VALDOSTA, Ga. – Coming off a 2-2 weekend in the Valdosta State Fall Tournament, the volleyball team returns to the road this weekend as it travels to Milledgeville, Ga., for three matches.  The Blazers play Georgia College Friday, Sept. 17 at 4 p.m., and Augusta University on Saturday, Sept. 18 at 1 p.m., followed by USC Aiken at 5 p.m.
 
The Blazers head into the weekend 4-5 on the year and these three matches are the final tune-up before Gulf South Conference play begins Tuesday evening with nationally ranked West Florida at The Complex at 6 p.m.
 
Splitting 1-1 each day of the tournament, VSU dropped a 3-0 decision to Eckerd on Friday, as this was their second matchup with the Tritons in as many weeks as the teams opened the season versus each other at the Flagler Saints Invitational (Sept. 3-4).  Bouncing back later that day, the Blazers defeated Arkansas Fort Smith in a thrilling five-set match where freshman Jojo Smith led the Blazers with a season and career-high of 27 kills.  Smith also recorded her first double-double of the season, adding 13 digs.  VSU trailed 2-0 to UAFS, but rallied for three-straight set victories by a combined eight points and 15-12 in the fifth set.
 
On Saturday of the VSU Fall Tournament, the Blazers downed UNC Pembroke 3-0, but then dropped a 3-1 decision to Saint Leo to conclude the tournament. VSU won the first set against the Lions, but SLU battled back for a 25-23 victory to even the match and won 25-22 in the third set, before a 25-16 victory for the match.  
 
Blazer's volleyball redshirt freshman Lyara Rosario and freshman Jojo Smith earned Gulf South Conference Defensive Player of the Week and Freshman of the Week with their outstanding performances this past week.  Rosario, an Orange Park, Fla. native, played in 18 sets for the week, helping VSU to a 3-2 record, including a 3-0 midweek victory over Edward Waters University in the 2021 home-opener.  She totaled 85 total digs recording 4.72 digs per set. Rosario also added 15 assists and three service aces.  She recorded 29 digs against UAFS and 25 against Saint Leo.  For the week, she tallied 13 assists and three aces. 
 
For the season, Rosario has played in all nine matches for the season with two kills, nine aces for second on the team, and 144 digs for tops on the team for a 4.24 digs per set clip.  She has double-digit digs in seven of nine matches.
 
Adding to her 27 kills and 13 digs against UAFS, Smith had a stellar week playing in 13 sets, totaling 53 kills, recording 4.08 kills per set and a .177 hitting percentage.  The Jefferson, Ga., native, started three matches and played in four last week, finishing with 26 digs and hit .177 in 130 swings while recording five aces.  She had one solo block and assisted on three rejections.
 
Senior setter Tammy Reyes Perez looks to assist the GSC weekly accolades duo this weekend as she has also put in big numbers for the Blazers.  The senior from Bayamon, P.R., has 290 assists, 72 digs, 13 service aces, 17 kills, 16 block assists, and one block solo. Perez is ranked fourth in GSC standings for assists, averaging 8.53 assists per set.
 
Georgia College enters the weekend with a 3-6 record and defeated VSU in the last meeting on Oct. 25, 2018, 3-1 in Valdosta.  Augusta University enters with a 6-2 record and has won its last six matches.  VSU won in the last meeting against the Jaguars, Sept. 8, 2017, 3-1, in Aiken, S.C.  USC Aiken enters with a perfect 8-0 record on the year and won the last time the Blazers and Pacers met in a 3-0 USCA victory in Aiken on Sept. 21, 2019.  
 
After the weekend slate, the Blazers return home Tuesday 21, at 6 p.m., to face West Florida, followed by a home match with West Georgia on Sept. 24 at 6 p.m.
 
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