Match Information – Valdosta State at Christian Brothers
Score: Valdosta State 3, Christion Brothers 1 (25-17, 21-25, 25-17, 25-16)
Records: VSU (7-8), CBU (2-14)
Location: Memphis, Tenn.
 
MEMPHIS, Tenn. -  The Valdosta State volleyball team opened a weekend road trip with a 3-1 victory at Christian Brothers, Friday evening.  Blazer duo of freshman Jojo Smith and senior Tammy Reyes-Perez each recorded double-doubles.
 
First Set:
Two hitting errors by CBU and a kill by Smith started the Blazers off in the first set, 3-0. VSU continued its lead scoring from kills from freshman Kylie Stroehlein and graduate student Deona Mims with the help from Reyes-Perez for an 8-3 lead. A rally by the Buccaneers cut the Blazers lead to two at 9-7, but the Blazers responded and stretched the lead to 16-8 courtesy of a 7-1 run.  VSU continued its strong play in the first set, building the lead to 21-13, and settled for a 25-17 victory.
 
Second Set:
The Buccaneers started off the second set with a 4-0 start, but the Blazers responded and the set was knotted at eight.  The match went back-and-forth and eventually to a 16-15 score. The Buccaneers rallied off few points and gained a four-point lead.  From there, VSU cut the deficit to two, but CBU leveled the match at 1-1 with a 25-21 victory.
 
Third Set:
VSU responded and took the early lead at 3-2, but the Buccaneers continued to fight as they tied the set at five. A Blazer hitting error and Buccaneers kill put CBU on top 8-6. Blazers regained the lead at 13-11 with a kill by Stroehlein and built the lead to 18-14 with an emphatic block by Smith.   After a CBU timeout, the Bucs scratched back to a 23-17 margin as VSU won the next two points for a 25-17 victory and a 2-1 lead.
 
Fourth Set:
With the 2-1 lead, VSU started off the fourth set strong, building an early 5-2 lead, but CBU pulled within 6-5 moments later. With Mims at the serving line, a kill by junior Zoey Chilcote and two more by Smith pushed the lead to 10-5 and a timeout by the home team. The continued the run and stretched the lead to 16-8 for the second timeout by the Bucs.  The Blazers went on for the 25-16 win for their first conference victory of the season.
 
Inside the Numbers:
The Blazers hit a .222 totaling 49 kills, 67 digs, 44 assists, 12 blocks, and five aces for the match. Leading VSU in kills were Smith and Stroehlein, both with 11, while Mims followed behind with nine. Smith added 13 digs as she and Reyes-Perez both recorded double-doubles. Reyes-Perez led the way with 34 assists and recorded 16 digs. Redshirt freshman Lyara Rosario also added 16 digs. Leading the team in total blocks was Deluca with nine, followed by Smith with five and Mims with four.
 
Upcoming:
The Blazers are back in action tomorrow as they head to Jackson, Tenn., to face Union at 3 p.m., ET for another GSC matchup. 
 
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