Match Information – Valdosta State at Union
Score: Valdosta State 0, Union 3 (25-27, 25-13, 25-14)
Records: VSU (7-9), Union (10-6)
Location: Jackson, Tenn.
 
JACKSON, Tenn. - Valdosta State volleyball falls in its second match of the weekend road trip at Gulf South Conference foe Union. The Bulldogs took the match 3-0 bringing their Gulf South Conference record to 3-2 while the Blazers fell to 1-3.
 
First Set:
The Blazers started the first set with a kill by sophomore Kennedy DeLuca but was then followed by a Bulldog kill. Union took the lead early in the set, but a kill by freshman Jojo Smith brought the deficit to 6-4. 
 
Union gained its largest lead of the set at 10-7 from a VSU ball handling error and continued to grow the lead as the Blazer head coach Kaleigh Zoucha called a timeout trailing 13-9. A kill by graduate student Grace Daugherty ended the spurt and redshirt freshman Lyara Rosario brought VSU within 16-13. 
 
The Blazers cut the Union lead to one with two attacking errors by Union as they proceeded to tie the set at 17. The Bulldogs responded scoring six of the next ten points for a 23-21 lead, but a kill by Kylie Stroehlein and a Bulldog attacking error knotted the set at 23. From there, the set was again knotted at 25, but Union scored the next two points for the 27-25 victory. 
 
Second Set:
A service ace by senior Tammy Reyes-Perez started off the second set for the Blazers, 1-0, but was followed by a Bulldogs kill tying the set at two. The Bulldogs took a 5-3 lead, but the Blazers tied the game at six with two kills by Smith and Daugherty. The set went back-and-forth until Union gained a three-point lead at 10-7 from two kills and a service ace. A Union attack error gave VSU the serve but was shut down followed by a six-point rally from Union for a 17-9 lead. Union went on to take the second set 25-13.
 
Third Set:
Union started the second set with a seven-point run, scoring off VSU attacking errors, two service aces, and a kill, 7-0. VSU rattled off four points will a kill by Kennedy Deluca and Union errors, but still trailed the Bulldogs 11-5. Union continued to lead VSU 18-9 as the Blazers rallied a few more points with kills by Stroehlein and Smith, but it was not enough as Union took the third set 25-14 and the match 3-0.
 
Inside the Numbers:
VSU had 36 kills hitting a .192 and tallied 30 digs, 36 assists, three blocks, and one ace. Leading the Blazers in kills was Smith with 12, followed by Stroehlein with 10, and DeLuca with five. Reyes-Perez recorded VSU only ace as she added 35 assists and four digs. Rosario led VSU with nine digs as Smith followed with six.
 
Upcoming:
The Blazers are back in action on the road on Monday, October 4, at 6 p.m. playing a non-conference matchup against Clark Atlanta in Atlanta, Ga. 
 
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