VALDOSTA, Ga. – West Alabama volleyball fell to Valdosta State 3-1 in the first round of the Gulf South Conference Tournament Tuesday.

Valdosta State, the third seed in the tournament, improves to 23-6 overall and advances to the semifinal round to take on the second seed North Alabama in Pensacola, Fla. on Saturday. West Alabama is eliminated from the tournament and ends the season 11-20.

"This is not the outcome we wanted, but we couldn't be any prouder of the way we played," said UWA head coach Jordan Lay. "We dictated a lot of the pace of the game and really pressured Valdosta State. We left it all out on the floor tonight. It's a bittersweet ending to the season. It was an amazing performance by all, especially our seniors."

The Blazers edged out the Tigers 25-21 in set one, while UWA responded with a 25-19 win in the second set. VSU cemented victory winning sets three and four 25-20 and 25-18 respectively.

Anita Rodriguez-Sanchez led the Blazers with 16 kills, followed closely by Susanna Peonia and Lea Jaklen with 15 each. VSU combined for .224 attack percentage.

The Tiger defense stood tall at the net out-blocking Valdosta State 7-5. Briana Sandifer, Yanesha Johnson and Sarah Spaulding each assisted with three blocks.

Kimberly Hernandez led UWA from behind the service line with two aces, as the Tigers combined to lead 5-2 in service aces. Johnson finished with 14 kills, followed by Morgan Ray with 11 and Briana Sandifer with 10.

Callie Murphy finished the match with a double-double, posting 35 assists and 22 digs.  Abby Ames ended with 14 digs and Kimberly Hernandez with 12.

"The way we ended our season, only shows how bright the future is for this team," Lay said.