunch With the Blazers" coaches show on Tuesday at noon in the Blazer Grille, located on main campus at Valdosta State University. The show will feature interviews with coaches and players from both the volleyball and soccer programs.