VALDOSTA, Ga.- Coming off a successful 3-0 week to open Gulf South Conference play, the Valdosta State volleyball team ends its current homestand with a matchup against Albany State Tuesday evening at 6 p.m. in The Complex.

VSU (10-4, 3-0 GSC) opened conference play last Tuesday with a 3-1 victory over in-state rival, West Georgia in Carrollton, Ga. The Blazers then returned home to host two more conference matches over the weekend in Shorter and Lee University. On Friday evening, VSU downed Shorter in three-straight sets to begin the weekend with a win. Then on Saturday afternoon, the Blazers defeated Lee in what was a thrilling 3-2 victory after coming back from being down 2-0 early. For the week, VSU recorded 145 kills with a .222 hitting percentage in 450 swings, along with 127 assists and 29 aces.  The team recorded 215 digs and had 25.5 total blocks with seven solo rejections. 

Individually, Junior Mackenzie Murray and Junior Jojo Smith led the team for the week in kills with 35 each while junior Christina Pettigrew had 25 and graduate student Mallory Roney added 24. Junior Audrey Bennett had 112 assists for the week, while Roney led the team with 10 aces. Sophomore Katie Callenberger hit a team-high .313 for the week to lead the team.  Smith tallied two double-doubles for the week, one against West Georgia and the other against Shorter, bringing her season total to five. Freshman Lily Glover led the team with 61 digs, while Roney added 36. Pettigrew had two solo blocks and 12 total rejections to lead the team.

For the season, the Blazers are sixth nationally and first in the GSC in total attacks (2,108), while the team is second nationally and first in the league in total blocks with 132.5. Valdosta State also ranks 10^th nationally and first in the conference in attacks per set, averaging 39.04 attacks a set. VSU is 12th nationally in digs for first in the GSC (935), while the team is 31st in assists, which is good for first in the league (606).  VSU is first in the GSC and 18th nationally in total kills with 678. Pettigrew is seventh nationally and first in the GSC in total blocks with 63 and is fifth in the GSC in points per set at a 3.42 clip. Murray is second in the GSC and 68^th nationally in total kills (159), while Roney is first in the league and eighth nationally in service aces (30).

Albany State enters the week 9-8 overall and a perfect 9-0 in the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference play. The Golden Rams are currently riding the wave of a six-game winning streak after winning 15 straight sets over the course of five matches this past weekend. ASU's squad is headlined by Jarianis Perez, who enters Tuesday's matchup with a team-high 149 kills for the season. The Blazers currently hold a 10-0 record over the past 10 matchups with the Golden Rams, winning every matchup since 2011.

Following the mid-week matchup, the Blazers will hit the road to face four straight conference opponents over the course of the next two weekends, beginning with Montevallo on Friday night at 7 p.m. ET and Alabama Huntsville on Saturday afternoon at 3 p.m. ET.  For live stats, streaming and information regarding these matchups as well as everything VSU volleyball, visit vstateblazers.com.