VALDOSTA, Ga. - The Valdosta State volleyball team (4-10) fell at home tonight to the UAH Chargers (11-4) in three sets (17-25, 16-25, 19-25).

UAH's Zoe Smith started the match with a kill but the Blazers rattled off the next four points. The VSU offense got started behind a kill from sophomore Eva LaRochelle and a pair of blocks from senior Katie Callenberger and freshman Madison Kilmer. UAH responded to the 4-1 deficit with 12 consecutive points to take a 13-4 lead.

LaRochelle added another kill and a Charger error brought VSU within 16-6. Junior Asia Montagnani entered and reignited the Blazer offense with a couple of kills when sophomore Avery Mullins got involved with one of her own. Montagnani continued to heat up, knocking down another kill to cut the deficit to 18-13. Montagnani notched three more kills down the stretch and senior Ava Young knocked one down as well, but UAH pulled away to win the first set 25-17. 

Young and Kilmer knocked down early kills in the second set when several errors both ways saw the teams tie at 4-4. Senior Katie Callenberger put down a pair of Blazer kills and LaRochelle added her third of the match, but the Charger offense trotted ahead 9-7. The errors began to pile up for the Blazers, and despite a few Charger errors working in their favor, UAH jumped ahead 20-10. Montagnani entered and knocked down two more kills, and Callenberger added another to her own tally. Freshman Ava Keuntjes served an ace in the closing moments of the set, but UAH closed it out 25-16.

Three kills from the Chargers including two from Caroline Moyer pushed UAH ahead 4-1 early. The Blazer offense seemed to find some rhythm in the final set. Kilmer and Young once again put down the first two Blazer kills, and after a pair more from senior Sabrina Oncins, VSU found themselves down 6-4. Junior Eimy Negron Domenech followed the scoring run with a service ace to make it 6-5, but a run of errors and Charger kills extended the lead to 12-8. Montagnani put down a huge kill which Mullins followed with an ace, and after a UAH error, the Blazers were within 12-11.

The Chargers would claim five of the next six points in a decisive run, the lone Blazer point coming on another kill from Young. Several errors occurred both ways and it was 17-13 Chargers. Oncins recorded back-to-back kills and two more from Montagnani kept things close, but UAH ultimately escaped with a 25-19 win in the set and the match sweep. 

The Blazers were led offensively by junior Asia Montagnani with 11 kills. Seniors Ava Young and Sabrina Oncins rounded out the podium with four kills each. Sophomore Avery Mullins' 18 assists led the match. Graduate Macy Brown and freshman Ava Keuntjes tied for a team-high tally with nine digs each. Senior Katie Callenberger's two blocks were the most by a Blazer. Junior Hailey Holder recorded an ace, as did Mullins and Keuntjes. 

Looking Forward

The Blazers will close out their home stretch tomorrow at 1 p.m. with Montevallo. The Falcons (4-10) fell in four sets to No. 17 West Florida in Pensacola today. Both sides will look to get back on track tomorrow afternoon at the Complex.

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