NEWBERRY, S.C. – The Valdosta State volleyball team split a pair of matches Friday on day one of the Newberry College Volleyball Invitational. The Blazers took game one against Southern Wesleyan, 3-1, and fell 3-0 to the hosts of Newberry College.  
The Blazers moved to 2-5 on the year while Southern Wesleyan fell to 0-5 after the opening day, falling to West Alabama 3-0 prior to Valdosta State. Newberry improved to 3-3 on the year after picking up wins against Lees-McRae and VSU.  
  
Game One (VSU, 3 SWU, 1) 
The Blazers hit .273 for the match while recording 57 kills, 79 digs and four blocks. The team also combined for 15 aces, while SWU had three for the match.  Graduate Mallory Roney led the Blazers with 14 total kills and 15 digs while sophomore Jojo Smith recorded 11 kills. Sophomore Giulia Dias led the Blazers with 35 assists. 
 
Sophomore Lyara Rosario was selected as the Guardian Player of the match against Southern Wesleyan after leading the Blazers' defense with 15 digs and seven aces. The sophomore also recorded eight assists during the match.  
 
The Blazers held the Warriors to only 30 kills, 57 digs and three aces for the match.  
 
SWU's Amber Bass led SWU with eight kills while Kristina Pino led with 19 total digs.  
 
Set One (VSU 25, SWU, 17)  
The Blazers had a dominating first set, as a service ace from sophomore Kylie Stroehlein sparked a 6-0 run to begin the set. The Warriors scratched back to cut VSU's lead in the middle of the set, 10-6, but the Blazers went on another dominating run to build a 17-8 lead. The Blazers went on to take the opening set 25-17 after a ball handling error from SWU's offense.  
 
Set Two (SWU 25, VSU, 20)  
After quick back-and-forth points to begin the set, the Blazers were able to build a small lead, 14-11, after a kill by Smith and two aces from Rosario. The Warriors battled back to take the lead at 17-16, but VSU took back the lead at 20-19 from a kill by sophomore Mackenzie Murray. The Warriors held the Blazers to six unanswered points at the end of the set to take set two, 25-20.  
 
Set Three (VSU 25, SWU, 16)  
After a 4-0 start from the Warriors, the Blazers came back to take the lead 8-6. An attack error from the Warriors sparked a five-point run in the middle of the set to give VSU a slight advantage at 13-8. The Blazers outscored SWU 9-2 deep into the set from kills by Smith, Young and Stroehlein, to give VSU an 11-point advantage, 22-11. The Warriors attempted to battle back, cutting VSU's lead to 24-16, but a kill by Roney allowed the Blazers to take set three 25-16.  
 
Set Four (VSU 25, SWU 16)  
After the Warriors jumped out to an early 6-3 lead, the Blazers fought back to take the lead 8-7 from aces by Rosario and kills from Young. Deep into the set, the Blazers scored seven unanswered points to build a 21-14 lead and took the final set 25-16 after back-to-back service aces from Rosario.   
 
Game Two (NC 3, VSU 0)  
The Blazers hit .078 for the match against the Wolves. VSU recorded 28 kills, 52 digs and seven blocks. Murray was selected as the Guardian Player of the Match in the game against Newberry after hitting .194 and leading the Blazers' scoring efforts, recording 10 kills. Rosario continued her dominating day recording a team-high 23 digs and three service aces.  
 
Set One (NC 25, VSU 18)  
The Blazers stayed neck-and-neck with the Wolves until Newberry College was able to jump out to an 11-4 lead. An eight-point spark from kills by Smith, Murray and Roney in the middle of the set for the Blazers allowed VSU to cut NC's lead to 21-16. A kill by Roney later in the set and a NC miscue allowed the Blazers to hang on at 23-18, but the Wolves were able to get the last two points and take set one 25-18.  
 
Set Two (NC 28, VSU 26)  
After the Wolves were able to jump out to a 10-6 lead, the Blazers were able to fight back and tie the game at 11 from a huge kill by Smith. The Blazers then went on to take the lead, 17-15 after NC miscues and kills by Roney and sophomore Christina Pettigrew. VSU went on a four-point run late in the set from kills by Murray and Dias to lift the Blazers to 22-19, but the Wolves answered with a five-point run to reach set point 24-22. The Blazers extended the set after Pettigrew tied the game at 25, and took the lead after an attack error, but Newberry was able to hold on with three unanswered points to take set two 28-2 
 
Set Three (NC 27, VSU 25) 
The Blazers jumped out to a quick 3-1 lead, but the Wolves fought back to take the lead at 6-4. The Blazers were able to tie the game at seven from Rosario's service ace and take the lead, 8-7 from a kill by Pettigrew. In the middle of the set, the Blazers went on a five-point run to build their lead to 14-12, but the Wolves hung on to tie the game at 18. Late in the set, a 5-1 run and another kill by Pettigrew allowed the Blazers to get to set point, 24-20, But the Wolves responded with a five-point run to tie the game at 25. The Wolves then knocked home the final two points to take set three 27-26, and the match 3-0.  
 
Up Next: 
The Blazers are set to round out the Newberry College Volleyball Invitational on Saturday with two matches against Lees-McRae. The first match is set to begin at noon and the final match is set to begin at 4:30 p.m.   
 
For all updates on Blazer Volleyball, visit vstateblazers.com, or follow Valdosta State Athletics on social media.