THE BASICS:
Score: Valdosta State 3, Shorter 0 (25-20, 25-19, 25-20)
Records: Valdosta State 5-8 (1-0 GSC), Shorter 3-5 (0-1 GSC)
Location: Valdosta, Ga. (The Complex)
THE LEAD: Behind a season-high 45 assists in a three-set match for Valdosta State sophomore Tammy Reyes-Perez, the Blazers opened the 2018 Gulf South Conference slate with a 3-0 (25-20, 25-19, 25-20) victory over visiting Shorter University Tuesday evening. The Blazers hit .336 for the match and had 52 kills.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- The Blazers took command early in the first set on four consecutive attack errors by the Hawks for an early 6-3 lead.
- Later in the set, Shorter pulled within 16-14, but four quick points by the Blazers swelled the lead to 20-14.
- VSU scored the final two points for the opening set win on an error and a kill from senior Chloe' Chubilleau, who had a game-high 15 kills and 14 digs.
- The second set was much more tightly contested as senior Lindsey Robinson gave the Blazers the lead for good at 10-9.
- Shorter pulled within one on six occasions for a 21-20 deficit, but the Blazers used an emphatic kill from junior Dariah Powell, an ace from Powell and a pair of junior Kayla Widera kills for the second set victory.
- In the third set, Shorter opened a 5-2 lead, but five-straight serves from Powell got the Blazers the lead for good once again at 8-5.
- Shorter pulled within 20-18 late, but a kill from Robinson and an error on the Hawks swelled the lead to 22-18 as the match ended on the Hawks' 15thmiscue.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS:
- The .336 percentage was the second-highest of the season for the Blazers.
- VSU had three service aces in the match as it entered third nationally in aces.
- The 52 kills were the most this season in a three-set match and third-most overall.
- The 52 assists also marked the most in a three-set match this season.
- Chubilleau hit a season-high .385 (15-5-26) for the match, while recording her fourth double-double of the season.
- All six Blazers registered an attempt hit over .200 for the match and each had three or more kills.
- There were a total of ten ties and three lead changes in the match, while there were seven ties in the first set.
- Freshman Aurora Nero had a game-high 15 digs.
UP NEXT:
- VSU returns to the road at Lee and West Georgia this weekend and will travel to Auburn Montgomery and West Florida next weekend, before returning home to begin a five-match home stand Sept. 28 against Mississippi College at The Complex.
- Check back with www.vstateblazers.comfor complete recaps all season long, as well as links to live stats and live streaming of each match.
