VALDOSTA, Ga. - The University of West Alabama volleyball team was taken down by Valdosta State University in a Gulf South Conference match in straight sets, Saturday afternoon from The Complex.
The Blazers improved to 15-6 and 7-2 in GSC play, while the Tigers dropped to 4-17 and 1-9.
VSU got out to a strong start with a 6-3 lead, but UWA made it a 7-6 score after kills by
Peyton Quesnel and
Ally Craig. The Blazers took over with four of the next five points to extend the lead to 12-8.
UWA did cut the deficit down to 16-15 after a VSU bad set, and that provided a spark. Following a VSU kill, the Tigers strung together three straight points on kills by
Jaida Alvin and
Cloe Bonvillain.
Trailing 18-17, the Blazers earned the side-out after a Katie Callenberger kill and won eight of the final nine points to take down the Tigers 25-19 in the opening set.
The second set saw the home team get out to an 11-4 lead. The Tigers, who posted 13 kills in the second frame, used them in a huge way to make it a 16-12 deficit. Despite the comeback effort by UWA, VSU won the second set 25-19.
In the third set, after UWA won the first two points, VSU quickly made it a 6-2 score. However, the Tigers did earn the side-out after another bad set by the Blazers. The score quickly flipped to the visitors, 8-6, after two service aces by Alvin and a Craig kill.
The teams traded rallies back-and forth. Trailing 15-14, West Alabama had some help with a Valdosta State attack error and an Alvin kill to make it 16-15, but that would be the last lead of the match. The Blazers finished the set on a 10-4 run to defeat the Tigers.
Ally Craig and
Jaida Alvin led UWA with 10 kills each in the match, while
Quiara Dunson added 12 digs.
Mya Carter also had three total blocks after two solo and two assisted stops.
VSU was led by Jojo Smith's 13 kills, and Kaia Baker added 17 digs.
West Alabama returns home for a non-conference matchup with Oakwood University on Wednesday night. First serve is slated for 6 p.m. inside Pruitt Hall.
