VALDOSTA, Ga. - The Valdosta State volleyball team entered their comfort zone on the opening day of their 2017 home schedule with a pair of dominant 3-0 wins over both Montevallo and Albany State on Friday at The Complex.
In the first match, which also served as the Blazers Gulf South Conference opener, Valdosta State used stellar attack efforts by four different players to outlast the Falcons.
Tristyn Sells,
Kayla Widera,
Lindsey Robinson, and
Sara Dandridge all posted hitting percentages of .390 or better, with Dandridge's .625 effort (5-for-8, 0 errors) leading the way.
Dandridge also added 39 assists in the contest and posted her fourth double-double of the season, thanks to 10 digs at the setter position. Furthermore, the Blazers stood tall defensively and saw five different players reach double digit figures in the dig column.
The tightest set for the Blazers came in the second, when the team overcame a late 21-23 deficit to outscore the Falcons 5-1 down the stretch for a 26-24 victory. Valdosta State slammed the door in the final set, as
Dariah Powell served for eight straight points to seal the lopsided set win.
In the nightcap, the Blazers never faltered, outscoring the Golden Rams 25-6 in the opening frame to set the tone. From that point on, Albany State was able to muster just 15 points in each of the final two sets, as the Blazers rolled to victory.
Overall on the day, Sells' 24 kills led the offensive surge, and with just five errors in 49 attempts, the senior swung for an overall average of .388. Meanwhile, Chick racked up 28 total digs for an average of 4.67 per set, and Widera averaged over one block per set with seven total on the day.
The pair of victories lifted Valdosta State to a 6-3 overall record and improved the team to 1-0 in GSC play. The Falcons dropped to 4-4, 0-1 GSC after salvaging the day with a 3-0 win over ASU, and the Golden Rams fell to 0-3.
The Blazers return right back to the court on Saturday at 1:00 p.m., with a conference showdown against the rival Wolves of UWG. Live links for the match can be found at www.vstateblazers.com.
