Box Score / Event Stats

North Alabama Breaks Lady Blazer Win Streak

UNA defeats VSU in three games

VALDOSTA, Ga ..- The Valdosta State Lady Blazer volleyball team celebrated Parent's Night on Saturday Night in the P.E. Complex, but lost their first match in six games against No. 19 North Alabama in three games.

VSU (17-14) has never beaten nationally ranked UNA (24-5), and the Lady Blazers set out to make school history but started off slow in game one, losing 30-15. The Lady Lions held VSU to a .000 hitting percentage while they hit .325 and had 17 kills compared to Valdosta State's eight. Senior Bentley Knox hit .750 on the game with three kills on four attempts.

The second game came down to the wire. The Lady Lions led most of the game until VSU tied it up at 25 after a solo block from Laura Lee Atkinson, but UNA pushed ahead 28-26 with a service ace. The Lady Blazers tied up the score at 28 with amazing defense from Nancy Marin and Grace George and tied it up again at 30 with kills from Marin and George. But North Alabama pushed for two straight points, winning the game 32-30. The Lady Blazers out-hit UNA on the game with a .113 hitting percentage and had two more blocks, but UNA's offense was too much with 17 kills.

North Alabama out-hit and out-blocked Valdosta State in game three with a .320 hitting percentage and tallied three team blocks. Atkinson hit .300 on the game with five kills, but VSU still fell to the Lady Lions 30-18.

On the match, Atkinson collected her 19th double-double of the season with 10 kills and 20 digs, hitting a team high .208 percent. Marin also collected her 7th double-double of the season, hitting .206 with 10 kills and 10 digs. George led the defense with a solo block and five block assists, giving the Lady Blazers nine total blocks on the match.

This loss stops a five-game win streak for the Lady Blazers, who are in third place in the Gulf South Conference, with only two more conference games remaining. VSU has not placed higher than fifth in the GSC since 2000.

Valdosta State takes on Fort Valley State Monday night at 6 p.m. in the P.E. Complex in a non-conference match-up.

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