AIKEN, S.C. - The Valdosta State Blazers held momentum during the opening day of the USC Aiken invitational for a pair of wins over Fayetteville (25-13, 25-15, 25-15) and Augusta (25-23, 25-15, 18-25, 25-15) on Friday in Aiken, S.C.

The wins bumped the Blazers winning streak up to three and improved the team to 4-1 overall. Meanwhile, Fayetteville fell to 1-2, and Augusta dropped to 3-2 on the year.

Valdosta State's first match got off to a late start on Friday evening, but that didn't slow the team down. The Blazers jumped out to a quick 7-3 lead in the opening set with the help of three kills by senior Tristyn Sells. The early surge forced a Fayetteville timeout, and the Blazers never looked back, outscoring their opponent 75-43 over the course of the entire match.

Seven different players connected for kills in the match, with Chloe' Chubilleau's 13 kills leading the way. Chubilleau committed just one error on offense on 24 attempts, resulting in a .500 hitting percentage in the match. Kayla Widera was also the picture of consistency in the contest, as she blasted nine kills on 12 attempts for a .667 offensive effort.

In the nightcap, VSU pieced together another balanced offensive effort, with point contributions from nine of the team's ten competing players. Sara Dandridge posted a .500 hitting percentage with six kills, while also adding four blocks, seven digs, and 31 assists. In addition, Chelsea Chavers worked her magic from the service line, using five service aces in the second match to bump her total up to seven on the day and 11 on the season.

The Valdosta State defense stood tall in the second game of the day, teaming up for 13 total blocks (2 solo, 22 assisted). Furthermore, three different players had double-digit figures in the dig column, with Sydney Chick's 17 marking the team-high.

Valdosta State will return to action on Saturday with a 10:00 a.m. contest against Lander, followed by a showdown against host USC-Aiken at noon. Live coverage of the events can be found right here at www.vstateblazers.com.