VALDOSTA, Ga. – In a strong outing Friday evening at The Complex, the Valdosta State volleyball team posted a 3-0 win over visiting Montevallo in Gulf South Conference play. VSU won the opening set 29-27 and won 25-20 in the second and third sets.
Match Information: Montevallo at Valdosta State
Score: VSU 3, UM 0 (29-27, 25-20, 25-20)
Records: VSU (16-9, 10-5 GSC), Montevallo (9-16, 6-9 GSC)
Location: Valdosta, Ga. (The Complex)
First Set:
The Blazers broke a 7-7 tie with four-straight points for an 11-7 lead, forcing a timeout by the Falcons. Out of the stoppage, VSU swelled the lead to 13-8 on a kill from senior
Jojo Smith, but UM would cut the deficit to 14-13, forcing a timeout by the Blazers following three-straight kills and a service error. UM tied the set at 14, but a kill from senior
Christina Pettigrew, an ace and a Montevallo miscue quickly pushed VSU a 17-14 lead. VSU became the first team to 20 behind a kill from senior
Mackenzie Murray, a kill from Pettigrew and an error on the Falcons for a 20-17 score. The Blazers pushed the lead to 22-18 on Murray's fifth kill of the set to lead the team. Out of the second timeout by Montevallo, the Falcons scored two quick points to make the contest 22-20. Montevallo tied the set at 22 with a 4-0 run on a kill from Aliyah Thompson for the first tie since 14-14.
Pettigrew delivered a huge kill for set point, but Montevallo staved off the set point with a kill of its own before an error on the Blazers gave UM set point. VSU responded and tied the set at 25 before knotting up again at 26 as Pettigrew gave VSU its third set point with a kill, 27-26. VSU would use a miscue by the Falcons on a serve and an ace from senior
Audrey Bennett to take the first set, 29-27. VSU hit .231 for the set with 14 kills in 39 swings, while UM hit .342 with 18 kills in 38 swings. Both teams had five attack errors for the frame.
Second Set:
Montevallo jumped out to a 10-4 lead to begin the second set, forcing a timeout by VSU. UM began the frame with eight kills in 12 attempts, while VSU had three kills in ten attempts with one error. The Falcons kept VSU at arm's length and held a 14-8 lead capped off by a kill from Brooklyn Hudson. VSU scored four of the next six points pulling within 16-12 before a timeout by the Falcons. The rally continued out of the stoppage for the Blazers as they scored the next four points to tie the set at 16 capped on an ace from Glover. Pettigrew gave VSU its first lead of the set on an ace and followed by an error on the Falcons for a 19-17 Blazer lead. Since the 14-8 start by UM, VSU outscored the Falcons 11-3. Montevallo quickly tied the set at 19 out of a timeout, but the Blazers responded with two quick points and a 21-19 score. A big block from junior
Ava Young pushed the VSU lead to 22-19. Smith tallied her sixth kill of the match for a 23-20 score before VSU moved to set point courtesy of an error on the Falcons, 24-20. VSU won the second set 25-20 on a kill from junior
Katie Callenberger.
For the set, VSU had 11 kills in 34 swings with a .294 hitting percentage, while Montevallo had 17 kills and hit .300 in 40 swings, but four service errors and five attack errors by the Falcons proved costly. VSU had just one attack, block and service errors for the frame.
Third Set:
Smith had three kills early in the third set, giving her nine kills for the match and an 8-5 VSU lead. UM pulled within 12-11 on a kill from Katie Wilkerson and an ace before Hudson tied the set at 12. VSU broke a 14-14 score with a kill from Callenberger and then on the defensive end used a big rejection from Young for a 16-14 VSU advantage. Out of a UM timeout, redshirt freshman
Avery Mullins served up an ace for a 17-14 lead. Young and Mullins teamed up on a for an 18-15 score before using an error by UM for a 19-15 score. Young then registered her third kill of the match and a 20-15 score for a quick four-point spurt. UM pulled within 21-19 on a pair of errors and a timeout by the Blazers. Out of the timeout, VSU scored its 22
nd point of the frame and then responded with an emphatic block from Bennett for a 23-19 score and a timeout by Montevallo. A kill by Pettigrew and then a kill from Smith gave VSU the win, 25-20.
In the third, VSU had 16 kills and hit .367 in 30 attempts with five attack errors and registered four big blocks for the set. UM hit .214 with 10 kills in 28 attempts and had four attack errors.
Inside the Numbers:
