VALDOSTA, Ga. - The Valdosta State volleyball team (12-15, 11-7 Gulf South Conference) prepares for its final road trip of the regular season this weekend. The team closes out the regular season with two matches in Tennessee, first battling Trevecca Nazarene (20-7, 14-4 GSC) on Friday, Nov.14th at 7 p.m. ET in Nashville. The Blazers close out their regular season at Lee University (15-12, 11-7 GSC) on Saturday at 5 p.m. ET in a match crucial to the seeding of the GSC tournament bracket.

The Blazers brought home last week's GSC Offensive and Defensive Player of the Week awards during two home wins at the Complex over West Alabama and Mississippi College. Junior Eimy Negron Domenech became the first player in program history to win GSC Defensive Player of the Week four times in a row. Negron Domenech averaged an impressive 7.83 digs per set over the two sweeps. Graduate Macy Brown won her first GSC weekly award in her first year as a Blazer, leading the team with 29 kills at a .383 clip in six sets of action. 

Sophomore Avery Mullins also put together a strong weekend, notching a team-high 67 assists over the two matches at a rate of 11.17 per set. Mullins also led the team with four service aces and sent down nine kills at a .267 clip. Seniors Katie Callenberger, Sabrina Oncins, and Ava Young tied to lead the team with five blocks each over the two matches.

Trevecca Nazarene enters the weekend off a win and with victories in four of their last five matches. The sides met once earlier this season at the Complex when the Blazers ended Trevecca's 9-0 start to GSC play. Addison Cunnagin leads the Trojans and the entire GSC in kills on the season with 349. Katilyn Grant is second on the team and fourth in the league with 308. Mackenzie Martin is the third Trojan to place in the top ten in the GSC in kills, currently seventh with 292. The high-octane offense runs through setter Skias Hainline, who leads the conference with 1033 assists on the year. Lily Vanbebber (473 digs, fifth in the GSC), Reese Payne (0.94 blocks per set, seventh in the GSC), and Kayla Bullard (39 service aces, third in the GSC) round out a balanced TNU lineup.

The Trojans and Blazers have only met three times, all three since TNU joined the Gulf South Conference just last year. The Blazers are 3-0 to this point in the series, having been pushed to five sets in the last two contests after winning a sweep in the first ever match. This year's match at the Complex saw the Blazers win a five-set thriller, winning their three sets by a total of six points.

The gravity of Saturday's match with Lee depends on the outcomes of Friday's matches. The Flames host No. 22 West Florida on Friday while the Blazers travel to take on Trevecca Nazarene. The most sure route to clinching a first-round bye is by beating Lee. Even with a loss to Trevecca Friday, VSU secures a bye with a win over Lee. If Lee defeats UWF and the Blazers lose both matches this weekend, the tie would be broken by game record (head-to-head). VSU won three sets to one over Lee at the Complex earlier this Fall. By GSC rule, Lee would need to sweep the Blazers to secure the bye outright or win by at least the same margin (3-1) to force it to the next tiebreaker, which would be decided by game record (all of GSC play).

The Flames have won their last three contests entering their Friday match with No. 22 UWF. Esthefany Rabit has been the GSC's sixth-most efficient hitter this season, sending down 171 kills at a .306 clip. Rabit is a considerable two-way threat, her 119 total blocks are the second most in the conference. Sara Palumbo is second in the league with 44 aces. Lee's Izzy Denton is seventh in the GSC with 414 digs. 

The Blazers moved within a game of tying their all-time series with the Flames when they beat Lee at the Complex in October. A Blazer win would tie the now 11-12 series at 12 matches each and secure VSU a first-round bye in the GSC tournament.

Looking Forward

The 2025 Gulf South Conference volleyball tournament will begin on Nov. 19th when the five and six seed schools host first round opponents. Valdosta State hopes to wait to open their tournament run on Nov. 21st in Pensacola, but could host a match at the Complex depending on this weekend's events.

Check the volleyball schedule page on vstateblazers.com for links to live stats and streaming for this weekend and as they pertain to the GSC tournament.

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