CLINTON, Miss. – The Valdosta State volleyball team dropped a 3-1 match at Mississippi College Friday Evening. The Choctaws took the first set 25-20, along with the third and fourth sets 25-18 and 25-17, respectively, while the Blazers won the second set 25-21.  

VSU fell to 7-14 on the year and 1-7 in the Gulf South Conference while MC improved to 16-2 on the year and 6-2 in league action. The Blazers finished the match with 30 kills, five aces, seven blocks and 37 digs while hitting .125 for the match. VSU was backed by sophomore Jojo Smith, who recorded 13 kills while senior Olivia Piazza had a team-high 16 digs. Sophomore Christina Pettigrew, the Guardian Bank Player of the Match, recorded a team-high three service aces and four blocks at the net and hit .308 for the match with six kills.  

For the Choctaws, they recorded 51 kills, eight aces, seven blocks and 46 digs. Caroline Chastang led the way with 20 kills while Missy Beber had a team-high 14 digs on defense.  

Set One (MC 25, VSU 20)  

After a 4-2 spurt to start the match from the Blazers, MC battled back and tied the set at four. VSU then built a 7-4 lead, but the Choctaws took their first lead of the match from a Blazer miscue, 8-7, following a 4-0 run. Later in the set, VSU regained the lead from a kill by sophomore Ah'Miah Harris and Smith, but MC went on a 6-1 run for a 20-16 lead. An additional kill from Smith allowed the Blazers to pull within three, 23-20, but MC was able to get the final two points to win the opening set, 25-20.  

Set Two (VSU 25, MC 21) 

The Blazers scored six of the first ten points to begin the set and a kill by sophomore Audrey Bennet, in addition to a service ace, allowed VSU to push its lead to 8-5. After a kill from freshman Ava Young for a 10-7 score, MC used a 4-0 spurt for an 11-10 lead.  VSU didn't sweat as it responded with three-straight points via Choctaw miscues to regain the lead at 13-11. Deep into the set, VSU was able to push its lead to 22-18 from two more MC miscues, and two more attacking errors allowed the Blazers to level the match with a 25-21 victory in the second set.  

Set Three (MC 25, VSU 18) 

The Choctaws began the set with a 4-0 lead, but the Blazers were able to scratch back within one from kills by Smith and a Choctaw miscue, 4-3. The Choctaws then went on a 7-1 run in the middle of the set to build their lead to 16-7. Later, VSU took advantage of a couple of errors by the Choctaws to battle back to a 23-17 deficit, but two kills by MC gave the Choctaws a 2-1 lead for the match.  

Set Four (MC 25, VSU 17)  

An 8-1 run by MC began the fourth set and then it stretched the lead to 15-6 courtesy of a 5-2 run.  A kill by sophomore Mackenzie Murray and a service ace from Pettigrew pulled VSU within seven, 18-11, but a 6-3 run from the Choctaws gave MC a 24-14 lead. At match point, a kill by Pettigrew and two miscues from MC allowed VSU to keep the match alive at 24-17, but a miscue from the Blazer offense ended the match, 25-17. 

VSU continues conference play on the road, taking on West Alabama on Oct. 8, at 3 p.m. ET in Livingston, Ala.  

For all updates on Blazer volleyball, visit vstateblazers.com.