VALDOSTA, Ga. – The Valdosta State volleyball team (10-15, 9-7 Gulf South Conference) prepares to host its final two home matches of the season this weekend. First, the Blazers host West Alabama (10-14, 5-11 GSC) on Friday at 6 p.m. The team will celebrate Senior Day on Saturday when it plays its final home match of the regular season against Mississippi College (9-16, 6-9 GSC) at 12 p.m.

The Blazers traveled to No. 16 West Florida, Montevallo, and UAH last week, losing three competitive matches. Despite the losses, junior Eimy Negron Domenech earned her third consecutive GSC Defensive Player of the Week recognition last week. Negron Domenech recorded a team-high 71 digs at a pace of 5.92 per set over last week's three matches.

Junior Asia Montagnani sent down a team-high 35 kills last week. Graduate Macy Brown recorded 27. Brown also added two service aces to her team-leading tally of 32. Seniors Sabrina Oncins and Katie Callenberger sent down 25 and 24 kills respectively. Sophomore Avery Mullins recorded 120 assists over the three matches at a pace of 10.00 per set. Mullins' 695 assists this season are the fourth most by any player in the GSC.

The West Alabama Tigers have dropped their last two contests but posted three straight GSC wins during the previous week. The Tiger attack is led by Cadence Goeden, whose 263 kills are the eighth most in the conference, and Jazlyn Snow, whose .305 clip is the sixth-most efficient mark in the league. Jana Petkovic has recorded 704 assists, the third most in the GSC, and has added 35 aces, the sixth-highest tally in the league.

Over the last 27 matches, the Valdosta State volleyball team has a 21-6 advantage in their series with West Alabama. The Blazers ride a seven-match winning streak in the series dating back to 2019 into tomorrow's battle at the Complex. VSU won the last match between the two side at UWA in October.

Mississippi College's Rhaia Davey is the fourth-most efficient attacker in the GSC this year, notching 208 kills at a .315 clip. Reese Regner's 498 assists are the sixth most in the league. Libero Samarin Kipple's 498 digs are the most by any player in the GSC on the season. Meg Paparella is third in the GSC with 38 service aces.

The Blazers hold a strong 15-2 advantage in their all-time series with Mississippi College. The Choctaws have earned both of their wins in the series since 2022, but VSU has claimed three of the last four contests overall. The Blazers previously secured a four-set victory at Mississippi College this season.

Looking Forward

The Valdosta State volleyball team closes out its regular season home slate with these two matches, but a return to the Complex for the GSC tournament could be on the table. The Blazers will close out the regular season with two more matches next weekend. First, they will take on Trevecca Nazarene (19-6, 13-3 GSC) at 7 p.m. ET Friday in Nashville. They will close out the regular season at Lee (13-12, 9-7 GSC) in Cleveland, Tenn. on Saturday at 5 p.m. ET.

Check the volleyball schedule page on vstateblazers.com for links to live stats and streaming. 

Stay up to date on all Blazer news by following @VState_Blazers on Instagram and X and by liking the "Valdosta State Blazers" Facebook page. The Blazer Athletics Mobile App is available on iTunes and Android featuring exclusive content, the latest news and updates, schedules, rosters, gameday notifications, and more.