VALDOSTA, Ga. – Fresh off two big wins in Milledgeville, Ga., over the weekend, the Valdosta State volleyball team returns home to open Gulf South Conference play Tuesday evening at 6 p.m. versus nationally ranked West Florida at The Complex.  The Blazers then are scheduled to host West Georgia Friday at 6 p.m. to conclude the matches this week.
 
VSU (6-6) opened play last weekend with a 3-1 victory over the host Bobcats of Georgia College, along bookended the weekend with a 3-1 victory over previously undefeated USC Aiken, along with a 3-0 loss to Augusta University.  For the week, VSU recorded 138 kills with a .169 hitting percentage in 439 swings, along with 134 assists and 13 aces.  The team recorded 228 digs and had 30 total blocks with two solo rejections.  

Individually, graduate students Deona Mims and Grace Daugherty, along with freshman Kylie Stroehlein each recorded 28 kills to lead the team, while senior Jessie Mooney had 22 kills.  Senior Tammy Reyes-Perez had 111 assists for the week, while Stroehlein led the team with four aces.  Daugherty hit a team-high .328 for the week to lead the team.  Reyes-Perez had three double-doubles on the weekend, while Stroehlein tallied double-doubles in both victories.  Redshirt freshman Lyara Rosario led the team with 67 digs, while Stroehlein had 48 digs.  Daugherty had two solo blocks and eight total blocks to lead the team.
 
West Florida (11-1) was 19^th last week in the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Top 25 with a new ranking coming out Monday afternoon.  The Argos have won six-straight matches, including four victories this past weekend at the Francis Marion Invitational.  For the weekend, UWF recorded straight-set victories in three matches and won a 3-2 decision versus Gannon with a 15-5 win in the decisive fifth set.
 
The Argos are hitting .305 on the year with 575 kills in 1321 swings. The team has 524 assists and 50 aces for the season.  UWF has 604 digs with 28 solo blocks and 211 total blocks.  Individually, Madi Cooler leads the team with 133 kills and is hitting .401.  Veresia Yon is second in kills with 114 and is hitting a team-best .466 for the season.  Taylor Vaneekeren leads the team with 384 assists, while she also has a team-high 13 aces.  Defensively, Ashton Marshall leads the team with 157 digs and Vaneekeren is second with 90.  Vaneekeren leads the team with 26 total blocks and six solo blocks.
 
For the season, the Blazers are 17^th nationally and second in the GSC in total attacks (1,629), while the team is 30^th nationally and third in the league in total blocks with 84.  VSU is 23^rdnationally in digs for third in the GSC (720), while the team is 44^th in total assists, which is good for third in the league (467).  VSU is fourth in the GSC and 49^th nationally in total kills with 501.  Reyes-Perez is 16^th nationally and first in the GSC in total assists with 401, and is fourth in the GSC in assists per set at an 8.91 clip.  Stroehlein is second in the GSC and 33^rd nationally in total attacks (405), while Rosario is tops in the league and 19^th nationally in total digs (211).  
 
West Georgia begins the week with a 6-3 record and is scheduled to host Auburn Montgomery on Tuesday before visiting Titletown Friday evening.  The Wolves dropped a 3-2 decision to Emory in Atlanta on Sept. 16 and went 2-2 in Winter Park, Fla., the week before.  UWG began the season 4-0, but has dropped three of its last five.  
 
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