VALDOSTA, Ga. – The Valdosta State volleyball team opened the 2022 home slate with a 3-0 victory over Clark Atlanta University Tuesday evening at The Complex. VSU improved to 5-5 on the year, while CAU fell to 0-6. VSU dominated the match from start to finish, winning 25-10, 25-12 and 25-14.
For the match, VSU hit .468 with 45 kills, in 79 swings and just eight errors, while Clark Atlanta hit -.019 with 11 kills and 12 errors on 52 swings. VSU had 45 assists and 30 digs, while registering ten total blocks. Graduate student Mallory Roney paced the red and black with 12 kills in 20 swings for a .550 average, earning Guardian Bank Blazer Player of the Game honors, while sophomore Mackenzie Murray finished with nine kills and sophomore Kylie Stroehlein added eight kills. Sophomore Giulia Dias had 32 assists for the match and a team-high ten digs for a double-double. Defensively, VSU had just eight attack errors for the match.
Valdosta State 25, Clark Atlanta 10 (First Set)
The Blazers came out firing on all cylinders as they jumped out to a 5-0 lead early courtesy of an ace to begin the match and kills by three different players. VSU then extended the lead to 10-3 capped with a kill from Murray. Following a point from the Panthers, VSU rattled off three-straight points and a timeout by Clark Atlanta.
Out of the time out, VSU kept the pressure on and stretched the lead to 17-6 on an ace from sophomore Christina Pettigrew. The Blazers scored six of the next eight points, pushing the lead to 23-8. Following a point by CAU, Murray registered another kill for a 24-9 score and added the set-winning kill for a 25-10 score.
VSU hit .560 in the opening set with 15 kills in 25 swings and just one error. CAU hit .000 with three kills in 17 attempts. Freshman Ava Young and Murray each had four kills in the set and both hit .500 to open the match to lead the team.
Valdosta State 25, Clark Atlanta 12 (Second Set)
The Blazers continued their offensive onslaught as they raced out to a 7-2 lead early in the second set. VSU kept the Panthers at arm's length for a 14-6 lead on back-to-back kills from Stroehlein. A kill from Roney and a miscue by the Panthers pushed the Blazer lead to 17-7 moments later. Following a timeout by the Blazers with VSU leading 21-9, sophomore Lyara Rosario served up an ace for a 22-9 score. The Blazers then clinched the second set with a kill from Pettigrew for a 25-12 victory.
For the second set, VSU hit .393 with 15 kills in 28 swings, while committing just four errors, along with registering three aces. CAU hit .000, once again, with three errors and three kills in 14 swings. Through two sets, Roney had seven kills in 14 swings, while Murray had six kills. Dias had 26 assists to that point.
Valdosta State 25, Clark Atlanta 14 (Third Set)
The third set began similar to the first two as VSU scored five of the first six points highlighted by a pair of kills and two miscues on the Panthers. VSU stretched the lead to 8-2 on another ace from Rosario. Later, VSU stretched the lead to 14-7 capped on a kill from Pettigrew and a CAU miscue and then at 18-9 on a kill from Roney, her team-leading 12th of the match to that point. The Panthers scratched back with a couple of points, but kills from Pettigrew and Murray pushed the lead to 21-12 moments later. VSU went on for the 25-14 victory and won the match, 3-0.
In the third set, VSU hit .423 with 14 kills in 26 attempts and three errors, while CAU hit .000 for the set and the match on five kills with five errors in 19 swings.
The Blazers travel to Carrollton, Ga., for matches with Georgia College, USC Aiken and Augusta this weekend for the PBC/GSC Crossover, before opening Gulf South Conference play on the road at West Florida (Sept. 13) and at West Georgia (Sept. 17). VSU returns home to host Union on Friday, Sept. 23 at 6 p.m. at The Complex.
