VALDOSTA, Ga. – Trailing 2-0, the Valdosta State volleyball team battled back to win set three 25-22 and set four 28-26, but fell in the decisive fifth set 15-7 to visiting Lee Tuesday evening at The Complex. VSU fell to 7-13 on the year and 1-6 in Gulf South Conference play, while Lee improved to 5-14 overall and 3-4 in league play.
Blazer sophomore Mackenzie Murray had a season-high 19 kills in 65 swings, along with two aces, two assists, two solo blocks and five total blocks. Sophomore Jojo Smith added 14 kills and 19 digs for her fifth double-double of the season. Smith, the Guardian Bank Player of the Match, finished with 14 kills in 46 swings, with three assists, one ace and a team-high 19 digs.
As a team, the Blazers finished with 55 ills in 177 swings for a .107 average, along with 53 assists, nine aces, 15 total blocks and 74 digs. Lee had 60 kills in 176 swings for a .170 clip with 54 assists, nine aces, 18 total blocks and 77 digs. Individually, Lee was led by 15 kills from Grace Mazzocca and a double-double from Abby Stroh with 13 kills and 15 digs.
Set One (Lee 25, Valdosta State 22)
Neither team gained much of an advantage early in the first set as an attack error on Lee's Allie Whittinghill tied the set at eight. Another miscue by the Flames a few points later gave VSU at 12-10 lead, tying the largest lead of the set for the Blazers. Later in the set, kills from sophomores Lyara Rosario and Smith pushed the Blazer advantage to 18-16, but three-straight points from Lee forced VSU into a timeout and a 19-18 deficit. Out of the timeout, a miscue on the Blazers and a kill from Smith pulled VSU within 20-19. The Blazers again tied the set at 22 for the 13th tie of the set, but Lee used a kill, a block and an ace for the 25-22 victory.
Set Two (Lee 25, Valdosta State 21)
The second set started like the first in a very nip-and-tuck beginning with neither team able to gain much of an advantage early. The Flames tied the set at six with a kill from Whittinghill, sparking a 6-2 run for a 12-8 lead. Smith's kill and ace later pulled the Blazers within one, 14-13, as the Flames gained the upper hand by no more than three points for a 20-17 lead. VSU kept fighting, however, and chipped away at the deficit pulling within 22-20 forcing Lee into a timeout. Out of the break, the Flames used a kill and a Blazer miscue for set point. A service error kept VSU alive, but Lee answered with a kill from Sophia Lippert for a 25-21 victory.
Set Three (Valdosta State 25, Lee 22)
The Blazers jumped out to an early 4-0 lead highlighted by a pair of aces from senior Olivia Piazza and a kill from Smith. The Flames pulled within 5-4, but VSU used another 4-0 run for a 9-4 lead. Lee then tied the set at 12, but a 6-1 run by VSU gave the red and black an 18-13 lead. Three-straight points from the Flames pulled the visitors within 18-16 and a timeout by the Blazers. A service error on Lee ended the run for a 19-16 VSU lead, but a kill from Murray followed and an ace from sophomore Christina Pettigrew swelled the Blazer lead to 22-17 with a timeout by Lee. After two points from Lee, Murray came up with a kill for a 23-19 score. Lee then used two miscues by the Blazers and a block to pull within 23-22. VSU ended the run getting to set point with a kill from Murray and an ace for a 25-22 victory.
Through three sets, VSU had 34 kills in 116 swings for a .103 average, while Lee had 39 kills in 114 swings for a .167 clip. VSU had 22 errors, while Lee had 20 miscues. The Blazers recorded seven aces to that point to five for the Flames, while Lee held a 14-7 lead in total blocks. Individually, Murray led the way with 12 kills for the Blazers, while Mazzocca had nine for Lee.
Set Four (Valdosta State 28, Lee 26)
The fourth set started the same way the third did with VSU jumping out to a 4-0 lead, highlighted by a three of attack errors on the Flames and a kill from Murray. A big block from freshman Ava Young and Murray pushed the lead to 11-6 for the largest lead of the match for the Blazers. Lee chipped away at the deficit pulling within 11-9, but another kill from Murray, her 15th of the match, gave VSU a 12-9 lead. VSU stretched the lead to four with a block from Murray and Pettigrew and then an error by the Flames gave VSU a 15-10 lead. Mazzocca notched her 11th kill, but a winner from sophomore Audrey Bennett and an ace from Murray swelled the lead to 17-11.
Lee would then rattle off four-straight and a timeout by the Blazers with VSU leading 17-14. Smith came up a big kill out of the break to stop the bleeding and Young followed with a kill for a 19-14 lead. Bennett also had a kill for a 20-15 score, but a kill and an ace from Lee followed as VSU used its second timeout of the set, leading 20-17. Lee pulled within 21-20 on a kill from Whittinghill and tied the set from a kill from Mazzocca. Murray answered and tied her season-high with her 17th kill and a miscue on Lee gave VSU a 23-21 lead. Lee tied the set, once again, with a block from Mazzocca, but the Blazers reached set point on a service error by the Flames. Following a timeout by Lee, the Flames tied the set, once again, courtesy of a kill by Lippert. Lee took its first lead of the set on an error by VSU, but a block from Murray and a kill from Bennett gave VSU a 26-25 lead. Smith answered with a kill giving VSU set point, once again, and sealed the deal for the decisive fifth set on the 13th kill by Smith, 28-26.
Set Five (Lee 15, Valdosta State 7)
For the third time this season, the Blazers went to a fifth set as the two teams also went the distance in Valdosta last season with VSU winning, 3-2 on Oct. 8, 2021. This marked the third time in the last 17 matches the teams went to a decisive fifth set and third time in the last six meetings.
Lee began the fifth set with a 7-0 run, but a kill from Murray ended the spurt. Lee responded with a 5-0 run for a 12-1 lead. VSU scored the next three points for a 12-4 deficit, but a kill from Mazzocca pushed the margin to 13-4. The Blazers kept chipping away and pulled within 13-6 capped on kills from Pettigrew and Murray, but a kill from Scottie Cook gave Lee match point. Lee tallied the final point on a kill by Abby Stroh.
The Blazers head back on the road at Mississippi College on Friday at 7 p.m. ET, followed by a match at West Alabama on Saturday at 3 p.m. ET. Check back with vstateblazers.com for links to live stats and streaming of the matches.
