JACKSON, Tenn.- The Valdosta State volleyball team emerged victorious in an epic five-set contest against Union on Friday morning which saw the Blazers come back from being down 2-1 through three frames. The win marks the first win over the Bulldogs this season as the second matchup is set for this evening at 7 p.m. ET. With the win, Valdosta State improved to 12-8 on the year and 6-4 in Gulf South Conference play while Union fell to 5-15 on the season while dropping to 3-8 in the conference.
 
Match Information: Valdosta State at Union (Match #1)
Score: VSU 3 , UU 2 (25-17, 24-26, 23-25, 25-15, 15-11)
Records: VSU (12-8, 6-4 GSC) , UU (5-15, 3-8 GSC)
Location: Fred DeLay Gymnasium (Jackson, Tenn.)
 
First Set:
The opening set of the match proved to be gritty early as both teams battled for control of the lead until the frame was all tied up at 5-5. Union then advanced in front on a 5-2 run to go up by three following a Valdosta State service error, 10-7. A kill from junior Ava Young brought the set within one, 10-9 before Union made it a two-point game at 11-9. The Blazers then pieced together an immaculate run, racking up six-straight kills from the senior trio of Jojo Smith, Christina Pettigrew and Mackenzie Murray to take a four-point lead in a heartbeat, 15-11. Down the stretch, the Blazers held the advantage as a 4-4 back-and-forth spurt had VSU up 19-15 heading into a Union timeout. Out of the break, senior Kaia Baker delivered an ace to kickstart a 4-0 run by Valdosta State to give the Blazers a eight-point cushion, 23-18. The Bulldogs knocked down two points before VSU closed out the set on a Union attack error, 25-17.
 
Second Set:
The second set had another hard-fought start with both teams giving it their all in the early goings. All knotted up at 4-4, the Bulldogs snuck out in front following a 5-1 run that gave Union a four-point 9-5 lead in a hurry. Following a VSU timeout, the Blazers went on a 7-1 rally that saw the Blazers deliver six kills, five of which came at the hands of Murray as Valdosta State took a 12-10 lead. The Blazers continued to hold their lead down the pipe as Union started to chip away at the VSU lead, 19-18. After Valdosta State called its second timeout of the set, Union closed the gap as the Blazers and Bulldogs dueled in the closing points. VSU held a narrow 24-22 following an ace from Pettigrew, prompting a UU timeout. Out of the break, the Bulldogs put together a 4-0 spurt that earned them the second set victory, 26-24.
 
Third Set:
A service ace from Baker kicked off an excellent start to set three for VSU as the Blazers built up an 8-1 lead in a flash. Following a UU timeout, Valdosta State continued to fend off Union with junior Katie Callenberger delivering a kill to put the Blazers up by six, 11-5. With the set coming down to the wire, the Blazers continued to hold a decent lead, only allowing the Bulldogs within three of their lead until a Blazer attack error made it a two-point game at 17-15. Following a VSU timeout, the Blazers built their lead back up to five following a kill from Smith at 22-17. As the set was turning in Valdosta State's favor, a Blazer service error brought the Bulldogs back within three at 23-20. The Bulldogs called one final timeout before going on a game-breaking 5-0 run to steal set three from the Blazers, 25-23.
 
Fourth Set:
The fourth set looked to be another close affair with Valdosta State squeaking out to a 5-4 lead following a Bulldog service error. The Blazers continued to pile it on, going on a game-shattering 9-2 run which included three kills from Callenberger to bust the game wide open in favor of VSU, 14-6. Following a UU timeout, the Bulldogs began to find their rhythm on offense, racking up six points of five kills that were swiftly answered by the Blazers as VSU held a 20-12 lead heading into the final points of the frame. A kill from Callenberger and two Union attack errors put the Blazers up by eight at 23-15 as the Bulldogs called their final timeout. Out of the final break, VSU capitalized off two Union attack errors to seal set four and force a set five, 25-15.
 
Fifth Set:
Coming off of a tough fourth set, Union stormed back in the fifth set by taking an early lead at 6-3 following a kill from Reese Owens. The Blazers rallied in a timeout before putting together a 5-2 run that saw Callenberger deliver the decisive kill to put VSU right back in the set, 8-8. Valdosta and Union tied two more times in the closing moments of the match at 9-9 and 10-10 before a service ace from junior Sabrina Oncins gave the Blazers the advantage at 11-10. Union hoped to spark some magic from a timeout as Valdosta State came out of the break with a winning mentality. The Blazers blitzed the Bulldogs on a 3-1 run as Pettigrew gave VSU match point with a forceful kill, 14-11. The Bulldogs hoped to make something happen on a last-ditch timeout before Pettigrew delivered the final dagger on a massive kill to give the Blazers the comeback victory, 15-11.
 
Inside the Numbers:

 
Up Next:
The Blazers will be right back in action this evening when they take on Union once again at 7 p.m. ET live from Jackson. For live stats and streaming links on that matchup visit the volleyball schedule page on vstateblazers.com.