Match Information – Valdosta State vs. UNC Pembroke
Score: Valdosta State 3, UNC Pembroke 0 (25-17, 25-22, 25-17)
Records: VSU (4-4), UNC Pembroke (5-4)
Location: The Complex Valdosta, Ga. 
 
VALDOSTA, Ga. – VSU defeats UNC Pembroke and falls to Saint Leo on the second day of the VSU Fall Tournament. The Blazers finished the tournament 2-2. 
 
First Set:
A service ace by UNC Pembroke started off the first match, which was followed by a service error giving the ball back to VSU. With rallies back and forth from both teams, the match was eventually tied at four until the Braves gained a three-point lead by Blazer attacking errors, score 7-4. 
 
A kill by VSU's Kennedy Deluca eventually tied the game back up at seven and then again at nine until the Blazers started to pull away with kills by Grace Daugherty and Jessie Mooney, with the help of Tammy Reyes-Perez which made the score 14-9. 
 
After a Pembroke timeout, the Braves continued to fight their way back but was shut down as the Blazers went on to take the set 25-17.
 
Second Set:
VSU started the second set off strong with two kills by Jojo Smith and a Braves attacking error which brought the score to 3-0. UNC Pembroke tried to catch back up, but VSU continued to lead with a kill by Mooney, which made the score 11-4. 
 
The Braves eventually shortened the Blazers lead to two points with two kills by Kaila Crowder, score 14-12 and continued to tie the game at 18. Both teams battled back and forth until VSU got away and finished the match 25-22.
 
Third Set:
The Blazers started the third set off slow, letting the Braves get ahead but fought back to tie the game at three. After a Braves rally, kills by VSU's Caitlin Warnshuis, Mooney, and Kylie Stroehlein, the game was tied again at 10. 
 
Finally, the Blazers started to pull away with a four-point run, followed by another four-point with kills from Warnshuis, Deluca, Stroehlein and a Brave's attacking error which brought the score to 19-12. 
 
The Braves continued to fight back but were unsuccessful as the Blazers took the third set 25-17 and the match 3-0.
 
Inside the Numbers:
VSU tallied a total of 39 kills, 39 digs, 35 assists, 12 blocks, and five aces. Mooney led the Blazers in kills with 11, followed by Smith with nine, and Deluca with six. Deluca and Daugherty both led with six blocks with Perez adding three along with her 32 assists and eight digs. Rosario led VSU in digs with 12 and Smith with eight. Also, the Blazers tallied up five aces with two from Smith and Stroehlein, and one by Marshall
 
Match Information – Valdosta State vs. Saint Leo
Score: Saint Leo 3, Valdosta State 1 (25-17, 25-23, 25-22, 25-16)
Records: VSU (4-4), Saint Leo (4-4)
Location: The Complex Valdosta, Ga. 
 
First Set:
The first set started off with long rallies between both teams leaving the score tied at two. Kill by Jojo Smith gave VSU the lead sending Tammy Reyes-Perez looking to gain a lead.
 
 A Smith kill and Perez ace put the Blazers on top but was followed by a serving error, 5-3. 
A kill by Jessie Mooney caused the Lions to call a timeout. Saint Leo scratched back with kills, but VSU continued to hold onto the lead, 10-8. Two huge back-to-back blocks by Grace Daughtery and Perez gave the Blazers a six-point lead, 14-8. 
 
A missed serve by the Lions, solo block by Daughtery, and kill by Kylie Stroehlein, kept the Blazers at a five-point lead, 21-15. 
 
The Lions continued to fight back but was shut down by VSU following a Saint Leo timeout. 
The Blazers went on to finish the set 25-17 with a kill by Smith, assisted by Perez.
 
Second Set:
A kill by VSU's Daughtery  started of the second set and was followed by a Saint Leo kill, sending the Lions back to the serving line tied at one. Saint Leo gained a two-point lead but was shaved down to one with a kill by Stroehlein which made the score 5-4.
 
The Lions kept the two-point lead as the Blazers tried to fight back with a kill by Daughtery, 9-7. 
Following a timeout called by Blazer Head Coach Kaleigh Zoucha, two kills by Deona Mims made the score 11-9 and sent Lyara Rosario back to the serving line looking to start a rally.
 
The Lions continued to lead the Blazers 16-11 but VSU proceeded to fight back and brought the Lions lead down to two points with a huge block by Daughtery, 19-17. 
 
A kill by Mims brought the score 21-19 still in favor of the Lions. VSU continued to fight back after the Lions called a timeout, bringing the score 24-23 with Perez at the serving line.  A Lions' kill finished the set 25-23.
 
Third Set:
At the start of the third set, Saint Leo took the lead 6-1 as the Blazers called an early timeout looking to stop the rally of the Lions. An assisted block by Stroehlein and Daughtery and kill by Caitlin Warnshuis made the score 9-3 and sent Stroehlein back to the serving line looking to scratch back at the Lions. 
 
As the score reached 11-4 a Blazer timeout was called and was followed by a kill by Daughtery. VSU continued to fight back but the Lions still led 14-11. After a Lions timeout, Erin Ergle continued to serve as the Blazers caught back up 15-14. 
 
With a kill by Warnshuis, the Blazers tied the set and took the lead with a Saint Leo attacking error which caused a Lions timeout. The match continued to go point for point between both teams and was tied at 21 with a Lions kill but Saint Leo gained a three-point lead. 
 
With a service error by the Lions on match point, the Blazers went back to the serving line looking to get back into the game but were shut down with a kill by Saint Leo which finished the match 25-22.
 
Fourth Set:
Saint Leo started off the fourth set strong leading 3-0 and continued to build a lead with the score 6-1 which warranted an early timeout by the Blazers. 
As the Blazers continued to fight back, a kill by Warnshius let the Blazers look for a rally but was shut down. 
 
The Lions took a 10 point lead which made the score 19-9, but their rally was also shut down from the Blazers' strong defense. An attacking error by the Lions and a kill by Warnshius brought Saint Leo's lead down to seven, 20-13.
 
After a Lions timeout, a kill and a service ace by Saint Leo, the score came to 22-13. 
The Lions then went on and took the fourth set 25-16 to finish the match 3-1.
 
Inside the Numbers:
VSU tallied 75 digs, 43 kills, 40 assists, 14 blocks, and five service aces. Leading the Blazers in kills was Mooney with nine, followed by Warnshuis and Mims both with seven. Rosario led the Blazers in digs with 25 with Mooney following behind with 18. Perez assisted VSU with 33 while also adding three service aces. Also, Mims and Ergle each added a service ace.
 
Upcoming:
The Blazers travel to Milledgeville, Ga. to face Georgia College on September 17 at 4 p.m.
The last time Valdosta State faced Georgia College was on October 25, 2018, when the Bobcats defeated the Blazers 3-1.
 
For live stats, live steaming, and information on Blazer volleyball, visit vstateblazers.com, or follow Blazer Athletics on social media for updates.

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