VALDOSTA, Ga. – The Valdosta State volleyball team opens Gulf South Conference play with a home match at The Complex against No. 19 West Florida on Tuesday, Sept. 23rd at 6 p.m.  The GSC opener with UWF marks the fourth nationally ranked opponent the Blazers have faced during the 2025 campaign. VSU will then travel to the Volunteer State this weekend to take on Christian Brothers (Friday, Sept. 26th at 7 p.m. ET) in Memphis, Tenn., and Union (Saturday, Sept. 27th at 2 p.m. ET) in Jackson, Tenn.

Valdosta State is coming off a weekend in Tampa, Fla., where it dropped a pair of matches to quality opponents in a 3-0 loss to No. 3 Tampa and a 3-1 setback against Florida Southern.

Blazer senior Katie Callenberger led the teams in both kills (13) and total blocks (3) over the weekend. She also posted a team-high rate of 1.86 kills per set. Freshman Madison Kilmer continued the solid start to her collegiate career, tying for second on the team in kills with senior Sabrina Oncins with 11 on the weekend. Kilmer also added seven digs, an assist, and a service ace during the road trip. Sophomore Avery Mullins posted 34 assists in Tampa to set her team-high tally at 158, the seventh most assists by a player in the GSC. Mullins also tied to lead the team in digs this weekend with freshman Ava Keuntjes (15 each). Oncins' 15 service aces this season are the fifth most in the GSC.
 
The Argonauts enter GSC play with a 7-3 record and a No. 19 national ranking. West Florida also faced No. 3 Tampa and Florida Southern last weekend, dropping a match to the Spartans and defeating the Mocs in four sets each. The Argos are led offensively this season by setter Gabi Moulton. Moulton's 354 assists are the most by any player in the GSC. She is also fifth on the Argos in kills, posting 48 to this point in the season. Her 97 digs, six aces, and 19 total blocks rank second, third, and fourth on the team respectively. Moulton won GSC Offensive Player of the Week on Sept. 16.  She is backed up defensively by the reigning GSC Defensive Player of the Week in Maddie Mire. Mire's 166 digs are the second most in the conference and she leads the Argos with nine service aces.
 
The Blazers are familiar with West Florida, having met the Argos 43 times dating back to September of 2001. The Argos hold a 37-6 record in matchup history. No. 19 West Florida boasts an active 14-game winning streak over Valdosta State.
 
The Blazers then return to the road at Christian Brothers and at Union this weekend.  The CBU Lady Bucs went 3-1 in their four matches last weekend and are 5-6 overall this season. They defeated a division one opponent in Alcorn State twice last weekend. Sophomore Ella Schumacher leads the Lady Bucs attack with 105 kills.  She was named to the All-Tournament Team at the Missouri S&T Invitational along with teammate Sophia Nowacki. Nowacki, a true freshman, has a team high 109 digs. Her 17 service aces are the second most in the GSC. Sarah Helms is top ten in the GSC with 20 total blocks this season. 

Valdosta State holds a 15-11 advantage over the Lady Bucs in their series since the earliest recorded matchup in September 2006. The Blazers are currently on a seven-match winning streak in the rivalry, with VSU defeating CBU twice in Memphis last season.
 
For the Bulldogs of Union (2-5), freshman Elizabeth Gilbert has been off to a hot start in her collegiate career, winning GSC Freshman of the Week honors Sept 16. The accolade came after her 44 kills (.272 clip), 15 digs, and six blocks at the Southwest Baptist Invitational. Gilbert finds herself ninth in the GSC in kills during her freshman campaign. Senior Marie Torosian has 101 digs so far in 2025, the most by a Bulldog and the eighth-highest tally in the GSC. Ashley Pruitt leads the team in assists (105) and service aces (8).
 
VSU holds a 15-6 record over the Bulldogs since September of 2012. The Blazers have taken three straight contests against Union. VSU's nine-game winning streak between 2013 and 2018 is the longest streak in the history of the rivalry. The Blazers beat the Bulldogs twice last year in Jackson, Tennessee.
 
The Blazers fought through a challenging field of opponents during non-conference play and will look to start strongly in GSC play this week. After taking on No. 19 West Florida at the Complex and returning from their road trip to Tennessee, VSU will be back in action at the Complex next Tuesday, Sept 30th at 6 p.m., where it will host Auburn-Montgomery.
 
Check back with vstateblazers.com for links to live stats and streaming of the matches on the volleyball schedule page. 
 
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