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Blazers Scorch St. Thomas 101-68

2009-11-20

VALDOSTA, Ga. - Ryan Nelson scored a game-high 20 points to lead Valdosta State to a 101-68 victory over St. Thomas in front of 1,325 fans in non-conference men%u2019s basketball action at the P.E. Complex Friday evening. Nelson connected on seven of his nine field goal attempts in the game, including all four of his three-point attempts, in establishing a new career-high in points. He also dished out five assists, against no turnovers, and blocked three shots while recording a pair of steals in the game. St. Thomas (1-1) kept the game close for the first nine minutes before the Blazers (2-0) used a 13-2 run to open a double digit lead. Ricardo Lewis connected on a three to open the run before Tyrone Curnell scored on four straight free throws. Marvin Dibble added a three-point play and, after a Tracy Razz bucket for the Bobcats, Tristan Crawford scored on a three-pointer to put the Blazers up 31-17 with 8:19 to go in the first half. STU closed to within 38-31 with 3:02 to go in the half and got a Razz three just before the buzzer to cut its deficit to 45-36 at the half. The Blazers sealed the victory during the first four minutes of the second half as they opened the final 20 minutes of play on a 21-4 run. VSU connected on all eight of its shots during the run, including three trifectas from Nelson, to push its advantage to 66-40. St. Thomas closed to within 22, at 79-57 with 8:14 to play, but got no closer as the Blazer shot 69.0 from the floor, connecting on 20-of-29 field goals, during the second half. Nelson pushed the lead to 30 points with his fourth three of the half with 5:41 to play before leaving to a standing ovation three minutes later. Curnell tallied his 11th career double-double with 16 points and 11 rebounds. He hit all five of his field goals in the game and five-of-six free throws. Christian Hunter added 15 points and Dibble 11 while Billy McShepard finished with 10 points and seven rebounds. Valdosta State shot 60.0 percent from the floor in the game as it hit 33-of-55 field goal attempts. After connecting on 17 threes in its season opening win over Carver Bible Monday evening, VSU remained hot from beyond the arc as it was 14-of-22 from outside on the evening, including a 10-of-11 showing from three-point in the second half of play. The Blazers owned a 36-31 advantage in rebounding in the game and tallied five blocks and 13 steals while dishing out 17 assists on the evening. Antonio Jones and Razz scored 17 each to lead St. Thomas while Patrick Louissant finished with 16. The Bobcats shot 36.1 percent from the field in the contest and were hampered by 23 turnovers. The Blazers return to action Saturday, November 21 when they host Florida Memorial at 8:00 p.m. in the P.E. Complex.

St. Thomas, Florida Memorial Game Notes

2009-11-19

Valdosta State plays a pair of games on back-to-back nights as the Blazers host St. Thomas at 8:00 p.m. on Friday night before playing Florida Memorial at 8:00 p.m. on Saturday. VSU enters the game at 1-0 on the season after defeating Carver Bible 122-79 Monday night. St. Thomas is also 1-0 with a 72-70 victory over Lynn while Florida Memorial, which will play Georgai Southwestern on Friday in the P.E. Complex, is 0-3 entering the weekend. Valdosta State scored 122 points in its season opener against Carver Bible, the 10th most points scored in VSU NCAA Division II history. Seven Blazers scored in double figures in that game, led by Christian Hunter with 20. Ricardo Lewis added 19, Billy McShepard 16, Tristan Crawford 15, Ryan Nelson and Marvin Dibble 13 and Tyrone Curnell 11. All 12 players on the roster played and scored in the contest. The Blazers hit 17 threes in the contest against the Cougars, just one shy of the school record of 18 set against Nova Southeastern during the 2006-07 season. Lewis led the way by hitting six-of-eight trifectas. The Blazers also dished out a whopping 31 assists, on 44 baskets, against the Cougars. VSU turned the ball over just 13 times in the game and tallied 12 steals while blocking seven shots, including three by Nelson. Click for Complete Game Notes

Blazers Blow Out Carver 122-79

2009-11-16

VALDOSTA, Ga. - Valdosta State hit 17 threes as the Blazers defeated Carver Bible 122-79 in non-conference action in front of 1,791 fans at the P.E. Complex Monday evening. Ricardo Lewis led the Blazers (1-0) with six trifectas, on eight attempts, while Christian Hunter finished with five. Ryan Nelson added three and Tristan Crawford two while James Jackson tallied the final trifecta. Carver (0-5) kept the game close through the first 11 minutes as it trailed just 33-26 after a Joshua Caston jumper, but Valdosta State with a 13-0 run, spurred by five points from Crawford, to build a double digit lead it would not relinquish. VSU continued to build its lead the remainder of the first half, during which it connected on 11 three-pointers, and led by as much as 56-30 with 4:15 to go in the frame before settling for a 63-40 halftime lead. The Blazers shot 59.5 percent from the floor during the frame as they connected on 22-of-37 field goal attempts, including 11-of-19 three-pointers. The Cougars played even with Valdosta State for the first three minutes of the second half before a 25-9 Blazer run put the game out of reach for good. The run culminated with a Marvin Dibble lay-up with 9:34 to go in the contest that gave VSU a 94-57 advantage. Mike Holloway gave the Blazers their largest lead with a lay-up with 53 seconds remaining that pushed the advantage to 122-77 before a pair of Marcus Fulks free throws closed out the scoring. Valdosta State matched its first half numbers as it hit 22-of-37 field goal attempts in the second 20 minutes of play. Seven Blazers scored in double figures in the game, led by Hunter with 20. Lewis tallied 19 and Billy McShepard, who registered five dunks in the game, 16 while Crawford finished with 15. Nelson and Dibble scored 13 each and Tyrone Curnell totaled 11 as all 12 Valdosta State players scored in the game. VSU shot 59.5 percent from the floor in the game as it connected on 44-of-74 field goal attempts, including a 51.5 percent clip from beyond the three-point line where it connected on 17-of-33 shots. The Blazers also owned a 46-29 advantage in rebounding, including a game-high eight from McShepard, and dished out 31 assists while turning the ball over just 13 times. Nelson tallied three of the Blazers seven blocks while matching McShepard with a team-best three steals, as the team totaled 12 in the game. Caston led Carver with 19 points while Nicholas Hoods had 18 and Cory Evans 17. The Cougars shot 42.2 percent from the field and recorded 11 steals in the game. The Blazers return to action Friday, November 20 when they host St. Thomas at 8:00 p.m. in the P.E. Complex.

Carver Game Notes

2009-11-16

Valdosta State opens one of its most anticipated seasons ever as the Blazers host Carver on Monday, November 16 at 8:00 p.m. in the P.E. Complex. The Blazers enter the first game of the season ranked in all four national polls. VSU is ranked fourth by The Sporting News and the Basketball Times, seventh by the NABC Coaches poll and 11th by the Division II Bulletin. The 2009-10 team will be senior laiden as seven out of the 12 players are in their final year of eligibility. The seniors include Ricardo Lewis, Tyrone Curnell, Tristan Crawford, Ryan Nelson, Marvin Dibble, Marquis Robinson and Charles Belton. Valdosta State returns four starters and eight letterwinners off of a squad that went 24-7 and advanced to the NCAA South Regional last season. Three junior college transfers and a freshman join the squad as well this year. The returning players accounted for 81.3 percent of the 2008-09 scoring, 82.7 of its rebounding, 83.4 of its assists, 83.2 of its blocked shots and 84.0 of its steals. Curnell, who earned All-America honors from the NABC last season, earned preseason All-America honors from the Division II Bulletin and the Basketball Times this year. He also earned preseason All-GSC honors, as did Lewis. Click for Complete Game Notes

Thompson Leads VSU Past Tigers

2009-11-16

VALDOSTA, Ga. - Michelle Thompson's 21 points led Valdosta State past Edward Waters, 64-55, Monday night to move to 1-1 on the season. After scoring just five points in the first half, Thompson dropped 16 in the second. With 6:30 left in a three-point game, Thompson was the catalyst to drive VSU past Edward Waters. She stole the ball and hit a three-pointer in the corner off an assist from Sierra Nixon, who finished with nine rebounds, six points, three assists, four steals and VSU's only block of the game. Then Thompson followed it up with a three-point play the hard way on the ensuing possession. Leschelle Matthews passed the ball ahead to Thompson for a fast break lay-up. Jessica Georges of Edward Waters fouled Thompson on the play, and she converted the free throw to give the Lady Blazers a seven-point lead, 51-44. Valdosta State would never lead by less the rest of the night. Tamika Booker brought down eight rebounds and scored 14 points in the game. Courtney Mitchell brought down six rebounds while two others brought down five to help Valdosta State out rebound the Tigers by 16, 50-34. With the edge in rebounding, VSU dominated in second chance points, 16 to four. Matthews turned out a balanced performance with seven points, five rebounds, four assists and two steals. Valdosta State's trademark defense forced 30 turnovers and stole the ball 15 times. The Lady Blazers were able to score 25 points off turnovers and eight on the break. Ebony Presha led the Tigers in scoring with 15 points, and Tieura Quick added 11. Ashley Hamn finished with nine points and nine rebounds to lead the team. She also notched two blocks while Presha passed for five assists. Valdosta State will return to action at the P.E. Complex Saturday at 6 p.m. against Eckerd.

Lady Blazers Struggle Against Lander

2009-11-15

VALDOSTA, Ga. - Despite 12 second half points from Sczeny Hartry, Valdosta State fell in the team's season opener against Lander. The Bearcats, who were tabbed third overall in the Peach Belt Preseason Coaches' Poll, used balanced scoring with double-digit points from four players to beat the Lady Blazers, 71-54. In the first half, Valdosta State started strong, leading by as much as eight points. The team ended the half down four points to Lander, 28-24. But early in the second half, Lander went on a 10-2 run in just over three minutes starting at the 16:46 mark to stretch the lead to 14 points. Eventually, Lander led by as much as 21. Valdosta State saw three players score double digits, led by senior point guard Leschelle Matthews. She scored 13 points, nine in the first half. After going scoreless in the first half, Hartry erupted for 12 points late in the second half. Michelle Thompson put in 11. Sierra Nixon led the team in rebounds with seven while Brittany Daniels brought down six. For Lander, Mukia Myrick led all scorers with 15 points. She passed out six assists. Shannon McKever, Ciara Lyons and Jasmine Judge contributed 12 points each. McKever brought down 10 rebounds, and Judge notched four steals. Lander shot 45 percent overall and 31.8 percent on seven for 22 from the three-point line. Valdosta State finished 31.4 percent from the field and 18.2 percent on 2 for 11 from long range. Matthews shot 62.5 percent from the field and Hartry was 50 percent. Valdosta State turned the ball over two less times then Lander, 21-23, but the Bearcats scored more points off turnovers, 27-18. Lander's advantage in rebounds, 42-32, helped the team score more points in the paint, 38-22, and second chance points, 21-10. The Lady Blazers will look to even up their record Monday against Edward Waters.

VSU Puts Up Fight at GSC Tourney

2009-11-13

SEARCY, Ark. - In Valdosta State's best match of the season, the Lady Blazers fell to Harding in the first round of the Gulf South Conference by scores of 19-25, 25-17, 20-25, 25-23, 17-19. After three sets, Valdosta State led 2-1, but the fourth set came down to the final points. In front of Harding's home crowd, the Bison won it, 25-23, to force the fifth set. Neither team led by more than two points throughout the final set. Valdosta State earned the first two-point lead at 12-10, but Harding pulled within one. Irene Hannan hit her 18th and final kill to regain the two-point lead for VSU, 13-11. Harding scored two consecutive points to take the lead at 14-13, but a Bison error and a service ace from Macy Markham pulled the Lady Blazers ahead again, 15-14. Down 17-16, Valdosta State's Tania Tauiliili and Katie Onushko blocked Manuela Nesheva's attack for the 17th and final VSU point in the set. Harding's Samantha Anderson made a kill followed by one from Nesheva to clinch the fifth set, 19-17, and the first round win for Harding. Ruthie King led the Lady Blazers in kills with 19. Hannan had 18 with a .311 attacking percentage. Also hitting in the .300s was Arielle Parnell, who finished with 13 kills of her own. Onushko and Tauiliili contributed nine and seven kills respectively. Emelia Saulter passed out 57 assists for Valdosta State and notched 11 digs on the night. Defensively, King and Hannan combined to lead the team in digs with 17 each while Onushko tallied 15. Freshmen Onushko and Tauiliili proved to be pests for Harding all night on the block. Tauiliili was in on seven blocks while Onushko was there for six. Nesheva led the Bison in kills with 23 while Reagan Smith had 15 and Anderson scored 11. Amber Schinzing passed out 48 assists, and Emily Tate tallied 20 digs. Valdosta State finishes the season 15-13 overall and 4-6 in the Gulf South Conference.

An Interview with Head Coach Sia Poyer

Five Blazers Named All-GSC

2009-11-12

VALDOSTA, Ga. - Five Valdosta State Blazers were named to the All-Gulf South Conference squad, in a vote of the league coaches, according to an announcement made by the GSC Office on Thursday. Three of the Blazers earned first-team All-GSC honors, including wide receiver Cedric Jones who became just one of 46 players to earn first team All-GSC honors three times in their career. Jones, who also earned first-team honors in 2006 and 2007, tallied 57 catches for 544 yards and two touchdowns during the 2009 season and finished the year ranked second in the GSC with 7.1 receptions per game. He ended his career with 282 receptions, the most in GSC history, and 3,177 yards, third-best in league history. He was joined on the first-team squad by linebacker Larry Dean and cornerback Carlos Anderson. Dean, who was a second-team selectee in 2008, led the Blazers in tackles for the second straight year as he finished the season with 80. He tallied a team-high 7.5 tackles for loss and broke up four passes, third-most on the team. The junior ended the year with 246 career tackles, 10th most in school history and just 94 behind the VSU school record held by Jessie Tuggle. Dean was one of only nine non-seniors, out of 37 players named, to earn first-team All-GSC honors on the season. Anderson was second on the team with 57 tackles on the year, six of which were for loss. He intercepted three passes on the year and broke up a team-high five passes. He also forced a Gulf South Conference high five fumbles on the season while recovering two additional fumbles. For the second straight season and the third time in four years, Valdosta State also garnered the Offensive Freshman of the Year as wide receiver Gerald Ford picked up the honor in 2009. Ford, who was also named second-team All-GSC, finished the year second on the VSU squad with 41 receptions as well as in receiving yardage with 526 on the season. He caught a team-high four passes and joined Randy Fisher (1986), Ramon Allen (1988), Jones (2006) and Chris Hart (2008) as the only Blazers to win league Rookie of the Year honors. Sophomore punter Jack Fulford rounded out the Blazers to earn All-GSC honors as he garnered second-team honors for the second straight season. Fulford was third in the Gulf South Conference with a 40.0 yards per punt average as he totaled 2,002 yards on 50 punts on the year. His high, booming kicks were responsible for Valdosta State averaging a GSC-best 34.4 net yards on punts, 23 of which placed inside the opponent%u2019s 20 yard line, including nine inside the 10.

Three Named to All-Gulf South Team

2009-11-11

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - Irene Hannan and Ruthie King's dominating performances this season have earned them the honor of being named to the All-Gulf South Conference first team. Tania Tauiliili was one of just three freshmen to be named to the All-GSC team in either division. She made the second team. The trio has helped lead Valdosta State to the team's first GSC Tournament appearance in two seasons. They have combined for 756 kills so far on the season. Hannan has been hitting at a rate of 3.34 kills per game. She was named the GSC Defensive Player of the Week twice this season. Not just an offensive player, Hannan has notched 328 digs and 33 blocks for first and third on the team respectively. Hannan is tied for the second most solo blocks on the squad. King has been just as steady as Hannan for the Lady Blazers. She has put down 287 kills this season and leads the team in service aces with 33. King is the only Lady Blazer to play in every set played this season. With that opportunity she has dug up the ball 300 times and blocked it 24 times. Tauiliili has put together an outstanding start to her collegiate career. She leads the team in attacking percentage at .252 on the season. While she has been effective offensively with 142 kills for 1.45 per set, Tauiliili has really shown her talents on the block. She has 14 more blocks than any other Lady Blazer with 70, 11 of which have been solo. The All-GSC Teamers will try to lead the Lady Blazers to their first Gulf South Conference Championship this weekend in Searcy, Ark. at the GSC Tournament. Play starts for the Lady Blazers at 8:30 p.m. Friday evening. If Valdosta State wins, the team will face the winner of Arkansas Tech and West Alabama at 3:30 p.m. Saturday.

VSU Closing in on Ticket Sales Record

2009-11-11

VALDOSTA, Ga. - With just four days to go before the start of the Valdosta State basketball season, the VSU Ticket Office announced Wednesday that it is closing in on a new season ticket sales record. To date, Valdosta State has sold 234 season tickets, just 19 away from the record of 253 set during the 2003-04 season. The 234 season tickets currently ranks as the sixth-most in the 56 year history of the program. "We are very excited to be closing in this sales record," said Lindsey Lloyd, Director of Ticketing and Game Operations at Valdosta State. "Coupled with setting the new sales record for football this season, we are seeing a lot of excitement among our fans in regards to our athletic teams." The Lady Blazers open the season this Sunday, November 15 at 2:00 p.m. against Lander in the P.E. Complex. The women's team returns to action Monday, November 16 at 6:00 p.m. against Edward Waters while the men's squad opens its season against Carver at 8:00 p.m.

Blazers Trounce Edward Waters 70-6

2009-11-07

VALDOSTA, Ga. - Valdosta State scored a school-record tying 70 points as the Blazers defeated Edward Waters 70-6 in non-conference football action at Bazemore-Hyder Stadium Saturday afternoon. The Tigers (0-10) opened the scoring in the first quarter after a 54-yard fumble return gave them the ball on the VSU 30. Javari Liggins gained 12 yards on first down before two more runs moved the ball to the VSU 12. A pass from Brandon Turman to Jonathan Johnson moved the ball to the Blazer four and three plays later Turman hooked up with Covin to post EWC to a 6-0 lead. Valdosta State (6-4) quickly struck back as it needed just four plays to find the end zone. After a fumble on first down, Kellen Lewis rushed for seven yards before hooking up with Gerald Ford for a 13-yard completion. On the next play, Lewis hit Isaiah Jupiter on a deep pass. The sophomore receiver broke a tackle and scored to put VSU up 7-6. After a punt, VSU took the lead when Michael Brown scored from a yard out while an Eric Sledge one-yard touchdown run with 12:28 to go in the second quarter made it 21-6. Lewis capped off a three-play drive on Valdosta State's next possession with a six-yard scoring run while Brown pushed the Valdosta State lead to 35-6 with a 15-yard touchdown run on the Blazers' sixth drive of the game, a play that came after a 44-yard run by Lewis. Lewis hooked up with R.J. Bastone from 11 yards out with 54 seconds to go before the intermission to push the Blazer lead to 42-6. David Arnold scored on a 36-yard on Valdosta State's first possession of the second half while Sledge, who had never scored prior to the game, added his second rushing touchdown, again on a one-yard run, with 2:20 to go in the third quarter. A Russ Callaway-to-Jackson Dean 16-yard completion pushed the VSU lead to 63-6 with 11:21 remaining in the game while Sledge scored on his third one-yard touchdown run three minutes later to finish out the scoring. Valdosta State tallied 536 yards of total offense in the game, including 265 on the ground and 271 through the air, while holding Edward Waters to just 163 total yards. The Blazer defense forced four turnovers in the game as Demetrius Bozeman, Demarcus Flanagan and Carlos Anderson all recorded interceptions while Justin Curry registered a fumble recovery. Lewis completed 18-of-22 passes for 217 yards and two touchdowns while also carrying the ball nine times for 100 yards and a score. Sledge added 19 yards on six carries to go with his three touchdowns while Dean finished with a team %u2013high five catches for 67 yards. Flanagan finished with a team-best 12 tackles in the contest, including sack and 1.5 tackles for loss.

Cross Country finish Top 10 in NCAA Regional Championships

2009-11-07

DOVER, Fla. - Both Valdosta State's men and women's cross country squads placed in the top 10 in the NCAA Southeast Regional Cross Country Championships on Saturday. For the women's squad, Angelina Horne led the Lady Blazers with a time of 23:55 placing 21st. Jordanne Helton placed 28th with a recorded time of 24:12 while Ashley Luther finished 38th with a time of 25:07. Neka Gibbs had a time of 26:19 and placed 60th as Tiffany Zuganelis was not too far behind placing 71st with a time of 26:56. Ashley Hiott rounded out the Lady Blazers on Saturday with a time of 29:03 finishing in 87th place. As a squad, the Lady Blazers placed 10th out of 14 with 219 total points. The average time for the squad was 25:18. Tampa University claimed 1st place with 32 total points and Harding University finished in a close 2nd with 47 total points. Flordia Tech's Sara Trane claimed 1st place with a recorded time of 21:37. The men's squad finished 9th out of 15 with 258 total points. The Blazers average time was 35:13. Harding University placed 1st with 48 total points while Florida Southern College placed 2nd with 89 total points. Daniel Kirwa from Harding University finished 1st with a recorded time of 31:10. For the Blazers, Chris Rice led the Blazers by finishing 35th with a recorded time of 34:29. Alan McGough recorded a time of 34:50 finishing in 44th place. DJ Smith had a good race with a time of 35:11 placing 54th. Brandon Joyner placed 62nd with a time of 35:45 while Corey Stejback finished only a second behind him in 63rd. Austin McDonald rounded out the Blazers showing on Saturday with a time of 39:05 finishing 91st. Both the men and women's ended their 2009 season strong and will be ready to get back into action in 2010.

Cross Country finish Top 10 in NCAA Regional Championships

2009-11-07

West Alabama Beats Valdosta State in Four

2009-11-07

VALDOSTA, Ga. - Valdosta State fell to West Alabama Saturday in a four-set match. After West Alabama won the first, 25-21, Valdosta State bounced back to win the second by the same score. Then VSU fell, 25-16, 25-20 in the remaining two sets. West Alabama, the top team in the East Division of the Gulf South Conference, moved to 8-2 in the GSC and 28-7 overall. Meanwhile, VSU is 15-12 and 4-6. Ruthie King and Arielle Parnell hit 10 kills each to lead the Lady Blazers. Parnell again led the team in attacking percentage. Chelsea Luttfring, Katie Onushko and Irene Hannan each notched 10 digs in the contest while Emelia Saulter passed out 36 assists. The Lady Blazers outblocked West Alabama by one, 11-10. Parnell was in on seven of VSU%u2019s blocks while Saulter had a hand in four. Jessica Crook led the Tigers with 20 kills while Jordan Kent and Thais Hollerbach each had 11. Alexis McHale passed out 45 assists and Chanelle Esteban had 20 digs. Hollerbach also pitched in 12 digs. The Lady Blazers will see their next action against Harding in the first round of the GSC Tournament. The teams will play in Searcy, Ark. at 8:30 p.m. Friday.

Lady Blazers Swept by Argonauts

2009-11-06

VALDOSTA, Ga. - Valdosta State's four-match winning streak came to an end Friday night when West Florida beat the Lady Blazers, 25-14, 25-17, 25-23. With the win West Florida moves to 18-12 on the season and 7-2 in the Gulf South Conference. Valdosta State is 15-11 with a 4-5 record in the GSC. Arielle Parnell led the Lady Blazers in kills with eight on a .429 attacking percentage while Katie Onushko contributed seven kills. Irene Hannan had six in the effort. Hannan also led VSU in digs with 11 while Macy Markham had eight. Emelia Saulter passed out 24 assists. For West Florida, Lindsay Homme led the way with 15 kills. Patricia Gandolfo had 13 in the match and there were two others with nine. Tricia Tirabassi passed out 39 assists. Both Tirabassi and Chelsea Wilhoite had 10 digs in the match while Gandolfo had five blocks. There is a chance these two teams will meet in the Gulf South Conference tournament as both have clinched a berth. Until then, though, Valdosta State has one more match. The Lady Blazers will face West Alabama at 4 p.m. Saturday at the P.E. Complex.

Edward Waters Game Notes

2009-11-05

Today's Game: Valdosta State concludes its 2009 season as the Blazers host Edward Waters in Bazemore-Hyder Stadium. The Blazers enter the game with a 5-4 record, including a 5-3 mark in Gulf South Conference play after a 31-20 win at West Georgia last week, while the Tigers are 0-9, including a 45-24 loss to Division I Savannah State in their last outing. The game is scheduled for a 2:00 p.m. kickoff. VSU averages 405.3 yards of total offense on the season while surrendering 363.1 yards per game. Quarterback Kellen Lewis leads the offense as he has completed 214-of-350 passes for 2,297 yards and 12 touchdowns while also rushing for 385 yards and eight scores. Wide receiver Cedric Jones has caught 57 passes for 544 yards and two scores and linebacker Larry Dean leads the defense with 76 total tackles, including 7.5 for loss. Edward Waters is averaging 268.1 yards per game while surrendering 389.3 per outing. Quarterback Brandon Turman leads the Tiger attack with 1,015 passing yards and six touchdowns. Rudy Wilson leads the EWC defense with 62 tackles, including six tackles for loss, and a fumble recovery. The 2009 season marks the 28th year of Valdosta State football while the Edward Waters game will be the 320th game in school history. The Blazers have won 215 contests, lost 100 and tied four times, a winning percentage of .680. Balance in the Receiving Corps: Valdosta State has been very balanced in receptions this season as eight players have reached double digits in catches on the year. Cedric Jones leads the way with 57 catches, followed by Gerald Ford with 39. R.J. Bastone has 25 receptions, Ronnye Nelson 24 and Kody Case while Cedric Evans has 22, Jackson Dean 18 and Owen Dixon 10. Six more players have caught at least one pass on the year. Jones leads the way with 544 yards while Ford has 507. Bastone has tallied 413 yards on the season. Seven Blazers have caught a touchdown pass, led by Ford who has four touchdowns on the season. Jones, Bastone, Case and Evans have all caught two on the year. In 2008, only six receivers recorded double digit receptions, led by Jones with 57, while 10 did so during the 2007 season, in which VSU played 14 games. Blazer Seniors to be Honored: Valdosta State will honor 20 seniors prior to Saturday's regular season finale. The group includes defensive end Chauncey DeBose, defensive tackle Tommie Duhart, cornerback Rashad Etheridge, quarterback Kellen Lewis, safety Josh Wylie, wide receiver Johnny Belt, cornerback Devin Cannon, linebacker Marcel Horne, fullback Donnie Powell, linebacker Seasn Weathers, deep snapper Ryan Bough, linebacker Demarcus Flanagan, fullback Eric Sledge, offensive lineman Garrett Grady, cornerback Carlos Anderson, wide receiver R.J. Bastone, defensive end Melvin Black, wide receiver Cedric Jones and center Edward Gregory. Click for Complete Game Notes

Lady Blazers Show Good Signs Against FSU

2009-11-01

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - Valdosta State was able to keep the exhibition game close against Florida State to start, but in the end the Seminoles were able to overpower the Lady Blazers, 70-36. That said, Valdosta State showed signs of success to come. Behind a strong nucleus, the Lady Blazers played well in the second half. The team scored 22 second half points to Florida State's 31. New senior transfer, Sierra Nixon led the team in scoring with 12 points and was second among all scorers. She was four of six in the first half and finished five of 11. She also registered a block, two steals and an assist. Leschelle Matthews continues to pace the Lady Blazers when it comes to assists. She passed out four and notched three steals in just over 30 minutes of play. Tamika Booker did more of what she is good at doing. Last season's leading rebounder led the team in rebounds with five on the night, many of them coming against players that stand 6-foot-4. Two others, Brittany Daniels and Sczeny Hartry, brought down four boards. Hartry struggled in foul trouble for most of the first half, but provided a spark for the Lady Blazers in the second half. The bench busted out in the second half as well. After no points in the first half, VSU's bench scored 13 points in the second frame. For Florida State, Alexa Deluzio led the team in scoring with 15 points. Two others scored 11. Leonor Rodriguez brought down nine rebounds and scored eight points in the game. She also passed out three assists, made one block and two steals. Angel Gray also gave three assists. Valdosta State will start the regular season against Lander at 2 p.m. November 15 in the P.E. Complex.

Blazers, Lady Blazers to Host Meet the Blazers

2009-10-30

VALDOSTA, Ga. - Valdosta State boasts two of the best basketball teams in the entire south region, and November 8 will be your chance to come out to Meet the Blazers. After team introductions, there will be a basketball clinic where the kids can learn from their favorite players themselves. After the fun and prizes, there will be snacks and opportunities to get Blazer and Lady Blazer signatures on posters and team pictures. Meet the Blazers will start at 2 p.m. and last until approximately 4 p.m. To get through registration more quickly, children can download the waiver form ahead of time and have it in hand at the event. Don't miss out on your last opportunity to see the Blazers and Lady Blazer basketball teams up close before the season begins!

Blazers, Lady Blazers to Host Meet the Blazers

2009-10-30

Lady Blazers Go Wild on Wildcats

2009-10-30

VALDOSTA, Ga. - Valdosta State made short work of Fort Valley State Friday night. On a night when VSU Volleyball celebrated Halloween and welcomed all kinds of costumes, the Lady Blazers looked frightening with the 25-9, 25-9, 25-14 win to move to 15-10 on the season. After giving up the first point of the match, the Lady Blazers stormed back to score 12 unanswered points behind 11 serves from Ruthie King. After that, the rout was on. Irene Hannan hit .526 for 12 kills while King made eight. Emelia Saulter passed out 27 assists and Hannan led the team in digs with 11. The Lady Blazers hit better than .475 in both the first and second games. Franchesca Long led the Wildcats with six kills and Andrea Stephenson led the team in digs with seven. Tellana Hill passed out six assists. The Lady Blazers have played their way into a chance to clinch a Gulf South Conference Tournament berth this weekend. If West Georgia loses to North Alabama Saturday, Valdosta State will clinch a spot in the postseason. Valdosta State will also have the chance to secure a spot in the tournament with matches against West Florida and West Alabama next week.

Blazers Top West Georgia 31-20

2009-10-29

CARROLLTON, Ga. - Valdosta State scored 21 fourth quarter points to defeat West Georgia 31-20 in Gulf South Conference action at University Stadium Thursday evening. West Georgia (1-8, 1-6) opened the scoring on its first drive of the game as they marched 54 yards for a 42 yard field goal by Adi Brkic. Valdosta State (5-4, 5-3) took the lead on its next drive as the Blazers capped off a 14-play, 67 yard drive with a one-yard David Arnold touchdown run. Kellen Lewis completed seven-of-eight passes for 76 yards on the drive while Ronnye Nelson picked up seven yards on three carries. After a Nelson run moved the ball to the UWG three, Arnold picked up two yards on a run before punching the ball in on his next carry for his first career touchdown, giving VSU a 7-3 lead with 14:19 to go in the second quarter. V.J. Hunt gave the Wolves the lead back 3:06 before the half as he scored on a 30-yard reverse to cap off a nine-play, 80-yard drive. Brendan Behenna completed passes to Yusuf Holloway and Hunt to open the drive before Joey Harris gained 11 yards on a pair of runs. Two plays later Malcolm Johnson moved the ball into Valdosta State territory with a 25-yard reception before Holloway gained a yard on a run. On the next play, Holloway took the hand-off from Behanna and broke to the right before handing off to Hunt. The sophomore receiver got a block and raced untouched to the end zone to give West Georgia a 10-7 advantage. VSU tied the game at the intermission horn as Daniel Andersen kicked a 28-yard field goal. Chris Wellborn set up the field goal when he returned a punt 20 yards to the UWG 28. A penalty on the play gave the Blazers the ball on the UWG 23 with 41 seconds remaining and no time outs. Cedric Jones caught a nine-yard pass on the first play of the drive while Lewis picked up three yards on a run two plays later to move the ball to the Wolf 11. The Blazers attempted three passes into the end zone before running the kicking unit onto the field with three seconds remaining on the clock. Andersen's kick was right down the middle to even the game at the intermission. After a scoreless third quarter, Gerald Ford put Valdosta State up 17-10 as he scored on a 58 yard pass. After a West Georgia punt and a substitution infraction by the Wolves, the Blazers took over on their own 32. A screen pass to Nelson lost three yards before Cedric Evans picked up the first down with an eight yard catch. Lewis rushed for no gain and hit Ford for five yards to bring up third down. A play later, Ford caught the ball over middle and broke a tackle before racing the final 42 yards for his fourth score in the last three weeks. On Valdosta State's next possession, Cameo Holloway scored on a 22-yard touchdown run to put the Blazers up by 14. Valdosta State kept the ball on the ground for the entire drive, which began with a 22-yard run by Lewis. After an offsides call against the Wolves, Arnold picked up 20 yards on a pair of runs before Lewis gained 13 more on the ground. Mike Brown gained four more on a carry to the move the ball to the West Georgia 22, setting up Holloway's run off left tackle that posted the Blazers to a 24-10 advantage. West Georgia marched down and scored on a 29-yard Johnson touchdown reception with 1:19 to go, but Lewis scored on a 40-yard touchdown run 19 seconds later to again push the VSU lead to 14. A 34-yard Brkic field goal at the final horn closed out the scoring. Ford recorded all six of his receptions in the second half while registering his first career 100-yard game, finishing with 123 in the contest. Lewis completed 20-of-32 passes for 247 yards in the contest while also gaining 78 yards on the ground. Dudley Spence tallied a career-high 10 tackles to lead the Valdosta State defense. Behenna completed 17-of-35 for 203 yards and a touchdown. Holloway carried the ball 23 times for 75 yards while also catching four passes for 36 yards. Valdosta State out-gained UWG 414 to 356 in the contest, but was hampered by 15 penalties for 163 yards. Valdosta State concludes its 2009 season next Saturday, November 7, when it hosts Edward Waters at 2:00 p.m. in Bazemore-Hyder Stadium. The VSU seniors will be honored prior to the game.

Lady Blazers Take ASU in Four

2009-10-29

ALBANY, Ga. - Valdosta State moved to 14-10 on the season with a win at Albany State. The Lady Blazers beat ASU in four games, 25-16, 25-14, 21-25, 25-22. Albany State drops to 10-6 on the year. Valdosta State handled the first two games with ease, but struggled in the third. In the fourth game, the struggles continued with VSU trailing 17-8. The Lady Blazers regrouped and stormed back to take the lead, 21-20, and eventually win the fourth game, 25-22, to take the match. Ruthie King, Arielle Parnell and Tania Tauiliili each tallied 12 kills to lead the Lady Blazers in the match. Irene Hannan pitched in 11 kills. Emelia Saulter passed out 49 assists in the match while King and Hannan cleaned up on defense. King notched 32 digs and Hannan had 20. Macy Markham had eight and three others had four. Tauiliili had one solo block and five assists. Parnell blocked two solo and had three block assists, and Katie Onushko had four block assists. The VSU defensive effort led to 11 team blocks to just four for Albany State. For Albany State, Latrice Lewis had 18 kills and Sabrina Garcia had 15. Priscila Sena passed out 33 assists and had 13 digs. Carolina Ribeiro notched 20 digs while Davisha Moore had 15. Valdosta State will look to add to the winning streak against Fort Valley State at 7 p.m. on Friday in the P.E. Complex.

Winter Softball Camp Dates Set

2009-10-29

VALDOSTA, Ga. - Valdosta State softball has set the dates for the team's winter softball camps. December 5 will be a skills camp, and there will be a pitching clinic December 6. Please download this form, fill it out completely and send it to the softball coaching staff to register for the camp. Skills Camp The skills camp will last from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. with a one hour lunch break at noon. Campers must bring a lunch because VSU will not provide any. Girls from age 8 and up are welcome to join the camp. The focus of the skills camp will be infield and outfield drills as well as hitting. The cost of the camp is $65 if pre-registered, $75 on the day of the camp. Additional skills camp information: - Campers will be divided into groups according to age and talent level. - Campers must bring a glove, cleats, bat, helmet and batting gloves. Please be sure to have name written on all equipment. - For any questions, please contact Head Coach Thomas Macera at (229) 563-0599 or tjmacera@valdosta.edu, or Assistant Coach Ashley Mayhue at (478) 256-5692 or ammayhue@valdosta.edu. Pitching Clinic There will be two pitching clinics December 6. The first will be held from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. for ages 8-13. The morning clinic will focus on improving the basic fundamentals of pitching. The afternoon clinic will be held from 1-4 p.m. for ages 14 and up. This clinic will focus on improving the fundamentals of each pitch and learning to throw them correctly. The cost of the pitching clinic is $40 if pre-registered, $50 on the day of the camp. Additional pitching clinic information: - If possible, bring a catcher. - Campers must have cleats and a glove. Please be sure to have name written on all equipment. - For any questions, please contact Head Coach Thomas Macera at (229) 563-0599 or tjmacera@valdosta.edu, or Assistant Coach Ashley Mayhue at (478) 256-5692 or ammayhue@valdosta.edu.

West Georgia Game Notes

2009-10-28

Today's Game: Valdosta State hits the road for the final time in 2009 as the Blazers visit Carrollton, Ga. and the University of West Georgia for the annual Battle for the Peach Basket. The Blazers enter the game with a 4-4 record, including a 4-3 mark in Gulf South Conference play after a 62-27 loss to North Alabama last week, while the Wolves are 1-7 and 1-5 in league play, including a 10-9 victory over West Alabama in their last outing. The game is scheduled for a 7:00 p.m. kickoff. VSU averages 404.2 yards of total offense on the season while surrendering 364.0 yards per game. Quarterback Kellen Lewis leads the offense as he has completed 194-of-318 passes for 2,050 yards and 11 touchdowns while also rushing for 307 yards and seven scores. Wide receiver Cedric Jones has caught 52 passes for 489 yards and two scores and linebacker Larry Dean leads the defense with 73 total tackles, including 7.5 for loss. West Georgia is averaging 274.6 yards per game while surrendering 471.8 per outing. Running back Yusuf Holloway leads the Wolf attack with 74.9 rushing yards and 24.9 receiving yards per game. Linebacker Travis Payton leads the UWG defense with 40 tackles, including an assist on a tackle for loss, and two fumble recoveries. The 2009 season marks the 28th year of Valdosta State football while the West Georgia game will be the 319th game in school history. The Blazers have won 214 contests, lost 100 and tied four times, a winning percentage of .679. Blazer Fast Facts: 2009 Record: 4-4 (.500); 2009 Gulf South Conference Record / Rank: 4-3 (.571) / 3rd; Last Five Games: 3-2 (.600); Last 10 Games: 5-5 (.500); Last 15 Games: 9-6 (.600). Head Coach David Dean: David Dean is in his third season at the helm of the Valdosta State Blazers and sports an all-time record of 26-8 (.765). In 2007, Dean became just the second NCAA Division II first-year head coach to lead his team to a national title, joining North Dakota State's Earl Solomonson, while leading VSU back to the NCAA Division II Playoffs in 2008. He has tallied a 17-6 record (.739) in Gulf South Conference play. West Georgia Fast Facts: 2009 Record: 1-7 (.125); 2009 Gulf South Conference Record / Rank: 1-5 (.167) / 11th; Last Five Games: 1-4 (.200); Last 10 Games: 1-9 (.100); Last 15 Games: 1-14 (.067). Head Coach Daryl Dickey: Daryl Dickey is in his second year as the leader of the West Georgia football program, having accumulated an 1-17 (.056) record with the Wolves. Dickey has also served as the head coach at Presbyterian College, where he tallied a 28-15 mark in three years, while also filling assistant coaching roles at Tennessee, Kentucky and Florida State. Television: The game will be broadcast live as part of the GSC Game of the Week package on Comcast SportSouth and Cox Sports. In Valdosta, the game will be carried by Mediacom Channel 77. Internet Webcast: There will be no webcast of the game. Radio Network: WDDQ, Talk 92.1 FM (Valdosta, Adel); WSFB 1490 AM/97.7 FM (Quitman); WHLJ, Foxy 97.5 FM (Valdosta, Statenville); WKZZ, Z 92.5. FM (Tifton); WVOH, Classic 93.5 FM (Hazlehurst); WDMG, The Big Dog 97.9 FM (Douglas); WTHV, 810 AM (Valdosta); W241BG, 96.1 FM (Valdosta). Dick Rockey (play-by-play), Wes James (analysis) and Tom Odom (sideline) call the action. Click for Complete Game Notes

Golf Finishes Tied for Seventh

2009-10-27

OCOEE, Fla. - Valdosta State shot a final round 291 to finish tied for seventh at the Rollins Invitational, held at the par-72, 7,095-yard Forest Lake Golf Club Monday and Tuesday. The Blazers opened the tournament with a one-over 289 in each of the first two rounds before finishing the final round with a three-over-par to shoot 869 (five-over) for the tournament. Nova Southeastern claimed team medalist honors in the event with a 19-under 845, followed by St Edward's at 848. Barry and Lynn were two strokes back and tied for fourth while Rollins shot an eight-under 856 to take fifth. Florida Southern rallied in the final round with a three-under 285 to finish one-over with an 865, besting the Blazers and Columbus State by four strokes. Florida Tech took ninth with an 883 followed by Saint Leo (888), Tampa (889), Brevard Community College and Concord (891), Eckerd (897) and Nassau Community College (917). VSU's Chesley Gunn tallied his fourth top 10 finish in as many tournaments this year as he tied for 10th with a three-under 213. Chad Smith tied for 20th with an even par 216 followed by Fredrick Hildebrand at one-over and tied for 24th with a 217. Evan Hanna finished 55th with a 227 while Will Repko rounded out the VSU squad with a 230 to finish tied for 60th. Lynn's Patricio Salem and St. Edward's Collin Mayer each shot an 11-under 205, with Salem claiming individual medalist honors on the second playoff hole. The Blazers take the rest of the winter off before returning to action February 15 at the Matlock Invitational in Lakeland, Fla.

Halloween Celebration at Volleyball

2009-10-27

This week the Lady Blazers look to celebrate Halloween as the team takes on Fort Valley State at 7 p.m. Friday. Join in on the fun with your own costume. There will be a prize for everyone in costume and special prizes for the top 10 costumes. This week bring your Halloween spirit along with your team spirit to the Valdosta State volleyball match at 7 p.m. Friday.

Hannan Again Named Player of the Week

2009-10-27

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - Valdosta State's Irene Hannan earned her second consecutive Defensive Player of the Week honors from the Gulf South Conference. This week she helped lead VSU past North Alabama for the first time in school history and Alabama-Huntsville, both in four games. Hannan racked up 63 digs in just three matches. Last week she tallied 49 for a total of 112 in two weeks. She notched 21 against West Georgia, 18 against UNA and 24 in just four games against Alabama-Huntsville. She played a complete game against North Alabama as she also added two solo blocks and two block assists with 18 digs and 13 kills. She also notched a solo block and a block assist against UAH. Hannan averaged 4.85 digs and 0.46 blocks per game on the week. In addition to her defensive performance, Hannan also contributed on offense. She put up 23 kills against West Georgia and 13 against both North Alabama and Alabama-Huntsville. She averaged 3.77 kills per game over the week. This week she will lead Valdosta State against Albany State Thursday and Fort Valley State at 7 p.m. in the P.E. Complex Friday.

Cross Country races in GSC Championship

2009-10-24

BIRMINGHAM, Ala.- The Valdosta State women's cross country placed 7th while the men's cross country team placed 8th in the Gulf South Conference Championship on Saturday. For the women's squad Angelina Horne had the best finish for the Lady Blazers finishing 11th with a time of 19:57. Ashley Luther placed 30th with a recorded time of 20:56 while Jordanne Helton was six seconds behind placing 32nd. Neka Gibbs finished 60th with a time of 22:33 and Ashley Hiott placed 63rd with a time of 22:51. Tiffany Zuganelis rounded out the day for the Lady Blazers placing 67th with a time of 23:03. As a squad, VSU had a total of 188 points placing 7th out of 14 squads. Harding University took 1st place with a total of 20 points with taking first through fifth place. University of West Florida came in 2nd place with a total of 85 points. Harding University's Katy Grant took 1st place with a time of 18:40. As for the men's squad, VSU placed 8th out of 11 squads with a total of 205 points. Harding University took 1st place with a total of 31 points. University of West Georgia came in 2nd place with a total of 68 points. Harding University's Daniel Kirwa claimed 1st place. For the men's squad, Chris Rice led the Blazers by placing 25th with a time of 27:38. Alan McGough placed 44th with a time of 28:27 while DJ Smith was just behind him placing 46th in a time of 28:35. Corey Stejback finished the Blazers top 50 finished by placing 50th with a time of 28:49. Brandon Joyner placed 53rd with a time of 29:05 and Steve Cary placed 56th with a time of 29:14. Austin McDonald placed 59th with a time of 29:28 while Juan Tejada (29:46,64th) and Terence Boyd (30:34,71st) rounded out the Blazers showing on Saturday. Both women and men's cross country squads will return to action in the NCAA South Regional in Tampa, Fla. on November 7.

Cross Country races in GSC Championship

2009-10-24

Lady Blazers Notch Second in a Row

2009-10-24

VALDOSTA, Ga. - Valdosta State put together its second consecutive Gulf South victory with a 3-1 win over Alabama-Huntsville Saturday. The Lady Blazers move to 13-10 on the season and 4-4 in the Gulf South with the 25-8, 25-21, 25-27, 25-20, win. Alabama-Huntsville drops to 7-24 and 1-6. The Lady Blazers again displayed great defense. Irene Hannan had 24 digs while Ruthie King had 14 and Katie Onushko had 11. Three others had seven or more. Hannan also had 13 kills and King had 10 while Emelia Saulter passed out 44 assists. Tania Tauiliili notched 11 kills with a .526 attacking percentage. For UAH, Allison Cousins and Kelsey Williams led the way with eight kills each. Kelly Wilson passed out 31 assists. Four Chargers had double-digit digs with Williams leading the way with 16. Valdosta State will look to continue the team%u2019s winning streak at Albany State at 6 p.m. Thursday.

Lady Blazers Knock Off North Alabama

2009-10-23

VALDOSTA, Ga. - Valdosta State bounced back with a historical win against North Alabama Friday night. After dropping two straight, the Lady Blazers beat the Lions, 3-1, for the first time in 32 meetings. The Lady Blazers dropped the first game, 23-25, but bounced back to win three consecutive games and the match. The win pushes VSU's record to 12-10 for the season and 3-4 in Gulf South action. North Alabama dropped to 14-13 and 3-3. Valdosta State's defense shined bright Friday night as the team made 10 blocks. Tania Tauiliili had one solo and four assists while Irene Hannan had two solos and two assists. The VSU defense held North Alabama's attacking percentage to just .129 and a -.026 in the final frame. Hannan had 18 digs and Ruthie King, despite missing some time in the match, put up 17 digs. Emelia Saulter was the other Lady Blazer with double-digit digs, finishing with 12. Valdosta State's offensive power balanced the team defense. Saulter passed out 51 assists while Katie Onushko hit 14 kills. King and Hannan each had 13 while Arielle Parnell and Tauiliili each had eight. The Lady Blazers will look for another win against Alabama-Huntsville at 2 p.m. in the P.E. Complex Saturday.

Blazers Fall 62-27 to North Alabama

2009-10-22

VALDOSTA, Ga. - North Alabama jumped out to a 27-0 lead and never looked back as the Lions defeated Valdosta State 62-27 in Gulf South Conference football action at Bazemore-Hyder Stadium Thursday evening. After Valdosta State (4-4, 4-3) failed to score after recovering a fumble on the return of the opening kickoff, the Lions (9-0, 6-0) opened the scoring on their first drive as they marched 80 yards in 11 plays. Harrison Beck completed six-of-seven passes for 76 yards, the last coming to Wes Holland from 19 yards out to give UNA a 7-0 lead. Two drives later, Beck again marched North Alabama down the field as he completed six passes for 55 yards on the drive, the final three coming to Thor Merrow from three yards out to push North Alabama's lead to 13-0 at the end of the first quarter. The lead continued to grow as Beck rushed for a one-yard touchdown with 11:41 to go in the second quarter. After the ensuing kickoff went into the end zone for a touchback, Michael Johnson picked off the first pass from VSU's Kellen Lewis and returned it 23 yards for a score and a 27-0 UNA lead. The Blazers answered on their next drive as they marched 51 yards in six plays. Ronnye Nelson carried the majority of the load on the drive as he rushed for 34 yards on four carries, including a 23-yard run that cut the VSU deficit to 27-6. The Lions missed a field goal on its next drive, but closed out the half with its fifth touchdown when Marcus Sims dove over the top from a yard out with 23 seconds remaining in the half, giving North Alabama a 34-6 halftime lead. Valdosta State was stopped on the first drive of the second half, but after recovering a Tim Hicks fumble, quickly scored to close to within 34-13. Lewis and Gerald Ford hooked up on three straight passes on the drive, the final coming from 22 yards to give Ford his second touchdown of the season. North Alabama wasted little time in getting the score back as on the next play from scrimmage, Beck faked a hand-off and hit Mico McSwain for a 69 yard touchdown. The duo again hooked up to drives later, this time on a six yard strike, giving the Lions their largest lead at 48-13. Valdosta State used some trickery to score early in the fourth quarter as the Blazers faked a field goal. Ford, who lined up wide and was uncovered on the play, took a pass from Russ Callaway and raced 18 yards untouched to close the Blazers to within 48-20. VSU attempted an on-sides kick on the ensuing kick-off, but the ball traveled just three yards, giving UNA the ball on the VSU 38. Cory Eddinger made the Blazers pay as he connected with Jusmon Rivers for a 38-yard scoring pass on the first play from scrimmage on the drive. Lewis added a 14-yard pass to Cedric Evans with 4:14 remaining to again close Valdosta State to within 28 points. However, the Blazers once again failed on an on-side kick attempt, leading to the final North Alabama score of the game. The kick traveled the necessary 10 yards and actually hit off of a UNA player. However, Brandon Pickett out-raced a pair of VSU defenders to the ball and scooped it up, returning the ball 40 yards for a touchdown. Beck completed 25-of-39 passes for 350 yards and four touchdowns in the game while Lewis was 17-of-35 for 157 yards and a pair of scores. Cedric Jones caught six passes for 61 yards to lead the VSU receiving corps while Ford had five catches and 62 yards as well as two touchdowns. McSwain caught six passes for 133 yards and two touchdowns while Rivers added five receptions and 118 yards. The Lions rolled to 518 yards of total offense in the game, including 439 through the air, while holding Valdosta State to just 266 total yards. Larry Dean led all tacklers with 11 on the evening while also breaking up one pass and recording one quarterback hurry. Johnson added a team-high seven tackles to his interception return for a touchdown to lead the Lions defensively. Valdosta State returns to action next Thursday, October 29 when it travels to Carrollton, Ga. to face the Wolves of West Georgia. Kick-off for the game is slated for 7:00 p.m.

North Alabama Game Notes

2009-10-22

Today's Game: Valdosta State hosts the Lions of North Alabama in a nationally televised affair as VSU and UNA hook up on CBS College Sports. The Blazers enter the game with a 4-3 record, including a 4-2 mark in Gulf South Conference play after a 23-17 victory over Harding last week, while the Lions are 8-0 and 5-0 in league play, including a 34-24 victory over Delta State last Thursday. The game is scheduled for a 8:00 p.m. Eastern kickoff. VSU averages 424.0 yards of total offense on the season while surrendering 342.0 yards per game. Quarterback Kellen Lewis leads the offense as he has completed 177-of-283 passes for 1,893 yards and nine touchdowns while also rushing for 283 yards and seven scores. Wide receiver Cedric Jones has caught 46 passes for 428 yards and two scores and linebacker Larry Dean leads the defense with 62 total tackles, including 7.5 for loss. North Alabama is averaging 422.8 yards per game while surrendering 282.4 per outing. Quarterback Harrison Beck leads the Lion attack with 290.6 passing yards per game while three different receivers have caught at least 31 passes. Linebacker Michael Johnson leads the UNA defense with 64 tackles, including 8.0 for loss. The 2009 season marks the 28th year of Valdosta State football while the North Alabama game will be the 318th game in school history. The Blazers have won 214 contests, lost 99 and tied four times, a winning percentage of .681. Television Broacast Information: The game will be broadcast live in high definition by CBS College Sports (Dish Network Channel 152; DirecTV Channel 613, Check local cable listings) as well throughout North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia as well as in Birmingham, Montogomery and Dothan, Ala. on Fox Sports South (Dish Network 420, DirecTV 646). The game will also be shown on Sports South in all of Tennessee; Huntsville, Decatur and Florence, Ala.; Memphis, Tenn.; and Columbus, Tupelo and West Point, Miss. Click for Complete Game Notes

Hannan Named Player of the Week

2009-10-21

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - Valdosta State's Irene Hannan was named one of the Gulf South Conference's Players of the Week for her performance against Lynn, Rollins and Harding this past weekend. Hannan racked up 45 digs in the three matches for an average of 3.46 per game. She also notched one solo block on her way to four blocks for the week. On the offensive side, Hannan scored two aces and 45 kills. She has already started her campaign for next week's award with an outstanding 23 kill, 21 dig performance against West Georgia Tuesday night. Hannan will look to lead the Lady Blazers against North Alabama at 6 p.m. Friday at Alabama-Huntsville at 2 p.m. Saturday.

Blazers Finish Second at Indian Bayou Classic

2009-10-20

DESTIN, Fla. - Valdosta State shot a final round 292 to finish second at the Indian Bayou Classic held at the par-72 Indian Bayou Golf Club Tuesday. The Blazers tallied a two-round total of 582 (six-over) to finish 10 shots behind tournament host North Alabama, which finished the tournament with a four-under 572. Shorter and Columbus State tied for third at 595 while Northeastern State and Clayton State tied for fifth at 600. Will Repko shot a two-round total of 143 (one-under) to finish fourth in the tournament while Chesley Gunn was fifth at an even-par 144. Chad Smith shot a 147 on the tournament while Fredrick Hildebrand finished with a 148 and Wade Holland a 159. The Blazers return to action next Monday when they travel to Ocoee, Fla. to take part in the Rollins Invitational.

VSU Can't Finish West Georgia

2009-10-20

CARROLLTON, Ga. - For the third match in a row, Valdosta State played a full five-game match. But for the second consecutive match, the Lady Blazers lost in the fifth frame. West Georgia beat VSU, 20-25, 18-25, 26-24, 25-21, 15-9. With the loss, Valdosta State drops to 11-10 on the season with a 2-4 record in the Gulf South Conference. West Georgia moves to 10-15, 1-5 in the GSC. The Lady Blazers jumped out to a good start winning the first two sets by five and seven points. The third set was a close one in which West Georgia needed an extra point to win. After that, the Lady Blazers would not take another game. Irene Hannan played her third match with 20 kills or more, notching 23 on the night. She also had 21 digs while Ruthie King had 14 kills and 17 digs. Emelia Saulter and Macy Markham each contributed 11 digs while Saulter passed out 55 assists. Katie Onushko had four blocks while Tania Tauiliili blocked three. It would not be enough as West Georgia put up 11 blocks. Jasmine Dotson led the team in kills and digs with 14 and 17 respectively. Audrey Hipple had 13 kills and 15 digs while Ellie Murphy dug the ball up 16 times. Valdosta State will look to rebound against North Alabama Friday at the P.E. Complex.

Blazers second at Indian Bayou Classic

2009-10-19

DESTIN, Fla. - Valdosta State shot a two-over 290 to stand second after the first day of play at the Indian Bayou Classic Monday. Host North Alabama claimed the first round lead as it shot a three-under 285 while Clayton State was five strokes behind the Blazers in third at 295. Centenary and Shorter rounded out the top five with a tie for fourth at 296. Chad Smith led the Blazers with a two-under 70 to tie for fifth overall followed by Will Repko with a one-under 71. Chesley Gunn shot a one-over 73 and Fredrick Hildebrand tallied a 76 while Wade Holland rounded out the VSU squad with a 79. The tournament concludes on Tuesday with a single round of play.

VSU Pushes Harding to Five

2009-10-18

WINTER PARK, Fla. - Valdosta State faced the top team in the Gulf South West Division Sunday and proved that VSU belongs in the conversation of the top teams in the Gulf South Conference. In a back-and-forth match, Valdosta State pushed Harding to five games before falling in the final frame, 15-11, to drop to 11-9 on the season. The Lady Blazers took the first set, 25-21, but dropped the second. Valdosta State bounced back to win the third game, but could not earn another win in the match despite two close games. Four Lady Blazers tallied double-digit kills in the match with Ruthie King leading the way. She hit 20 kills and notched 11 digs. Irene Hannan had 15 kills and 14 digs. Hannan led the team with a .364 attacking percentage to help the Lady Blazers hit .406 in the first game and .312 in the third. Katie Onushko contributed 14 kills while Tania Tauiliili had 10. Emelia Saulter passed out an eye-popping 60 assists, five more than the entire Harding team. For Harding, Sarah Phipps had 17 kills. Two others were in double digits. Emily Tate had 16 digs and Amber Schinzing passed out 41 assists. Valdosta State next plays at West Georgia at 6 p.m. Tuesday, and will return to the P.E. Complex Friday at 6 p.m. to face North Alabama.

Blazers Top Harding 23-17

2009-10-17

SEARCY, Ark. - Valdosta State scored 20 unanswered second quarter points to defeat Harding 23-17 in Gulf South Conference football action at First Security Stadium Saturday evening. Harding (4-4, 2-3) got on the scoreboard first as Zac Ross scored on a 70-yard touchdown run in the first quarter. After blocking a 38-yard field goal attempt by the Blazers (4-3, 4-2), the Bison took over on their own 21 yard line. Ross picked up seven yards on first down before Jeremy Holt gained one on the ground on second. Ross, in his first start at quarterback, called his own number on the next play and broke through the line to outrace the VSU defense, giving HU a 7-0 lead. Micah Canterbury added a 26 yard field goal for Harding with 0:10 to go in the first quarter to push the Bison advantage to 10-0 before Valdosta State used a partially blocked punt to get its first points of the night with 10:16 to go in the second quarter. The blocked punt gave the Blazers the ball on their own 41 yard line. Ronnye Nelson picked up one yard on a first down carry before Kellen Lewis and Kody Case hooked up for a 29 yard gain through the air. Case's second catch of the game gained four more yards before a holding penalty against the Bison moved the ball to the HU 16. Two plays later, Lewis found Gerald Ford for across the middle for a 16 yard gain and the score. The snap on the extra point was high, preserving a 10-6 Harding lead. Lewis scored on a one-yard touchdown run on a fourth down play on the Blazers' next drive to put VSU up 13-10. Lewis began the drive with an 11-yard completion to Cedric Jones to move the ball to midfield while a face mask on the play gave Valdosta State a first and 10 on Harding 35. Two plays later, a pass interference call gave the Blazers another first down before Lewis found Ford for nine more yards to the Bison 11. A pass and two runs moved the ball to the one, setting up Lewis' seventh rushing score of the year. After forcing another Harding punt, Valdosta State pushed its lead to 20-10 on its next drive. The teams traded holding penalties on the first two plays of the drive, with VSU's penalty negating a 61-yard touchdown reception by R.J. Bastone. Facing a first and 20 situation, Lewis hooked up with Jackson Dean for a pair of receptions that netted 35 yards. Two plays later Bastone caught a pass down the right sideline and broke a tackle to score from 36-yards out with two minutes to go in the half. Harding used a two-play drive to cut its deficit to just three points in the third quarter as Jeremy Holt took a pass from Ross and raced 68 yards for a touchdown, cutting the Bison deficit to 20-17. Justin Kraemer kicked a 41-yard field goal for the Blazers with 11:04 to go in the game to close out the scoring. Valdosta State sealed the victory when it recovered a muffed punt by Ross on the Harding 17 with 1:49 to go in the game. Lewis completed 28-of-51 passes in the game for 329 yards and two touchdowns. Ford caught a career-high seven passes for 65 yards while Jones tallied six catches for 69 yards. Larry Dean led the Blazer defense with 13 tackles. Ross completed 12-of-22 passes for 155 yards while also carrying the ball 24 times for 151 yards. Rene Stephen tallied 11 tackles to lead the Bison defensively. Valdosta State returns to action Thursday, October 22 when it faces North Alabama in Bazemore-Hyder Stadium. The game will be nationally broadcast on CBS College Sports and is scheduled for an 8:06 p.m. kickoff.

Pakebusch Claims National Championship

2009-10-17

MOBILE, Ala. - In his first semester at Valdosta State, Philip Pakebusch has made quite an impression. After winning the ITA/Wilson South Regional tournament two weeks ago for the right to go on to the national tournament, Pakebusch continued to dominate. With wins over tennis powerhouse Armstrong Atlantic, Drury and Concordia, Pakebusch flew through the opposition without even seeing a third set to win the 2009 ITA National Small College Championship. The closest match came in the first round for Pakebusch. Against Rafael Array of Armstrong Atlantic, Pakebusch had to win a tiebreaker to take the second set to win the match. He won, 6-1, 7-6 (6). In his next match, he made short work of Antonio Garcia Santos of Drury. In two sets, Pakebusch won, 6-1, 6-2. In the championship round, Andrey Boldarev of Concordia pushed Pakebusch to the edge in the first set, but Pakebusch overcame to win the first set, 7-5. He put on a dominating performance in the second set to win the match, 7-5, 6-2.

VSU Splits at Rollins Crossover

2009-10-17

Match 1 Box Score Match 2 Box Score WINTER PARK, Fla. - Valdosta State traveled to Florida to play three teams at the Rollins Crossover. The Lady Blazers split against the first two on Saturday. After falling to Lynn, 25-18, 25-15, 25-21, VSU bounced back to take down Rollins in five games, 23-25, 26-24, 11-25, 25-19, 15-10. Ruthie King and Irene Hannan again led the team with kills, both with 10. Hannan also racked up 14 digs in the match while Emelia Saulter passed out 30 assists. Lynn had three players with seven kills. Devon Woolard passed out 33 assists and Lacy Pedwine had 14 digs. Against Rollins, the Lady Blazers fell in the first game, but came back to win the second game, 26-24. After dropping the third set, Valdosta State went on to win the fourth and final set for the match. Hannan had 20 kills and Katie Onushko backed her up with 13. Four Lady Blazers were in double digit digs led by Hannan with 17, King had 15. Onushko had 11 and Chelsea Luttfring notched 10. Saulter had 47 assist in the match. Tania Tauiliili had two solo blocks and four assists to help the Lady Blazers outblock Rollins, 9-5. For Rollins Nicki Hartman had 27 kills and Phoebe Corder had 20 digs. Kiana Parks passed out 41 assists. Valdosta State will play their final match of the weekend at 10 a.m. Sunday against Harding.

Five Lady Blazers Named Academic All-Americans

2009-10-16

VALDOSTA, Ga. - Five Lady Blazers were named as Academic All-Americans for the spring of 2009. Andi Braswell, Amy Brightwell, Audrey Massingill, Julia Fink and four-time Acadmeic All-American Brianna Collis. The five players helped the Lady Blazers on their way to the Gulf South Conference Championship in 2009 and an appearance in the NCAA South Super Regional.

Lady Blazers Named GSC East Preseason Favorite

2009-10-16

VALDOSTA, Ga. - Thursday the Lady Blazers were finally able to start full-time practice, and it appears that people believe this team will be pretty good. In the Gulf South Conference preseason coaches' poll, Valdosta State was chosen as the preseason favorite to win the GSC East, just edging out West Georgia. North Alabama rounded out the top three in the East, while Delta State was a unanimous pick to win the West. This marks the fifth time the Lady Blazers have been preseason favorites in six years. In addition to the team recognition, point guard Leschelle Matthews was also named to the GSC Preseason Team. It comes as no surprise since she was named to the All-GSC second team last season. Valdosta State returns 10 players and four starters, including Matthews, this year after finishing 21-9 last season with a stellar 13-1 home record. The Lady Blazers open the season at home against Lander to open the Days INNvitational November 15 at 2 p.m. After playing Edward Waters on the second day of the tournament, VSU will meet Eckerd before the team's first road trip of the season. On that four-game trip, the Lady Blazers will face two teams that participated in the NCAA Regional tournament last season: Tampa and Clark Atlanta. Valdosta State will also play Nova Southeastern on that trip. After that, VSU will make a three-game home stand against Albany State, Columbus State and Delta State, the team that eliminated the Lady Blazers in both the GSC tournament and the NCAA tournament last season. Next, VSU will travel to Washington, D.C. for a tournament before returning to face Nova Southeastern again. After a game against Albany State, the conference season will begin for the Lady Blazers at North Alabama at 7 p.m. January 7. Then VSU will be home to host West Florida, Saint Leo, Clark Atlanta, West Alabama and Alabama-Huntsville. Then the Lady Blazers will travel to play West Georgia, but return home to meet North Alabama at 6 p.m. February 4 for the team's annual Pink Zone game. Then it will be another four-game road trip with three GSC rivals before finishing against West Georgia in the P.E. Complex at 6 p.m. February 27.

Blazers Picked to Win GSC

2009-10-15

VALDOSTA, Ga. - Valdosta State has been selected as the preseason favorite to win the Gulf South Conference championship, according to a vote by the league coaches, as announced by the GSC Office on Thursday. The Blazers learned of their preseason expectations as they took to the practice floor for the first time in the 2009-10 season Thursday. "The preseason polls are based on what you did last year, who you have coming back and how you did recruiting," said head coach Mike Helfer on learning of the his team's preseason ranking. "This tells us that the coaches in our league have great respect for our team, but beyond that it doesn't mean a whole lot. What matters is where you are ranked at the end of the year and that will be our focus." VSU was the unanimous choice to defend its Gulf South Conference East Division crown, earning five of the six first place votes. Helfer, who was not permitted to vote for his own team in the preseason poll, was the only coach not to vote for the Blazers to win the East Division. The GSC preseason favorite label is just one of several preseason accolades for Valdosta State, who was picked as the preseason No. 4 team in the nation by Sporting News and No. 11 by D2Basketball.com. On the individual level, Tyrone Curnell, who earned preseason All-America honors from the Sporting News after earning the honors from the National Association of Basketball Coaches last year, was also selected to repeat as a first team All-GSC performer. He was joined on the preseason All-GSC team by Ricardo Lewis, who earned second-team All-GSC last season. "At this time of the year, everyone is excited," Helfer concluded. "Everyone is tired of preseason conditioning and is just ready to get out on the court and practice. We have a lot of experience back and our seven seniors have provided good leadership thus far in the preseason. However, everything is different now and we have to pick it up a little bit. We have to work on our chemistry and on getting better as a team for the season ahead." Valdosta State returns eight letterwinners, including four starters, off of a team that went 24-7 last year while advancing to the NCAA South Regional Tournament. The returning players accounted for 81.3 percent of VSU's scoring in 2008-09 (1,949 of 2,398 points), as well as 82.7 percent of the team's rebounding (996 of 1,204), 83.2 percent of its blocks (94 of 113), 83.4 percent of its assists (377 of 452) and 84.0 percent of its steals (200 of 238) on the year. The returners will be joined by six talented newcomers, led by 6'10 Billy McShephard who will vie for the starting position at the small forward position. McShephard averaged 17.2 points and 8.7 rebounds a game last season for Louisburg (N.C.) Community College. Valdosta State tips off its 2009-10 season Monday, November 16 when it hosts Carver Bible at 8:00 p.m. in the P.E. Complex.

Harding Game Notes

2009-10-15

Today's Game: Valdosta State travels to Searcy, Ark. to face Harding in a Saturday evening Gulf South Conference affair. The Blazers enter the game with a 3-3 record, including a 3-2 mark in Gulf South Conference play after a 33-20 victory over Henderson State last week, while the Bison are 4-3 and 2-2 in league play, including a 21-7 victory over Ouachita Baptist last weekend. The game is scheduled for a 7:00 p.m. Eastern kickoff. VSU averages 437.0 yards of total offense on the season while surrendering 337.8 yards per game. Quarterback Kellen Lewis leads the offense as he has completed 149-of-232 passes for 1,564 yards and seven touchdowns while also rushing for 261 yards and four scores. Wide receiver Cedric Jones has caught 40 passes for 359 yards and two scores and linebacker Larry Dean leads the defense with 49 total tackles, including 6.0 for loss. Harding State is averaging 346.6 yards per game while surrendering 420.0 per outing. Quarterback Josh Powell leads the Bison attack with 221.3 passing yards per game while Zac Ross has caught 33 passes for 305 yards. Josh Jones leads the Harding defense with 58 tackles and eight interceptions. The 2009 season marks the 28th year of Valdosta State football while the Harding game will be the 317th game in school history. The Blazers have won 213 contests, lost 99 and tied four times, a winning percentage of .680. Lewis Named GSC Offensive Player of the Week: Kellen Lewis became the first Blazer to earn Gulf South Conference Player of the Week honors when he earned the league's offensive honor on October 12. Lewis was honored after leading Valdosta State to a 33-20 victory over Henderson State, a game in which he accounted for 426 of VSU's 530 yards of total offense in the game. Lewis completed 22-of-34 passes for 314 yards, his third straight 300-yard passing game, in the contest while rushing the ball 18 times for 112 yards. He had a hand in all four of Valdosta State's touchdowns in the game as he ran for scores of six and 20 yards while throwing touchdowns of 18 and 17 yards. Lewis is the first offensive player from Valdosta State to earn GSC Player of the Week honors since Michael Terry did so on September 29, 2007. Jones Sets Receiving Record: Valdosta State's Cedric Jones became the most prolific receiver in Gulf South Conference and Valdosta State history when he caught 14 passes against Delta State on October 1. The 14 receptions game Jones a total of 258 in his career, surpassing Sean Pender's school and league record of 247 set between 1992 and 1996. Jones now ranks 10th all-time in the NCAA Division II record books with 265 catches and is 58 behind Division II record holder Clarence Coleman of Ferris State, who caught 323 passes during his career. Injuries Begin to Pile Up: Valdosta State has been victimized by the injury bug through the first half of the 2009 season as five players have suffered season ending injuries thus far. The defense has been the hardest hit by the injuries as four players, including two starters, off of the two-deep depth chart have been sidelined for the season, including Demario Jones, Japree Miles, Rashad Etheridge and Brett Sudduth. Meanwhile, Cam Short on the offensive line also had his season ended due to injury while Gordon Steele has yet to return from an injury suffered during spring conditioning. Through the first five games, 15 Blazers have missed games due to injury. In addition to the six players listed above, kicker Daniel Andersen (one game), wide receiver Cedric Evans (two games), offensive guard Lance Helton (one game), kicker Justin Kraemer (three games), linebacker Ryan Smith (one game), defensive tackle Demetrius Bozeman (one game) cornerback Alex Webster (two games), wide receiver Chris Wellborn (two games), wide receiver Owen Dixon (one game) and offensive tackle Britt Wilson (two games) have all missed games for VSU this year. As a group, the injured players have missed a total of 39 games this season. Television: There is no televised broadcast of the game. Internet Webcast: There is no webcast of the game. Radio Network: WDDQ, Talk 92.1 FM (Valdosta, Adel); WSFB 1490 AM/97.7 FM (Quitman); WHLJ, Foxy 97.5 FM (Valdosta, Statenville); WKZZ, Z 92.5. FM (Tifton); WVOH, Classic 93.5 FM (Hazlehurst); WDMG, The Big Dog 97.9 FM (Douglas); WTHV, 810 AM (Valdosta); W241BG, 96.1 FM (Valdosta). Dick Rockey (play-by-play), Wes James (analysis) and Tom Odom (sideline) call the action. Click for Complete Game Notes

Lewis Named GSC Offensive Player of the Week

2009-10-12

VALDOSTA, Ga. - Valdosta State quarterback Kellen Lewis has been named the Gulf South Conference Offensive Player of the Week, according to an announcement made by the league office on Monday. Lewis earned the award after leading Valdosta State to a 33-20 victory over Henderson State on Saturday. The Jacksonville, Fla. Native completed 22-of-34 passes for 312 yards while also carrying the ball 18 times for 112 yards. He accounted for 426 of Valdosta State's 530 yards of total offense in the game and had a hand in all four of the Blazers' touchdowns in the game. Lewis passed for touchdowns of 18 and 17 yards in the first half before rushing for touchdowns of six and 20 yards during the second half of the game. His second touchdown came with 1:21 remaining in the contest and sealed the victory for Valdosta State. Lewis has proven as of late that he has become comfortable in the VSU Spread Offense as he has passed for 932 yards and five touchdowns in the last five games while rushing for 241 yards and four scores. Lewis has completed 83-of-127 passes during that time and has accounted for 1,173 of Valdosta State's 1,422 yards of total offense in those contests. In earning the honor, Lewis becomes the first Blazer to ear the GSC's weekly offensive honor since Michael Terry earned the award on September 29, 2007. Lewis and the Blazers travel to Searcy, Ark. to face Harding in a Gulf South Conference tilt on Saturday, with kickoff set for 7:00 p.m. Eastern.

Blazers Roll Past Henderson State 33-20

2009-10-10

VALDOSTA, Ga. - For the second straight week, Kellen Lewis passed for over 300 yards while also rushing for more than 100 to lead Valdosta State to a 33-20 Gulf South Conference victory over Henderson State Saturday at Bazemore-Hyder Stadium. Lewis completed 22-of-34 passes for 314 yards and two touchdowns and carried the ball 18 times for 112 yards and a pair of scores. Over the course of the last three games, the senior has now passed for 936 yards and five touchdowns while rushing for 241 yards and four touchdowns. Valdosta State (3-3, 3-2) got on the board first when Tommie Duhart sacked HSU quarterback Nick Hardesty in the end zone for a safety with 10:12 to go in the first quarter. The Blazers pushed their lead to 9-0 early in the second quarter when Kellen Lewis hit Owen Dixon for an 18-yard touchdown pass. VSU began its drive on its own 41 after a short Henderson State punt and moved into Reddie territory on a 29-yard Lewis-to-Jackson Dean completion. After an incomplete pass, Derrick Harris caught a two-yard pass and Lewis rushed for 12 more yards, moving the ball to the HSU 16 Michael Brown was dropped for a two-yard loss before the Blazers lined up in the "Wildcat" formation with Ronnye Nelson under center. Nelson took the snap and handed off to Lewis, who hit Dixon in the end zone for the score. Henderson State (3-4, 3-2) quickly answered as it cut its deficit to two on its next possession. Nathan Hall came on for Hardesty and completed five-of-seven passes for 44 yards and also ran for 13 yards on the drive. The freshman connected with Andy Anderson for a 13-yard scoring strike to cut the Blazer advantage to 9-7. After the two teams traded punts, Valdosta State added its second touchdown of the quarter on a four-play, 73-yard drive. Lewis hit Kody Case for a 12-yard gain on the first play before Brown rushed for 15 more yards. A pass to Cedric Jones netted no yardage, but on the next play Lewis connected with Case down the middle. The sophomore moved the ball to the Reddie 17, where he was stripped by HSU%u2019s Mike Wightman. The ball bounded away from the two players and straight into the arms of Blazer receiver Rico Mack, who raced the remaining 17 yards for the score and a 16-7 Valdosta State lead. HSU immediately answered the scoring drive as it strung together a 12-play, 71-yard drive to close to within 16-13. Hall completed five-of-eight passes on the drive for 48 yards and rushed for 18 more before Kenard Springer scored from a yard out. The snap on the extra point attempt got away from holder Chris McIntire, preserving a three point cushion for VSU. Lewis added a six-yard touchdown run in the third quarter, a run that capped off a seven-play, 45-yard drive while Justin Kraemer kicked a 40-yard field goal with 8:26 to go in the game to push the Valdosta State lead to 26-13 before the teams traded touchdowns over the final two minutes of the game. Hardesty hit Michael Buse for a six-yard touchdown with 2:06 to go and, after VSU recovered an onsides kick attempt, Lewis scored on a 20-yard run to close out the scoring. Jones caught seven passes for 54 yards on the night while Nelson tallied 47 rushing yards on 11 carries on the evening. The Blazers recorded 530 yards of total offense in the game, including 216 on the ground and 314 through the air, while holding Henderson State to 352. Carlos Anderson led the Valdosta State defensive effort as he recorded 10 tackles in the game, his second straight week with double-digit tackles, while Larry Dean recorded seven tackles. Henderson State was held to just 78 yards rushing in the game, 134 below its season average, 31 of which came from Hall. Hall also completed 17-of-29 passes for 160 yards, while Hardesty threw for another 114. Valdosta State returns to action next Saturday, October 17 when it travels to Searcy, Ark. to face Harding at 7:00 p.m. Eastern.

UWA Tigers Bite VSU

2009-10-10

LIVINGSTON, Ala. - The top team in the Gulf South Conference's East Division proved too much for Valdosta State Saturday. West Alabama swept the Lady Blazers, 25-15, 25-14, 25-21. With the loss, VSU drops below .500 in the GSC at 2-3 while West Alabama stays undefeated at 4-0. The teams are 10-7 and 19-5 respectively. Again, it was Irene Hannan who led the team in kills. She had 10 on the night with a team-leading nine digs as well. Ruthie King put up nine kills and five digs. Lea Weber made her first strong showing of the season as she passed out 31 assists on the night with four digs and the only Lady Blazer block of the match. Chelsea Luttfring was the defensive stalwart for Valdosta State with her second match in which she leads the team in digs. She had 16 to lead all players. West Alabama's Jessica Crook put up 11 kills on a .400 attacking percentage. Alexis McHale passed out 33 assists and Thais Hollerbach had 12 digs. Jordan Kent had two solo blocks and two assists in the match. The Lady Blazers next match will take place at the Rollins Crossover Tournament October 17-18.

Argos Too Much for Lady Blazers

2009-10-09

PENSACOLA, Fla. - Valdosta State fell to #24 West Florida Friday night. After keeping it close in the first game, the Lady Blazers could not overcome West Florida in the 3-0 sweep, 25-22, 25-14, 25-19. With the loss, Valdosta State moves to 10-6 on the season while West Florida is 12-8. The Argonauts move to 3-1 in the Gulf South and Valdosta State is 2-2. Junior leaders Irene Hannan and Ruthie King had near identical lines with eight kills and digs each. Hannan added thre blocks while Tania Tauiliili notched four. Katie Onushko was second in kills with six and added seven digs. Tauiliili and Arielle Parnell each contributed five kills on the night. Chelsea Luttfring was the best defensive player for the Lady Blazers on the night with 10 digs to lead the team. Emelia Saulter gave out 27 assists. Chelsea Wilhoite led West Florida in kills with 12. Patricia Gandolfo contributed 10. Maddie Staub led the team in digs with seven, and there were three others with five. Tricia Tirabassi was one of them, but she also added 31 assists. The Lady Blazers will look to bounce back at West Alabama Saturday at noon.

Men's Basketball Schedule Announced

2009-10-09

VALDOSTA, Ga. - Games against Delta State, Augusta State and Tampa highlight the 2009-10 Valdosta State men's basketball schedule, announced by Blazer head coach Mike Helfer on Friday. The Blazers open the 2009-10 season at home against Carver Bible on Monday, November 16 before also playing St. Thomas and Florida Memorial in the P.E. Complex on November 20 and 21, respectively. The remainder of the November schedule includes road games at Fort Valley State November 24 and Clayton State November 28 as well as a home contest against Georgia Southwestern November 30. The December portion of the schedule is heavily laden with home games as the Blazers begin the month with contests December 4 and 5 against Saint Leo and Palm Beach Atlantic in The Loop Pizza Grill Classic while hosting Columbus State December 7. After a road game at Tampa December 12, the Blazers return to the P.E. Complex on the 15th to face Delta State. VSU closes out the month with three straight road contest, including games against Lynn and Barry in the Pepsi Doubletree Classic in Boca Raton, Fla. December 20 and 21 as well as a New Years Eve game at Albany State. The remainder of the non-conference schedule includes an away contest at Lambuth January 9 as well as home games against Augusta State January 16 and Lambuth February 6. "I think this is one of the most challenging schedules we have had at Valdosta State since I arrived," said Helfer in making the announcement. "Our non-conference games and our crossover game versus Delta State will surely get us prepared for the always tough Gulf South Conference." Valdosta State will begin defense of its 2007-08 GSC East Division crown on January 7 when the Blazers visit North Alabama. The remainder of January includes conference home contests against West Florida January 13, West Alabama January 16 and Alabama-Huntsville January 23 as well as a league game on the road at West Georgia January 30. February concludes the regular season with home contests versus North Alabama on the 4th and West Georgia on the 27th while the Blazers visit West Florida February 10, West Alabama February 18 and Alabama-Huntsville February 20. The GSC Tournament, which will once again be played in Southaven, Miss., will be held March 3-7 while NCAA South Regional play is scheduled for March 13-16. Valdosta State returns eight letterwinners, including four starters, off of its 2008-09 team that compiled a 24-7 record while advancing to the GSC Tournament championship game and the NCAA South Regional Tournament.

Henderson State Game Notes

2009-10-08

Today's Game: Valdosta State returns home to Bazemore-Hyder Stadium as the Blazers host Henderson State in VSU's 2009 Homecoming game. The Blazers enter the game with a 2-3 record, including a 2-2 mark in Gulf South Conference play after a 31-23 loss at Delta State last week, while HSU is 3-3 and 3-1 in league play, including a 54-0 victory over West Georgia last weekend. The game is scheduled for a 3:00 p.m. kickoff. VSU averages 418.4 yards of total offense on the season while surrendering 335.0 yards per game. Quarterback Kellen Lewis leads the offense as he has completed 127-of-198 passes for 1,250 yards and five touchdowns while wide receiver Cedric Jones has caught 33 passes for 305 yards and two scores. Linebacker Larry Dean leads the defense with 42 total tackles, including 6.0 for loss. Henderson State is averaging 400.8 yards per game while surrendering 373.7 per outing. Running back Stefon Ceaser leads the Reddies run-based attack with 94.7 yards per game as HSU tallies 212.7 rushing yards per outing as a squad. while Lardester Hicks-Green leads the Statesmen defense with 44 tackles, 18 of which came last week at Ouachita Baptist. The 2009 season marks the 28th year of Valdosta State football while the Henderson State game will be the 316th game in school history. The Blazers have won 212 contests, lost 99 and tied four times, a winning percentage of .679. Jones Sets Receiving Record: Valdosta State's Cedric Jones became the most prolific receiver in Gulf South Conference and Valdosta State history when he caught 14 passes against Delta State on October 1. The 14 receptions game Jones a total of 258 in his career, surpassing Sean Pender's school and league record of 247 set between 1992 and 1996. Jones now ranks 13th all-time in the NCAA Division II record books and is 65 behind Division II record holder Clarence Coleman of Ferris State, who caught 323 passes during his career. Television: There is no live televised broadcast of the game. The game can be viewed via tape-delay on VSU Televison on Sunday afternoon. Internet Webcast: The game will be webcast live over the internet, free of charge, at www.vstateblazers.tv. Radio Network: WDDQ, Talk 92.1 FM (Valdosta, Adel); WSFB 1490 AM/97.7 FM (Quitman); WHLJ, Foxy 97.5 FM (Valdosta, Statenville); WKZZ, Z 92.5. FM (Tifton); WVOH, Classic 93.5 FM (Hazlehurst); WVVS, BlazeFM 90.9 FM (Valdosta); WTHV, 810 AM (Valdosta); W241BG, 96.1 FM (Valdosta). Dick Rockey (play-by-play), Wes James (analysis) and Tom Odom (sideline) call the action. Click for Complete Game Notes

Women's Soccer Head Coach and Coordinator of Athletic Facilities

2009-10-07

DESCRIPTION: Valdosta State University is adding women's soccer as an intercollegiate sport and will start play in the fall of 2011. Head Coach and Coordinator of Athletic Facilities position will be filled in the winter/spring of 2010. Responsible for all aspects of developing and leading a NCAA Division II women's soccer program. This includes but is not limited to: recruitment of prospective student-athletes, student-athlete development, game preparation and strategy, supervision of staff, scheduling, purchasing of equipment and supplies, alumni and public relations, fundraising, adherence to NCAA and GSC rules and regulations and administrative duties. The head coach will also be responsible for working with the athletic and university staff to support the philosophy, goals and mission of both the university and its athletic program. RESPONSIBILITIES: - Recruiting: The head coach is responsible for the development of a comprehensive plan to identify, evaluate and recruit high quality student-athletes to Valdosta State University. This includes, but is not limited to phone contacts, in-person evaluations, home visits and the visits of student-athletes to campus. The head coach is responsible for adhering to all NCAA and GSC rules and regulations regarding recruiting and must maintain accurate records for all recruitment activities. - Team Preparation: The head coach is responsible for training, teaching and conditioning student-athletes in preparation for intercollegiate competition. The head coach will plan and supervise practices working with student-athletes on both team and individual skills, prepare game strategies and coach the team at competitions. The head coach will work in conjunction with the Strength and Conditioning and Athletic Training staff to develop a year around program of conditioning and injury protection. - Student-Athlete Development: The head coach is responsible for creating an atmosphere and culture that is a reflection of the mission of the university and athletic department. A positive experience for the student-athlete both on and off the field is a priority of the athletic department. This includes but is not limited to; monitoring of academic performance and activities that lead toward graduation. - Administrative Responsibilities: The head coach will be responsible for a wide variety of administrative tasks including but not limited to, scheduling of practices and outside competitions, annual reports, recruiting documentation, scheduling of officials and other paperwork needed for NCAA and GSC compliance. - Team Travel: The head coach is responsible for all aspects of team travel including lodging, meals and transportation. - Budget and Purchasing: The head coach will be responsible for administering a budget developed in collaboration with the Director of Athletics. This includes but is not limited to; purchasing , tracking and care of inventory of equipment/uniforms, supplies and services , monitoring travel expenses of team and coaches and planning student-athlete scholarship awards to stay within budget and NCAA allocation. The head coach is responsible for reconciliation of expenditures for all team travel, recruiting expenses and other women's soccer related expenses. - Community Service/Community Engagement: The head coach will be expected to participate in community service and community engagement activities both as an individual and with student-athletes/team. The head coach will also be expected to participate in campus activities to promote the women's soccer program and the athletic department. The head coach will be expected to be active and visible in the community and to represent the university, athletic department and the women's soccer program in a positive manner. - Fundraising: The head coach will be responsible for taking a lead role and being active in the raising of private gifts to be used to enhance the budget for women's soccer. - Organize Summer Camps: The head coach will organize summer camps to include hiring of staff, organizing instruction, organization of housing and meals and the promotion of camps. - Coordinate Athletic Facilities: This position will serve as the main athletic liaison with the university facility use office in regards to the scheduling of athletic venues for non-athletic uses and with the university's plant operations department regarding the upkeep of facilities. The position will also be responsible for the scheduling of the soccer complex for outside groups and the upkeep of the women's soccer facility. QUALIFICATIONS: Bachelors degree required with a masters degree preferred. A minimum of four (4) years of collegiate soccer coaching experience is required. Two years of collegiate graduate assistant soccer coaching experience can count for one-year of collegiate experience. STARTING SALARY: $40,686.00 annually based upon the qualifications of the successful candidate. Benefits package includes Tuition Assistance Program, participation in the State Teachers Retirement System, health insurance, dental insurance and other University System benfits. RANGE: Up to 10% depending on qualifications LAST DATE FOR CONSIDERATION: Open until filled. PERSONS INTERESTED IN THIS POSITION SHOULD: Send letter of interest, resume with complete coaching experience and annual won/loss records, team's postseason play experience and results and references to the attention of: Herb Reinhard, Director of Athletics, Valdosta State University, Valdosta, Georgia, 31698.

Blazers Finish Fourth at Cougar Invite

2009-10-06

COLUMBUS, Ga. - Chesley Gunn fired a four-under 67 in the final round of play to lead Valdosta State to a tie for fourth place at the AFLAC/Cougar Invitational, hosted by Columbus State at the par-71, 6,435-yard Green Island Country Club Tuesday. Gunn and the Blazers entered Tuesday's final round tied for seventh in the team standings with a seven-over 291 after the first round of play, which stretched from Monday into Tuesday morning after getting off to a delayed start due to rain before being stopped due to darkness Monday evening. The Blazers tallied the second best round of the day on Tuesday as they shot an even-par 284, fueled by Gunn's 67. The senior shot a one-over 36 on the front nine before blistering the back nine with a five-under 31. He finished second in the tournament with a four-under 138, but only after missing a 10-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole that would have tied him for individual medalist honors with Georgia Southwestern's Craig Gibson, who shot a six-under 65 on Tuesday to finish at five-under par with a 137. Barry claimed team medalist honors with a seven-under 561, including a six-under 278 on Tuesday, while North Alabama, the first round leader, finished second with a three-over 571. Barton College was a stroke back with a four-over 572 followed by VSU and Lander tied for fourth at 575. Blazer Will Repko shot a pair of 72's to complete the tournament in 25th place with a two-over-par 144 while Evan Hanna was two strokes behind and tied for 43rd. Chad Smith and Frederick Hildebrand tied for 64th overall with a pair of six-over 148's. Valdosta State returns to action Monday, October 19 when it opens play in the Indian Bayou Classic at Indian Bayou Golf Club in Destin, Fla.

Saints March Past VSU

2009-10-06

VALDOSTA, Ga. - Valdosta State fell to 10-5 on the season after a loss to Flagler Tuesday night. The Saints swept the Lady Blazers, 25-23, 25-18, 28-26. Katie Onushko and Irene Hannan combined for 22 kills, 11 each, on the night. Hannan added 17 digs to lead VSU. Ruthie King and Arielle Parnell each contributed seven kills. Emelia Saulter passed out 34 assists and was second on the team in digs with 11. Tania Tauiliili had two solo blocks in addition to a block assist to help Valdosta State out block Flagler, 5-4. Katie Beale had 12 kills for the Saints with 10 digs. Olivia Snipes finished with 18 digs and 24 assists to lead the team in both categories. The Lady Blazers will resume Gulf South action Friday at 8 p.m. at West Florida.

Blazers Dominate at Wilson/ITA Regionals

2009-10-04

LAKELAND, Fla. - After the Lady Blazers made a strong showing last weekend, the Blazer tennis team looked even stronger at the Wilson/ITA Regional Championships hosted by Florida Southern this weekend. The only Blazer to be knocked out in the singles round of 64 was Michael Kuech. Keuch, however, went on to the semifinals of the consolation round before losing a marathon to Nicolas Bigler of Florida Southern, 7-6, 2-6, 7-10. Frank Sickman and Otto Lenhart both made it to the round of 32. Sickman was knocked out by teammate Daniel Dueren on his way to the championship round against fellow Blazer Philip Pakebusch. Pakebusch was able to beat Dueren, 6-3, 6-3, in the all-VSU championship round. Lenhart and Christian Hansen were both beaten by Al Sarra of Lynn, but VSU earned the last laugh when Pakebusch knocked out Sarra in matching 6-4 sets in the semifinals. Doubles was more of the same for Valdosta State. Dueren and Pakebusch teamed up to fly through the competition, winning 8-1, 8-3 and 8-6 to get to the semifinal round. The duo finally fell in the semifinals to Kevin Ducros and Leandro Ferreira of West Florida, 8-3. Hansen and Kuech were also playing at a high level. They won 8-1 and 8-0 before meeting Ducros and Ferreira. Kuech and Hansen fought to the end, but Ducros and Ferreira were too much as the VSU team fell with a slim 9-8 loss in the quarterfinals. Lenhart and Sickman won their first match, 8-4, but could not keep the momentum against the Barry team of Emanuel Fraitzel and Maximillian Wimmer. Fraitzel and Wimmer won, 8-5 before losing in the quarterfinals.

Blazers finish strong at Stampede

2009-10-03

PENSACOLA, Fla. - The Valdosta State's men cross country team placed 5th and the women's cross country team placed 8th on Saturday at the Gulf Coast Cross Country Stampede. For the women's squad Angelina Horne and Jordanne Helton started the day with top 25 finishes. Angelina Horne recorded a time of 19:22 placing 17th while Jordanne Helton recorded a time of 19:39 and placed 24th. Ashley Luther placed 40th with a time of 20:36, and Neka Gibbs recorded a time of 21:38. Tiffany Zuganelis placed 72nd with a time of 22:50, and Andrea Smith rounded out the Lady Blazers placing 92nd with a time of 27:33. As a squad, VSU had a total of 181 points and placed 8th out of 12 squads. University of Southern Mississippi took first place with a total of 45 points and University of South Alabama was only 50 points behind in 2nd place. Troy University's Sylvia Chirchir finished 1st place with a time of 18:09. The men's squad had a total of 143 points and finished 5th out of 11 in the 8k race. University of South Alabama finished 1st place with 19 total points with Troy University coming in 2nd with a total of 58 points. University of South Alabama's Micah Tirop claimed 1st with a time of 24:42. For the men's squad, VSU had 6 top 50 finishes. Chris Rice led the men's squad with a time of 27:23 placing 24th. Alan McGough recorded a time of 27:48 placing 28th while Steve Cary placed 32nd with a time of 28:01. Austin McDonald was only 7 seconds behind placing 35th while DJ Smith finished 38th with a time of 28:33. Terence Boyd rounded out the Blazers top 50 finished by placing 49th with a time of 29:03. Juan Tejada (30:01), Kenny Brooks (30:07), and Daniel McCormick (31:14)finished the Blazers showing in Pensacola, Florida on Saturday. Both men and women's squads will return to action in GCS Championship in Birmingham, Alabama on October 24.

Lady Blazers finish strong at the Stampede

2009-10-03

Valdosta State Bounces Back

2009-10-03

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. - Valdosta State rebounded from the loss to North Alabama Friday with a 3-1 win against Alabama-Huntsville on Saturday, 25-16, 26-12, 22-25, 25-17. With the win, the Lady Blazers move to 2-1 in the Gulf South and 10-4 on the year. Alabama-Huntsville falls to 6-16 on the season and 0-3 in the GSC. Irene Hannan led the team in kills with 13, but it was the excellent play of middle blockers Arielle Parnell and Tania Tauiliili that helped the Lady Blazers put away the Chargers. Tauiliili had seven kills on just 14 attacks for a .500 percentage while Parnell was second on the team in kills with 12 on a .455 attacking percentage. Parnell was also in on five blocks with one solo. Hannan and Ruthie King both led the team in digs with 11, but Chelsea Luttfring was right behind them with nine. Emelia Saulter passed out 44 assists. For Alabama-Huntsville, it was Allison Cousins leading the team in kills with 11. Kaeli McCaghren had 16 digs to lead the team while Kelly Wilson led in assists with 25. Valdosta State will look to start a win streak with the team's next match against Flagler at 7 p.m. at the P.E. Complex on Tuesday.

North Alabama Takes Hold of GSC East

2009-10-02

FLORENCE, Ala. - Valdosta State started strong against North Alabama, forcing the first game into extra points. But after falling in the first game, 27-25, the Lady Blazers could not score enough to beat the UNA Lions, and eventually fell, 27=25, 25-19, 25-17. The Lady Blazers move to 9-4 on the season and an even 1-1 in the Gulf South Conference while UNA keeps an undefeated record in the GSC, 2-0, and goes to 10-8 on the season. Ruthie King led Valdosta State in kills for the match, finishing with 10. Just behind her was Katie Onushko with nine and Irene Hannan with eight. Both King and Hannan notched 15 digs on the night while Macy Markham and Emelia Saulter both dug up the ball 10 times. Saulter also had 29 assists in the match. Sarah Roberts led the Lions in kills with 12 while Alison Jacobs had 11 digs to go with her 36 assists. The Lady Blazers were out blocked, 6-1, by the Lions. Aside from Arielle Parnell's attacking percentage of .312, Valdosta State was too inefficient on the attack. The Lady Blazers compiled a .124 attacking percentage to North Alabama's .222. Valdosta State will look to bounce back at Alabama-Huntsville at 2 p.m. Saturday.

Delta State Holds Off Blazers 31-23

2009-10-01

CLEVELAND, Miss. - Delta State rushed out to a 21-0 lead and withstood Valdosta State comeback bid as the Statesmen defeated the Blazers 31-23 in Gulf South Conference football action at Parker Field Thursday evening. Delta State (3-2, 2-1) jumped out to an early lead as it scored on its first two possessions of the game. After forcing a Blazer punt on the opening drive of the game, the Statemen used nine plays to march 80 yards for their first score. DSU picked up 24 yards on its first three plays of the drive as Garrett DeWitt completed a pair of passes for 16 yards and Darnell Taylor carried for nine yards. The Blazer defense stepped up over the next several plays to bring up a third-and-15 from the VSU 49 yard line. However, DeWitt found Eldred King wide open down the middle of the field to give DSU a 7-0 lead. Valdosta State (2-3, 2-2) marched into Statesmen territory on its next drive and faced a third-and-three situation, only to have a false start back the ball up five yards. A pair of incomplete passes gave Delta State the ball back. The Statemen responded with a 10-play, 75-yard drive that culminated with a six-yard Trevar Deed touchdown run to push its lead to 14-0 before returning an interception 47 yards to push its lead to 21 points. Valdosta State answered on its next drive with an 18-yard R.J. Bastone touchdown catch. Kellen Lewis completed a nine-yard pass to Kody Case to begin the drive, the first of four passes he would complete on the drive. The senior quarterback also carried the ball twice for 23 yards before hitting Bastone on a third and 10 play for the score and a 21-7 Statesmen lead. A penalty forced VSU to kick off from its own 15 yard line on the ensuing kickoff and Delta State returned the ball to the VSU 45. On the first play from scrimmage, DeWitt broke through the line and 20 yards later pitched the ball to Deed, who raced the final 25 yards for a touchdown. The Blazers responded again on their next drive with a 25-yard touchdown by Case to cut its deficit to 14 points. Cedric Jones began the drive with three straight receptions, giving him 248 in his career to establish a new Valdosta State and Gulf South Conference career receptions record. The key play of the drive came on a third and 12 play when Lewis hit Jones for 22 yards. Two plays later, Case caught a pass over the middle to cut the Delta State lead to 28-14. Justin Kraemer added field goals of 32 and 33 yards to cut the Blazer deficit to 28-20 at the half. Defense ruled the third quarter as VSU forced a pair of Deed fumbles on the Blazer one yard line and the two teams traded a field goal each to establish a 31-23 Statesmen lead. Valdosta State threatened in the final quarter as it marched to the Delta State nine yard line. However, a Ronnye Nelson fumble on a second down play was recovered by DSU's Eljae Faoagali and Delta State rushed a series of runs to run out the clock. Lewis completed 34-fo-56 passes in the game for 316 yards and two touchdowns while also carrying the ball nine times for 113 yards. Jones caught 14 of the pass attempts, tying his career high established against Arkansas Tech September 22, 2007, for 127 yards while Josh Wiley and Demarcus Flanagan tallied 10 tackles each to lead the defense. Deed carried the ball 21 times for 84 yards while also catching nine passes for 68 yards to lead the DSU squad. Lardester Hicks-Green finished the game with 20 tackles to lead the defense. Valdosta State returns to action Saturday, October 10 when it hosts Henderson State in Bazemore-Hyder Stadium for the Blazers' Homecoming game. The game is scheduled for a 3:00 p.m. kickoff.

Delta State Game Notes

2009-09-30

Today's Game: For the first of three times in 2009, Valdosta State plays in front of a television audience as the Blazers travel to Cleveland, Miss. to face Delta State in the Gulf South Conference Thursday Game of the Week. VSU, which defeated West Alabama 35-6 last week, is 2-2 on the season, including a 2-1 mark in GSC play, while the Statesmen are also 2-2, including a 1-1 mark against league competition after a 38-14 loss at Ouachita Baptist last week. The game features the first time the Blazers have visited Cleveland and Travis Parker Field since the 2006 season, when Delta State claimed a 35-28 victory, the first of three straight wins in the series for DSU. One storyline of the game will be VSU's Cedric Jones and the senior's pursuit of the Gulf South Conference career receiving record. Jones enters the game third in career receptions in conference history, one behind DSU's Robert Davis, who played from 2003 to 2006, and three behind VSU's Sean Pender, who starred for the Blazers from 1992 through 1996. Jones has caught 22 passes in his three previous games agains the Statesmen, including nine for 151 yards and a touchdowns as a freshman in 2006, his only other appearance on Delta State's home field. VSU averages 403.2 yards of total offense on the season while surrendering 310.5 yards per game. Running back Ronnye Nelson leads the offense with 137 rushing yards and 17 receptions. Quarterback Kellen Lewis has completed 93-of-142 passes for 934 yards while linebacker Larry Dean leads the defense with 34 total tackles, including 5.5 for loss. Delta State is averaging 406.2 yards per game while surrendering 376.5 per outing. Running back Trevar Deed ranks among the top 10 in the GSC in both rushing and receiving, totaling 156.5 all-purpose yards per game while Lardester Hicks-Green leads the Statesmen defense with 44 tackles, 18 of which came last week at Ouachita Baptist. The 2009 season marks the 28th year of Valdosta State football while the West Alabama game will be the 314th game in school history. The Blazers have won 211 contests, lost 98 and tied four times, a winning percentage of .681. Television: The game will be broadcast live as part of the GSC Game of the Week package on Comcast SportSouth and Cox Sports. In Valdosta, the game will be carried by Mediacom Channel 77. Click for Complete Game Notes

VSU Lady Blazer Walk-On Tryouts

2009-09-30

The Lady Blazer basketball staff is extremely interested in those student-athletes who want to be a part of our "family" here at VSU and who are dedicated 100% both in the classroom and on the basketball court. Walk-on tryouts will take place for VSU students only on Monday, October 12, from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. in the P.E. Complex and on Wednesday, October 14, at the same time. Registration will begin promptly at 7 p.m. Click here for the questionnaire you must have filled out and click here for the waiver that must be completed. Both forms must be filled out and returned to the Lady Blazer basketball staff as soon as possible. Special notes: - If you are under 18 years of age, a parent/guardian must sign the Release and Waiver of Liability and Indemnity Agreement form. The form MUST be notarized and insurance information MUST be up-to-date and accurate. - All tryout participants MUST have had an athletic physical administered within 6 months prior to the tryout and MUST bring a copy of their completed physical form to the tryout. For any questions regarding the tryout date, the Lady Blazer program or Valdosta State University, please do not hesitate to call the Lady Blazer office at (229) 333-5901. Also, feel free to e-mail Associate Head Coach Jennifer Head at jshead@valdosta.edu or Head Coach Kiley Hill at khill@valdosta.edu.

Blazers Win Flagler Invitational

2009-09-29

ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. - Valdosta State shot a final round 303 to claim an 11-stroke victory at the Flagler Invitational, held at the par 72, 7,201-yard Palencia Golf Club Tuesday. The Blazers finished the three-round tournament with a 28-over 892 after totaling the lowest round in two of the tournament's three rounds of play. Tuesday's team total of 303 paced the tournament field, besting USC-Beaufort by three strokes. VSU's Chesley Gunn claimed medalist honors as he shot a three-under 69 on Tuesday to finish as the only golfer under par for the tournament with a three-under 213. USC-Beaufort's Chris Lane was second with a one-over 217 followed by Flagler's Joel Dahlenburg and Tampa's Kris Shane at four-over with a 220. Gunn was joined in the top 10 by Blazers Will Repko and Evan Hanna, who posted a pair of nine-over 225's to tie for eighth in the event. Chad Smith tied for 21st overall with a 13-over 229 while Wade Holland tied for 45th at 236 ( 20). Host Flagler came home second with a 39-over 903 while USC-Beaufort and SCAD were a stroke behind and tied for third. Tampa rounded out the top five with a score of 919, 55-over-par. The Blazers return to action Monday, October 5 when they compete in the AFLAC/Cougar Invitational hosted by Columbus State.

Blazers Lead at Flagler Invitational

2009-09-28

ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. - Valdosta State followed a first round 293 ( 5) with an eight-over 296 in the second round to grab a three-stroke lead after the first day of play at the Flagler Invitational, being held at the par-72, 7,201-yard Palencia Golf Club Monday. Chelsey Gunn paced the Blazers as he fired 71-73 on the day to stand in third overall with an even-par 144. Will Repko also stood in the Top 10 as he finished the day at three-over 147 (74-73) to tie for ninth through the first two rounds. Chad Smith (73-76) and Evan Hanna (73-75) were a stroke behind and tied for 14th while Wade Holland tied for a 32nd with a nine-over 153 (74-79). Tampa's Chris Shane led the event with a two-under 142, followed by Flagler's Chris Bay at 143 (-1). Host Flagler shot a 16-over 592 to stand second behind Valdosta State while SCAD was third at 597 (21-over). USC-Beaufort (598) and Tampa (606) rounded out the top five. The tournament concludes with a single round of play on Tuesday beginning at 8:00 a.m.

Blazers Dominate West Alabama 35-6

2009-09-26

VALDOSTA, Ga. - Valdosta State turned in its best offensive effort of the year as the Blazers defeated West Alabama 35-6 in Gulf South Conference football action at Bazemore-Hyder Stadium Saturday evening. The Blazers tallied 488 yards of total offense, including 413 through the air. Blazer quarterback Kellen Lewis completed 27-of-37 passes on the evening for 306 yards and a touchdown while also carrying the ball seven times for 16 yards and a pair of scores. Cedric Jones caught 10 passes from Lewis, the first Blazer to catch 10 passes in a game since Jones did so against Northwest Missouri State in the Blazers 2007 national championship victory, for 90 yards and a score. The 10 receptions gave Jones 244 for his career, moving him into second place on the VSU career list and third in the GSC, leaving him just three shy of Sean Pender's school and conference record of 247 catches. Valdosta State (2-2, 2-1) opened the scoring on its first drive of the game as it marched 69 yards on 10 plays. Lewis completed six-of-eight passes on the drive, tallying 63 yards, before Ronnye Nelson scored on a two-yard run with 12:45 to go in the first quarter. After the a pair of punts by each team, the Blazer special teams set up the second VSU touchdown of the game when Rashad Etheridge blocked a Brock Sharp punt attempt on West Alabama's third series of the game. Valdosta State took over on the UWA two yard line after the block and Lewis scored on a quarterback keeper to put the Blazers in front 14-0 with 4:35 remaining in the first quarter. Lewis added a one-yard scoring run on Valdosta State's next drive to push the VSU lead to 21 points. David Arnold began the drive with a pair of carries for 21 yards before Lewis and R.J. Bastone hooked up for a pair of receptions that covered 25 yards. A Jones reception moved the ball to the Tiger six yard line while a holding penalty gave VSU a first and goal from the UWA three. Lewis picked up two yards on a keeper up the middle and was stuffed for no gain on his next run before faking a hand-off and rolling out right to score untouched. A Roosevelt Ross fumble on the VSU 24 set up the next Blazer scoring drive, which covered 76 yards in just eight plays. After a Nelson carry netted no yards, Lewis hit Kody Case for 13 yards and Jackson Dean for 32 more to move the ball down to the UWA 31. A pair of catches by Jones netted six more yards while Isaiah Jupiter hauled in a catch at the UWA 13. Nelson proceeded to pick up six yards on a carry before closing out the drive with a seven yard touchdown run to give VSU a 28-0 halftime lead. The Blazers got their final points of the game on their first drive of the third quarter. After a punt gave Valdosta State the ball on the UWA 49, Lewis completed a 22-yard pass to Gerald Ford. After an incomplete pass, Jones hauled in a pass on the sideline and broke a tackle before making two more defenders miss him as he scored on a 27-yard reception to post VSU to a 35-0 lead. The Valdosta State starters played just one more series the rest of the game, a drive that ended with a 33 yard missed field goal, while the defense twice stopped the Tigers (3-2, 1-2) inside the Blazer 15 yard line. The only West Alabama score of the game came with 1:40 remaining when Eric Hendricks forced an Arnold fumble on the VSU 40. Tavarus Finley recovered the fumble and returned it 30 yards to the VSU 10. A Blazer penalty on the play moved the ball to the five-yard line, from which Ross scored on the next play. Arnold led the Blazer rushing game with eight carries and 52 yards while Donald Maxwell paced the VSU defense with seven tackles, including two for loss. Gary Johnston came on for an injured Deon Williams and completed eight-of-19 passes for 61 yards while Ross carried the ball 16 times for 102 yards. Hendricks tallied a team-high 11 tackles and forced two fumbles in the game. Valdosta State returns to action Thursday, October 1 when it travels to Cleveland, Miss. to face Delta State at Parker Field. The game will be televised as a part of the GSC Game of the Week package and is scheduled for an 8:00 p.m. Eastern kickoff.

Blazers race strong in Macon

2009-09-26

MACON, Ga. - The Valdosta State men's cross country team raced to 7th place, and the women's cross country team raced to 10th place at the Mercer Run Fit Sports Invitational Saturday. For the women's squad Angelina Horne recorded a time of 20:34 to finish 15th overall while Jordanne Helton was just a minute and 20 seconds back in 18th place. Andrea Smith placed 38th with a time of 22:52 and Neka Gibbs was 88th in a time of 25:23. Tiffany Zuganelis came in 106th with a time of 26:22 while Ashley Hiott rounded out the Lady Blazer squad in 123rd place with a time of 27:19. As a squad, VSU finished with 251 points placing 10th out of 20 squads. Kennesaw State's MacKenzie Howe claimed first place with a time of 17:56. Kennesaw State won the men's meet with 37 points followed by Columbus State in 2nd with 52 points and Valdosta State was not too far behind in 7th place with 223 points. Columbus State's Meshack Koyiaki took first place with a time of 24:57. For the Blazers, Chris Rice finished 23rd overall with a time of 28:11 while Terence Boyd was 48th at 29:23. Steven Cary was two seconds behind and finished 49th while DJ Smith placed 58th with a time of 29:40. Brandon Joyner came home in a time of 30:22 to finish 77th while Austin McDonald (30:39), Marc Kasier (32:11), Kenny Brooks (32:48), Patrick McGough (33:18), and Daniel McCormick (35:06) rounded out the Blazers squad. The Blazers and Lady Blazers return to action next weekend when they travel to Pensacola, Fla for the Gulf Coast Stampede.

Lady Blazers race strong in Macon

2009-09-26

VSU Notches First GSC Win of Season

2009-09-25

VALDOSTA, Ga. - Valdosta State used a balanced offensive attack against West Georgia to move to 1-0 in the Gulf South Conference and 9-3 on the year. West Georgia fell to 8-10 and 0-2 in the GSC with the loss. Behind double-digit kills from Irene Hannan, Ruthie King and Katie Onushko, the Lady Blazers beat the Wolves of West Georgia, 25-22, 22-25, 24-26, 25-18, 15-8. Hannan finished with 16 kills while King had 15. Onushko added 12. Emelia Saulter joined King to lead the team in digs with 16. Hannan had 15 on the night and Onushko finished with 10. Saulter also passed out 45 assists and registered a solo block in addition to a block assist. Tania Tauiliili led the team in blocks with six assists, but Onushko added four. Hannan and Logan also notched solo blocks back to back for VSU's 11th and 12th points in the fifth frame. Mary Krueger led West Georgia in kills with 16 while Ellie Murphy racked up 21 digs. Taylor Mense gave 41 assists on the night. Valdosta State faces North Alabama in Florence, Ala. at 8 p.m. Friday.

ITA Women's South Regional Championship Central

2009-09-24

Sunday, September 27

The final results can be found here. The final draw can be found here.

Gumbrecht Falls in Finals

VALDOSTA, Ga. - Natali Gumbrecht had a great regional tournament and finished higher than her fifth seed, but she could not get past Senka Softic in the championship round. Softic, the top seed from Florida Southern, beat Gumbrecht in matching sets, 6-1, 6-1. Gumbrecht was the only Lady Blazer to play in the championship round Sunday, but the team made a strong showing throughout the tournament. In addition to Gumbrecht's second place finish, her doubles team with Raphaelle Durante went to the final four of the tournament, as did Tina Trautmann in the singles.

Saturday, September 26

The full results from Saturday can be found here. The full schedule for Saturday can be found here.

Gumbrecht Advances to Finals

VALDOSTA, Ga. - Natali Gumbrecht beat second seed Angela Werschel of Barry in an easy two sets, 6-2, 6-3. Now, Gumbrecht, the fifth seed, will square off against Senka Softic of Florida Southern, the top seed. Softic was able to retire Tina Trautmann, ninth seed, in the semifinal round. Softic won, 6-3, 6-2. The last doubles team that Valdosta State had in the tournament also fell Saturday to the likes of Tessie Salome and Jessica Yanoff of Lynn. Lynn beat Gumbrecht and Raphaelle Durante by a score of 8-2. The women's first match on Sunday is as follows: Singles: Natali Gumbrecht vs. Senka Softic at 9 a.m. (Championship Round)

Friday, September 25

The full results from Friday can be found here. The full schedule for Saturday can be found here.

Two Advance to Quarterfinals

VALDOSTA, Ga. - Tina Trautmann and Natali Gumbrecht advanced to the quarterfinal round to be played on Saturday with their wins throughout Friday. Gumbrecht also teams up with Raphaelle Durante to play in the doubles semifinal round Saturday. Trautmann went through Nora Baertschi of Florida Southern, 6-0, 6-0. Then she followed that with a hard fought match against third seed Rashni Luthra of Rollins. The two went to three sets, but Trautmann won, 2-6, 6-1, 1-0 (3). She will face Maggie Ekert of Lynn, the sixth seed at 8:30 a.m. Saturday. Gumbrecht made short work of Florida Tech's Stephanie Dohner, 6-1, 6-0 in her first match of the day. After that she took down Taylor Brewster of West Florida, 6-1, 6-3. She will face Katerina Jiskrova at 8:30 a.m. as well. Sonya Haggstrom fell to 11th seed Natalia Ramos by a score of 6-3, 6-1, and Durante could not make it past Tessie Salome of Lynn with a loss in three sets, 0-6, 6-2, 0-1 (4). Kristel de Groot did win her first match of the day in the consolation bracket. She took down Darina Yablonskaya of Barry, 6-1, 6-3, but could not beat Lina Beukirane of Saint Leo. She fell, 6-3, 6-2. The Lady Blazers also made progress in doubles as Durante and Gumbrecht beat Caitlyn Baines and Paulina Ojeda, 8-6, to face Tessie Salome and Jessica Yanoff at 2 p.m. Saturday. But Haggstrom and de Groot could not make it past Elonara Iannozzi and Alisson Siaci in the round of 16. The duo fell, 8-6, to the third seed. The women's first matches on Saturday are as follows: Singles: Tina Trautmann vs. Maggie Ekert at 8:30 a.m. Natali Gumbrecht vs. Katerina Jiskrova at 8:30 a.m. Doubles: Gumbrecht/Durante vs. Salome/Yanoff at 2 p.m.

Thursday, September 24

The full results from Thursday can be found here. The full schedule for Friday can be found here.

Lady Blazers Only Drop One

VALDOSTA, Ga. - In the ITA Women's South Regional Championship played throughout this weekend, the Valdosta State team made a dominating showing in the opening day. Valdosta State played host to nine schools throughout the region, but only took one loss on the day. The foursome of Sonya Haggstrom, Tina Trautmann, Natali Gumbrecht and Raphaelle Durante took care of business in two sets. Haggstrom beat Blake Bauer of Nova Southeastern, 6-1, 6-0 while Trautmann put away Federica Longo, also of Nova, 6-2, 6-1. Durante matched Haggstrom's score against Veronika Kovacikova of Florida Southern, and Gumbrecht beat Allie Steele of Rollins, 6-3, 6-1. The lone Lady Blazer to fall Thursday was Kristel de Groot, who lost to Elisa Leeder of Nova, 6-2, 6-2. De Groot, however, bounced back in doubles with teammate Haggstrom to make short work of Andrea Arguello and Veronika Kovacikova of Florida Southern. The duo won, 8-2, and followed it up with an 8-3 win over Jaqualine March and Carmel Gray of West Florida. Haggstrom and Durante teamed up to 2-0 in doubles as well, first with a win, 8-5, over Abigail Greif and Natalia Ramos of Florida Tech, and second against Daria Egorova and Cara Justine Feaster of Nova, 8-3. The women's first matches on Friday are as follows: Singles: Sonya Haggstrom vs. Natalia Ramos at 8:30 a.m. Tina Trautmann vs. Nora Baertschi at 8:30 a.m. Natali Gumbrecht vs. Stephanie Dohner at 10 a.m. Raphaelle Durante vs. Tessie Salome at 10 a.m. Singles Consolation: Kristel de Groot vs. Darina Yablonskaya at 11 a.m. Doubles: De Groot/Haggstrom vs. Ianozzie/Siaci at 5 p.m. Gumbrecht/Durante vs. Baines/Ojeda at 4 p.m.

West Alabama Game Notes

2009-09-24

Today's Game: Valdosta State returns home looking for redemption as the Blazers host West Alabama in a Gulf South Conference tilt at Bazemore-Hyder Stadium. VSU is coming off of a 24-14 loss at Ouachita Baptist and is 1-2 on the season while UWA is 3-1, including a 38-30 loss in five overtimes to Southern Arkansas in its last game. Field position will be the key to the game as West Alabama enters the contest tops in the Gulf South Conference in kick off return at 26.9 yards per return. Meanwhile, Valdosta State leads the conference in kick-off coverage as it allows just 18.7 yards per return and nets 41.7 yards per kick off on the year. The Tigers are also fourth in the league in passing offense while the Blazers rank fourth in passing defense. VSU averages 375.0 yards of total offense on the season while surrendering 337.0 yards per game. Running back Ronnye Nelson leads the offense with 197 yards of total offense and a team-high 15 receptions. Quarterback Kellen Lewis has completed 66-of-105 passes for 628 yards while linebacker Larry Dean leads the defense with 29 total tackles, including 5.0 for loss. West Alabama is averaging 450.5 yards per game while surrendering 387.0 per outing. Quarterback Deon Williams, who began his collegiate career at Valdosta State in 2006, has completed 63 of his 106 passes on the year for 993 yards and eight touchdowns. J.D. Douglas leads the Tiger defense with 44 tackles and four passes broken up. The 2009 season marks the 28th year of Valdosta State football while the West Alabama game will be the 314th game in school history. The Blazers have won 211 contests, lost 98 and tied four times, a winning percentage of .681. Internet Webcast: The game will be webcast live over the internet, free of charge, at www.vstateblazers.tv. Radio Network: WDDQ, Talk 92.1 FM (Valdosta, Adel); WSFB 1490 AM/97.7 FM (Quitman); WHLJ, Foxy 97.5 FM (Valdosta, Statenville); WKZZ, Z 92.5. FM (Tifton); WVOH, Classic 93.5 FM (Hazlehurst); WVVS, BlazeFM 90.9 FM (Valdosta); WTHV, 810 AM (Valdosta); W241BG, 96.1 FM (Valdosta). Dick Rockey (play-by-play), Wes James (analysis) and Tom Odom (sideline) call the action. Click for Complete Game Notes

VSU to Add Women's Soccer in 2011

2009-09-23

VALDOSTA, Ga. - Valdosta State will field women's soccer as an intercollegiate sport beginning in 2011, according to an announcement made by VSU President Patrick Schloss and Athletic Director Herb Reinhard during a press conference at the University Center Wednesday. "I am pleased to announce the addition of women's soccer as the 12th intercollegiate and sixth women's sport at Valdosta State," said Schloss in making the announcement. "We will join the Gulf South Conference as one of nine schools to sponsor this sport. We feel that we are well positioned geographically to become a power in this sport and look forward to seeing this new team uphold the proud tradition that is Valdosta State Athletics." Reinhard indicated that a national coaching search will begin within the next 3 weeks and that the University planned on having its newest coach in place during the later winter or early spring months of 2010. "Our timeline includes getting a coach in here as quickly as possible," he said. "That will give whoever leads our new program basically all of 2010 and the first half of 2011 to get everything involved with starting a new program, including recruiting, scheduling and buying equipment, completed." Both Schloss and Reinhard pointed to the support of the Valdosta State campus and Valdosta community as a major factor in choosing VSU's newest Division II program. "I would like to say that we really appreciate the Student Government Association for their support and input as we have moved forward with adding another sport at Valdosta State," Schloss added. "Likewise, the support from our community, which has already stepped forward with offers of funding, has been unbelievable. The response from all parties has been positive and shows that they believe in this move and how it will benefit the University as a whole." Reinhard also added that much of the infrastructure for the new program has already been put in place, making the decision to add women's soccer easier. "We planned ahead when building the new Athletic Fieldhouse," he concluded. "The infrastructure, including locker rooms and coaches offices, was included with the new Fieldhouse. Additionally, we have the space behind that building to build a playing surface, along with two football practice fields." Women's soccer will be the first sport Valdosta State has added since the school began women's volleyball in 1995. In addition to becoming the ninth GSC school to sponsor the sport, VSU will become the 21st NCAA institution to participate in the sport in the state of Georgia, including the seventh Division II program. One of the nation's fastest growing sports among females, girls soccer is currently sponsored by 310 high schools in the state of Georgia.

Blazers Falls 24-14 to Ouachita Baptist

2009-09-19

ARKADELPHIA, Ark. - Ouachita Baptist tallied 502 yards of total offense as the Tigers defeated No. 12 Valdosta State 24-14 at A.U. Williams Field Saturday evening. The Tigers totaled 129 rushing yards and 373 through the air, 261 of which were hauled in by Jeremy Young. Keldrick Johnson tallied 144 rushing yards, marking the first time an opposing running back has rushed for 100 yards against VSU (1-2, 1-1) since October 20, 2007, a span of 20 straight games. Ouachita Baptist (3-0, 2-0) opened the scoring on its first drive as Jason Fowler kicked a 35-yard field goal. After forcing a Blazer punt on VSU's first drive. Ouachita took over on its own 35 and used 10 plays to move into field goal position. The Tigers appeared to get a touchdown on the drive when Johnson broke for a 17-yard run, but a holding penalty negated the run to force the field goal. After Valdosta State blocked an OBU field goal attempt to start the second quarter, the Blazers grabbed their only lead of the game as they marched 80 yards on eight plays for a touchdown. The drive started with a Kellen Lewis-to-Kody Case 17 yard completion while two plays later Lewis hooked up with Jackson Dean for 20 more yards. An 18 yard reception by R.J. Bastone preceded a 12-yard Lewis run, moving the ball to the OBU three. Two plays later, Ronnye Nelson scored from two yards out to build a 7-3 advantage. The Tigers quickly responded as they marched 79 yards on six plays for a touchdown. The key play of the drive came when Eli Cranor hooked up with Jaime Harris for a 31-yard gain on a second and 33 play. The next play from scrimmage saw Johnson go 45 yards untouched for a score and a 10-7 OBU lead. The Ouachita Baptist lead grew to 17-7 in the third quarter as Cranor and Young hooked up for a 56-yard touchdown. The Tigers held their lead into the fourth, where Lewis and Case connected for a 10-yard touchdown pass. OBU pushed its lead back to 10 points on its next drive as Cranor hit Young on a 60-yard scoring strike off of a play fake. Lewis completed 30-of-53 passing attempts for 288 yards while Nelson led the rushing attack with 61 yards on seven carries. Gerald Ford and Case each had five receptions each while Larry Dean led the defense with 11 tackles. Cranor completed 24-of-36 passes, 13 of which were caught by Young. Clayton Gore tallied 11 tackles to lead the Tiger defense. Valdosta State returns home to Bazemore-Hyder Stadium to host West Alabama next Saturday, September 26. Kickoff is slated for 7:00 p.m.

Follow the Blazers on Twitter

2009-09-17

Valdosta State fans can now follow the Blazers on Twitter. For an inside look at Valdosta State athletic teams, both at home and on the road, join us at BlazerAthletics on Twitter.

Lady Blazers Fall to Saints

2009-09-16

ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. - Valdosta State's winning streak came to an end Wednesday night against Flagler. The Lady Blazers fell to 8-3 with a four-game loss to the Saints. Flagler won, 25-10, 23-25, 25-18, 25-19. In a hotly contested match Valdosta State took the second game after dropping the first. The third and fourth sets were close, but VSU couldn't come out on top. No Lady Blazer notched double-digit kills. The most kills the team put up came in the second game when the Lady Blazers struck 10. Irene Hannan led the team with seven and Ruthie King and Arielle Parnell both hit for six. Emelia Saulter passed out 20 assists while Hannan had nine digs. Katie Beale led the Saints with 16 kills and Meg Weathersby and Justine Burkhardt both had 11. Olivia Snipes passed for 27 assists while Beale and Burkhardt had 12 and 11 digs respectively. The Lady Blazers will look to bounce back against West Georgia on September 25 in the P.E. Complex.

Fly with the Blazers to Ouachita Baptist

2009-09-14

The Valdosta State University football team will fly charter to two football games this fall, September 19th vs. Ouachita Baptist and October 17th vs. Harding. On a space available basis, non-team members can travel with the team on these trips. Cost per person for ground transportation and the post-game meal is $200. Game tickets and other meal cost are separate and the responsibility of the traveler. If you are interested in travelling with the team, please contact Debbie Wisenbaker at 229-333-5462 or dbwisenb@valdosta.edu. Deadline is the Wednesday at noon before each flight. An Emergency Information Travel Form (attached), as well as a copy of the front/back of your insurance card, needs to be submitted with payment. Click for Emergency Information Travel Form

Blazers Get Defensive, Win 32-7

2009-09-12

VALDOSTA, Ga. - Valdosta State limited Southern Arkansas to just 39 yards of total offense as the Blazers defeated the Muleriders 32-7 in Gulf South Conference football action at Bazemore-Hyder Stadium Saturday evening. The 39 yards of total offense marked the second fewest surrendered by the Blazers in school history, behind the 22 tallied by Mount Senario on September 2, 1993. SAU (0-2) managed just 53 passing yards and lost a total of 14 yards on the ground, the third-fewest rushing yards surrendered by VSU (1-1) in school history. Valdosta State allowed just seven first downs in the game, including three via penalty, which tied for the sixth-fewest first downs allowed in program history, and gave up its only points of the game on an interception return in the second quarter. After the two teams exchanged punts on the first two drives of the game, Valdosta State opened the scoring on its second drive as it marched 62 yards on 10 plays. Kellen Lewis completed all five passes he threw on the drive and capped off the drive with a two-yard touchdown run to put the Blazers in front 7-0. Southern Arkansas, which tallied no yards on its first drive, lost nine on its next drive and gained just three on its final drive of the first quarter to end the frame with negative six yards of offense through the first quarter. VSU upped its lead to 14-0 on its first drive of the second quarter as Lewis capped off a 12-play, 80-yard drive with a three-yard touchdown run. The senior quarterback was again perfect passing the ball on the drive as he completed five passes for 43 yards while rushing for 29 yards on three carries. Southern Arkansas got its only score of the game on Valdosta State's next drive as Lewis' arm was hit as he began to come forward with it on a pass attempt. The ball sailed into the arms of Trent Stevenson, who raced 29 yards untouched for a touchdown. The Blazers added a 32-yard Daniel Anderson field goal 32 seconds before the half to claim a 17-7 halftime lead.VSU outgained the Muleriders 238 to 3 in total offense during the frame. Anderson added a 49 yard field and Derrick Harris ran for a four-yard touchdown in the third quarter while a safety, on a snap over the head of SAU punter Zach Massingill and a 35-yard field goal by Anderson in the fourth closed out the scoring. Lewis completed 27-of-33 passes for 192 yards in the game while also picking up 23 yards on nine carries. Michael Brown led the rushing attack with 71 yards on 13 carries while Gerald Ford, Ronnye Nelson and Cedric Jones each caught five passes for the Blazers. Larry Dean led the VSU defense with eight tackles, including two-and-a-half for loss. Ryan McCombie completed 13-of-33 passes for 53 yards in the game for Southern Arkansas while Chris Metcalf carried the ball nine times for 11 yards. Ryan Terry led the Mulerider defense with 11 tackles. Valdosta State hits the road for the first time in 2009 when it travels to Ouachita Baptist next Saturday, September 19. The GSC game is scheduled for a 8:00 p.m. Eastern kickoff.

Blazers Have Great Finish in Huntsville

2009-09-12

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. - The Valdosta State women's cross country team placed 8th and the men's cross country team finished 5th this weekend at the Fleet Feet/ Earl Jacoby Memorial Invitational. The women's squad finished the day strong, Angelina Horne recorded a time of 20:18 to finish 16th overall while Ashley Luther was less than a minute behind in 29th place. Neka Gibbs placed 41st with a time of 22:11 and Tiffany Zuganelis was 51st in a time of 23:05. Ashley Hiott came home 58th in a time 23:48, and Andrea Smith rounded the Lady Blazer squad with a showing of 73rd. As a squad VSU finished with a total of 195 points beating North Alabama by 42 points. UAB's Rhiannon Johns claimed first place with a time of 18:22. UAH won the men's 8K meet with 54 points followed by Alabama State in 2nd with 67 points. The Blazers were not far behind in 5th place with a total of 116 points. Jacksonville State's David Nilsson claimed first place with a time of 25:15. For the Blazers, Chris Rice finished 10th overall with a time of 27:46 while Austin McDonald was 21st at 28:23. DJ Smith was four seconds behind and finshed 23rd while Steven Cary placed 30th with a time of 29:27. Cory Stejback came home in a time of 29:44 to finish 32nd while Terence Boyd (30:24), Kenny Brooks (31:00), and Juan Tejada (31:43) all tallied Top 50 finishes for VSU. The Blazers and Lady Blazers return to action September 26th when they travel to Macon, Ga. for the Georgia State Intercollegiate.

Lady Blazers Have Great Finish in Huntsville

2009-09-12

Lady Blazers Serve Up Home Opener

2009-09-11

VALDOSTA, Ga. - After being on the road the past two weekends, the Valdosta State Lady Blazers come home to begin the team's home season with the opener against Albany State. The match starts at 6 p.m. tonight. Valdosta State will honor the heroes of September 11, 2001, at the beginning of the match, and then the action will begin. For those who can't make it to the P.E. Complex tonight, check out the webcast of tonight's match here. Also, check back for webcasts of Lady Blazer volleyball on September 25 against West Georgia, October 23 against North Alabama, October 24 against Alabama-Huntsville, October 30 against Fort Valley State and November 6 against West Florida. Just click on the "Free Live Webcast" link on the right side of the homepage at www.vstateblazers.com. This will be your last chance to catch the Lady Blazers at home until September 25 against West Georgia. Don't miss out.

Valdosta State Knocks Off Golden Rams

2009-09-11

VALDOSTA, Ga. - Valdosta State, led by Irene Hannan's 20 kills, beat Albany State in four games, 23-25, 25-12, 25-21, 25-15. After dropping the first game, the Lady Blazers rebounded to win three straight to move to 8-2 on the season. Valdosta State attacked for a percentage above .300 in the last three frames and a .389 in the final frame. Hannan hit for a percentage of .447 on her way to 20 kills and also notched 14 digs. Leading the team in digs, however, was Ruthie King with 18 and 14 kills. Tania Tauiliili and Arielle Parnell both had nine kills while Katie Onushko finished with eight. King led a foursome of her, Hannan, Emelia Saulter, and Chelsea Luttfring of double-digit diggers. Saulter had 10 while Luttfring dug up 12. Saulter also passed out 57 assists in the match. The Lady Blazer defense held Albany State to just .131 attacking percentage, but Latrice Lewis hit for 19 kills. No other Golden Ram reached double digits. Valdosta State will next be in action against Flagler in St. Augustine, Fla., on Wednesday.

Southern Arkansas Game Notes

2009-09-10

Today's Game: Valdosta State looks to rebound from its opening season loss as the Blazers host Southern Arkansas in Bazemore-Hyder Stadium. The game marks the Gulf South Conference opener for both schools, although SAU's season opener was against North Alabama, a non-league contest. Valdosta State is coming off of a 31-24 loss to Newberry, the Blazers' first loss in a season opener since the 2004 season. Meanwhile, UNA defeated Southern Arkansas 41-9 in the Muleriders' season opener. VSU compiled 411 yards of total offense against Newberry, but surrendered 470 total yards, including 333 through the air. Running back Ronnye Nelson led the offense as he picked up 25 yards on eight rushes while also catching a team-high six passes for 46 yards. Wide receiver Cedric Jones tallied four receptions and 72 yards while Larry Dean and Ratu Rabelo tallied 10 tackles each to pace the defensive unit. Southern Arkansas returns 34 letterwinners and 14 starters, including nine on offense and five on defense, off of its 2008 squad. The Muleriders tallied just 127 yards of total offense against North Alabama in their season opener, while allowing the Lions 381 total yards. SAU passed for 87 yards and threw for another 83 in the contest. Quarterback Ryan McCombie led the offense as he rushed for 19 yards on 11 carries while passing for 66 yards. Cedric Thornton and Maurice Thornton paced the defense with nine tackles each. The 2009 season marks the 28th year of Valdosta State football while the Southern Arkansas game will be the 312th game in school history. The Blazers have won 210 contests, lost 97 and tied four times, a winning percentage of .682. Internet Webcast: The game will be webcast live over the internet, free of charge, at www.vstateblazers.tv. Radio Network: WDDQ, Talk 92.1 FM (Valdosta, Adel); WSFB 1490 AM/97.7 FM (Quitman); WHLJ, Foxy 97.5 FM (Valdosta, Statenville); WKZZ, Z 92.5. FM (Tifton); WVOH, Classic 93.5 FM (Hazlehurst); WVVS, BlazeFM 90.9 FM (Valdosta); WTHV, 810 AM (Valdosta); W241BG, 96.1 FM (Valdosta). Dick Rockey (play-by-play), Wes James (analysis) and Tom Odom (sideline) call the action. Click for Complete Game Notes

Lady Blazers Sweep Wildcats

2009-09-07

FORT VALLEY, Ga. - Valdosta State swept Fort Valley State Monday to cap a 4-1 Labor Day weekend for the team. With the 3-0 sweep of the Wildcats, VSU moves to 7-2 on the season. After playing in the Montevallo Classic over the weekend, Valdosta State stopped in Fort Valley, Ga. for one more match. A balanced attack from VSU led to a 25-8, 25-10, 25-14 victory. Five players finished with five kills or more with the most coming from junior captain Ruthie King. She finished with eight kills and eight digs. Emelia Saulter gave 27 assists, and Chelsea Luttfring led the team in digs with 14. Valdosta State's defense allowed a mere -.169 attacking percentage for Fort Valley State. The Lady Blazers will play next against Albany State at 6 p.m. on Friday in the P.E. Complex for the team's home opener.

VSU Takes Montevallo in Five, Falls to Arkansas Tech

2009-09-06

MONTEVALLO, Ala. - Valdosta State's five-game winning streak came to an end Sunday, but the team bounced back with a come-from-behind victory over Montevallo. After falling to Arkansas Tech, 3-0, the Lady Blazers beat Montevallo in five. It was Valdosta State's second win after falling behind, 2-0. The Lady Blazers kept it close in the first game against Arkansas Tech with a 6-6 tie, but then the Golden Suns pulled away. Arkansas tech went on a run to 12-6 and then another one to 19-12. It was too much to overcome as VSU fell, 25-16, in the first frame. In the second frame, Valdosta State tied it at 10 before the Golden Suns began to pull away for the 25-15 win. The third set was VSU's best against Arkansas Tech, but it would not be enough to pull out the win. The Golden Suns put VSU away, 25-19, in the final game. Irene Hannan led the Lady Blazers in kills with 12 and digs with 11. Emelia Saulter dished 24 assists in the match. Valdosta State went back and forth against Montevallo in the first frame, and led by as many as four points. However, the Falcons fought back to win the set, 25-22. The second game was much like the first. There were a number of long volleys, but Montevallo gained their second point in the match with a 25-18 win. In the third frame, Valdosta State stayed alive with a thrilling 25-23 win to force the match to a fourth set. Ruthie King notched five kills and Hannan dug the ball five times in the third game alone. The Lady Blazers had only four errors in the game. Behind Katie Onushko, Valdosta State carried the momentum into the fourth game. Onushko notched six kills and four digs in the frame. The Lady Blazers raced out to a 7-2 lead to force an early timeout from Montevallo. After the timeout, VSU expanded their lead to 12-4. At that point, the Lady Blazers seized complete control to surge to a 21-9 lead and eventual 25-13 win. Valdosta State only committed two errors in the fourth game. The Falcons regained their composure in the fifth frame, but the Lady Blazers led, 8-7, at the switch. With VSU leading, 12-8, Montevallo took its second timeout of the game. The Falcons would need more as VSU won the game, 15-10, to take the match, 3-2. Both Hannan and Onushko finished with 16 kills while King notched 11 and 22 digs. Hannan had 16 digs while Saulter dug up 11 on her way to 49 assists. The Lady Blazers outblocked Montevallo, 11-6 with Saulter and Tania Tauiliili in on five and six respectively. Valdosta State's next match comes at Fort Valley State at 11 a.m. Monday. Match 1 Box Score Match 2 Box Score

Cross Country races in Memphis

2009-09-05

MEMPHIS, TENN. - The Valdosta State men's cross country team raced to fourteenth place and women%u2019s cross country team raced to sixteenth place at the Brooks Memphis Twilight XC Classic Saturday. The women's squad opened the day with a few of top 100 finishes as Angelia Horne recorded the team's best time of 20:08 to finish 48th, with 11 seconds behind Jordanne Helton recorded a time of 20:19 to finish 56th while Ashley Luther finished in 89th with a time of 21:43. Ashley Hiott placed 103th with a time of 22:15 and Neka Gibbs finished two second behind in 104th. Tiffany Zuganelis placed 114th, Ashley Claaseen finished 128th, and Andrea Smith rounded out the Lady Blazers squad showing on Saturday. As a squad, VSU finished with 400 points and an average time 21:21. Arkansas Tech University's Bailee Miller claimed individual medalist honors with a time of 18:23, and Samford University claimed team honors with 48 points. University of South Alabama won the men%u2019s 4 mile race with 43 points. Ole Miss' Barnabas Kirui claimed individual medalist with a time of 19:00. For the Blazers, Chris Rice finished 57th with a recorded time of 21:57 while Alan McGough finished 75th with a time of 22:18. Austin McDonald was just 10 seconds behind with a finish of 81st. D.J. Smith recorded a time of 22:48 in 93rd, and two seconds behind with a finish of 94th was Steven Cary. Terence Boyd finished 119th with a recorded time of 23:40 while Corey Stejback finished 120th with a time of 23:43. Kenny Brooks, Daniel McCormick, Marc Kaiser rounded out the Blazers showing on with top 150 finishes for VSU. The Blazers and Lady Blazers return to action next weekend when they travel to Huntsville, Ala. for the Fleet Feet Sports/ Earl Jacoby Memorial.

Lady Blazers Surge to 5-1

2009-09-05

MONTEVALLO, Ala. - Valdosta State surged to 5-1 to start the season with wins over Stillman and Clark Atlanta Saturday. Neither team could take a game off Valdosta State as the Lady Blazers cruised to 3-0 wins. The Lady Blazers started against Stillman. After winning a close game one, 25-22, Valdosta State turned it on in the next two games to sweep Stillman, 25-22, 25-11, 25-16. Ruthie King led the way with 16 kills on a .536 attacking percentage. Emelia Saulter passed out 37 assists and notched 12 digs to lead Valdosta State in both categories. Freshman Katie Onushko had three block assists while King and freshman Tania Tauiliili were in on two each. The Lady Blazer defense held Stillman to a mere .030 attacking percentage. In the first game against Clark Atlanta, Valdosta State fell behind, 4-1, early, but the Lady Blazers bounced back to only allow four more points to CAU the rest of the game, winning 25-8. Chelsea Luttfring served six straight times to put VSU ahead, 7-5, and the Lady Blazers did not look back. After winning the second game, 25-14, Valdosta State was down again in the third. The Lady Blazers fell behind, 4-0, but again Luttfring brought them back. Behind eight straight Luttfring serves, Valdosta State took a 10-6 lead. Onushko was next to serve and went for six uninterrupted points, but it was King and Macy Markham who led the team in aces, each with four. Onushko led the Lady Blazers with eight kills while Tauiliili and Chelsea Proffitt each had seven. Saulter gave 30 assists and King led the team in digs with six. The Lady Blazers will take on Arkansas Tech and Montevallo at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. respectively on Sunday. Match 1 Box Score Match 2 Box Score

Basketball Adds to 2009-10 Squad

2009-09-02

VALDOSTA, Ga. - James Jackson has joined the Valdosta State men's basketball team, according to an announcement made by Blazer head coach Mike Helfer on Wednesday. Jackson comes to VSU from Truett-McConnell College, where he played for coach Cory Baldwin. The 5'11 Jackson averaged 12.7 points and 4.4 assists per game for the Bears in 2008-09 while also pulling down 2.2 rebounds per outing. He finished the season second on the TCC squad with 41 steals. "James has all of the tools to be a great player here," said Helfer in making the announcement. "He has that competitive nature that will push him to even higher levels as a player in our system. "James is a point guard who can also score and create his own shot. He comes from a great junior college program and will be prepared to contribute to our team immediately." Jackson is the second former TCC player to sign with the Blazers this season, joining center Josh Williams. The Blazers return four starters and nine letterwinners off of a team that compiled a 24-7 record and advanced to the NCAA South Regional Tournament in 2008-09.

Christopher Rice Named Cross Country Runner of the Week

2009-09-02

Valdosta, Ga. - Christopher Rice was named the GSC Cross Country Runner of the Week last week after having a solid performance at the Erskine Invitational. Although he got off to a slow start, Rice finished the 6k course in less than 21 minutes. Rice finished in 6th place with a time of 20.42. He led Valdosta State University to place 3rd in the competition. Rice returns to action next weekend at the Fleet Feet Sports/ Earl Jacoby Memorial in Huntsville, Ala.

Lindsey Lloyd to Take Over Tickets

2009-09-01

VALDOSTA, Ga. - Valdosta State Athletic Director Herb Reinhard has announced the hiring of Lindsey Lloyd as Director of Ticketing and Game Operations. "I am excited to be able to add Lindsey to our full-time staff," said Reinhard. "She has solid experience with an athletic program as a student-athlete and graduate assistant, and now I expect her to be an asset to our team as a staff member." The former VSU softball player has already worked with Chuck Carson, the previous director, to install a new ticketing system for Valdosta State athletics. Her previous experience in the Blazer ticket office makes it a seamless transition for both Lloyd and Valdosta State. "It's a huge honor to fill this position because Chuck has done so much in a short time here. I would like to keep everything moving in a positive direction," said Lloyd. "I'm looking forward to picking up where he left off and progressing forward." In addition to working in the ticket office, Lloyd also served as an athletics development graduate assistant as well as the liaison for the Valdosta State student athlete-advisory committee. In that time, she pursued her Master of Education in educational leadership with a major in higher education. As a student at Valdosta State, Lloyd earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts in mass media with an emphasis in broadcast journalism in 2008. The magna cum laude graduate was a four-year athletic scholarship recipient on the Lady Blazer softball team. She was named to the dean's list, the Gulf South Conference honor roll and inducted into the honor society Phi Kappa Phi. She was also named a National Fastpitch Coaches' Association All-American Scholar-Athlete. Lloyd will also contribute a wealth of experience outside of Valdosta State. She has been a production and operations assistant for ESPN, CBS and Fox on NASCAR and Monday Night Football broadcasts. Lloyd also logged time with the Golf Channel. She has also had the opportunity to contribute to the Valdosta community as an employee of the local YMCA. In her time there, she worked as the marketing and graphic design coordinator.

Blazers Fall 31-24 to Newberry

2009-08-29

VALDOSTA, Ga. - Newberry scored 21 straight second half points and withstood a late Valdosta State rally to defeat the No. 12 Blazers 31-24 in non-conference football action at Bazemore-Hyder Stadium Saturday evening. Newberry (1-0) jumped out to an early 10-0 lead as it scored on two of its first three drives of the contest. After a 31-yard return by Kelton Tindal gave NC the ball on the Newberry 38, Newberry marched 62 yards on seven plays for a touchdown. Brandon Gantt threw an incomplete pass and S.J. Worrell was dropped for a two-yard loss before Gantt connected with David Smith for 18 yards and a first down. A personal foul against the Blazers moved the ball to the VSU 31, but a rush and two passes tallied just two yards, bringing up fourth-and-eight from the Blazer 29. The Newberry coaching staff chose to go for it and was rewarded when Gantt found Tindal down the middle for 29 yards and a touchdown, giving NC a 7-0 lead. Two drives later, Britt Blackmon added an 18-yard touchdown for Newberry to push the advantage to 10-0 at the end of the first quarter. Valdosta State (0-1) dominated the second quarter of the game as it racked up 17 points and 170 yards of offense in the frame. The Blazer score of the frame came on a 38-yard field goal from Daniel Anderson as Valdosta State recovered a Newberry fumble and moved 60 yards on 13 plays. NC turned the ball over via fumble on its next drive as well, leading to VSU's first touchdown of the 2009 season. Kellen Lewis opened the drive with a 15-yard completion to R.J. Bastone before the duo hooked up again on the next play, this time for a 52-yard pick-up that moved the ball to the Newberry three yard line. Ronnye Nelson finished off the drive as he ran untouched into the end zone on the next play from scrimmage, evening the contest at 10-10 with 4:39 remaining in the first half. After a NC punt on its next drive gave VSU the ball on the Newberry 40, Lewis went deep to Cedric Jones on the first play from scrimmage. Jones went in the air and pulled the ball away from NC safety Ron Parker before falling into the end zone for a touchdown and a 17-10 Blazer lead. The Blazers were unable to pick up a first down on its first drive of the second half while a 29 yard punt return by Antonio Patton set up Newberry's first score of the third quarter. Following the punt return, Gantt picked up 12 yards on the ground and hit David Pressley for five more before Tindal rushed for two yards. Gantt and Brown connected for 16 more yard before Pressley caught a 25-yard pass for the tying score with 11:45 to go in the quarter. Russ Callaway was forced to come on for an injured Lewis on the next drive and was intercepted by Brooks Burnette on a third-and-nine play, giving NC the ball on the VSU 30. Worrell proceeded to gain three yards before Gantt and Smith connected on a 27-yard scoring strike. A botched snap on the extra point attempt allowed the VSU special teams unit to stop a run on the play, posting Newberry to a 23-17 lead. Callaway was again intercepted on the next VSU drive, but the VSU defense forced a punt before Anderson missed a 32-yard field goal wide right to give Newberry the ball on its own 20 yard line. NC proceeded to march 80 yards on 10 plays for its final touchdown, a Worrell one yard run that proceeded Gantt connecting with Pressley on a two-point throw to post Newberry to a 31-17 lead. Valdosta State moved to the Newberry 23, 23 and 18 on its next three drives, but saw a pair of interceptions and a turnover on downs end all three threats. Newberry used its running game to wind down the clock before the Blazers scored the final points of the game with 32 seconds remaining. VSU took over on its own 13 yard line on the drive and Callaway completed four of seven passes, the last to Cedric Evans for an 18-yard score, cutting the Blazer deficit to just seven points. However, Newberry recovered the ensuing on-sides kick, sealing the victory. Valdosta State finished the game with 411 yards of total offense, including 92 on the ground and 319 through the air. Callaway was 14-of-27 for 171 yards, a touchdown and three interceptions while Lewis completed nine-of-19 passes for 148 yards and a touchdown, against one interception. Nelson caught six passes for 46 yards and picked up 25 more on the ground while Jones hauled in four catches for 72 yards and a score. Larry Dean and Ratu Rabelo tallied 10 tackles each to lead the Valdosta State defense, which surrendered 470 yards in the game, including 333 through the air and 137 on the ground. Pressley caught 10 passes for 103 yards as Gantt completed 25-of-39 passes, with three touchdowns and one interception. Worrell led the rushing attack with 77 yards while Ron Parker had a team-high 10 tackles and two interceptions. Valdosta State takes next weekend off before returning to action Saturday, September 12 when it opens Gulf South Conference play against Southern Arkansas at 7:00 p.m. in Bazemore-Hyder Stadium.

Cross Country Races to Third

2009-08-29

DUE WEST, S.C. - Both the Valdosta State men's and women's cross country teams raced to third place finishes at the Erskine Invitational Saturday. Both squads competed on a European style course, with the women's race covering 4K (2.48 miles) while the men's race travelled 6K (3.72 miles). The women's squad opened the day with a pair of top 10 finishes as Jordanne Helton recorded a time of 16:40 to finish fifth overall while Angelina Horne was just four seconds back and in sixth place. Ashley Luther placed 17th with a time of 17:42 and Kaynekka Gibbs was 20th in a time of 17:59. Ashley Hiott came home 28th in a time of 18:40 while Tiffany Zuganelis was 18 seconds back and in 31st. Ashley Claassen and Andrea Smith rounded out the Lady Blazer squad with showings of 51st and 65th. As a squad, VSU finished with 71 points, just 19 behind Pfeiffer who claimed team honors with 52 points. Spartanburg Methodist's Rosa Young claimed individual medalist honors with a time of 16:12. Mars Hill won the men's meet with 43 points, followed by host Erskine in second with 51 and the Blazers in third with 64. Erskine's Adam Groblewski defended his home turf as he ran a time of 19:49 to claim medalist honors. For the Blazers, Chris Rice finished sixth overall with a time of 20:42 while Austin McDonald was ninth at 21:12. Alan McGough was a second behind and finished 10th while Steve Cary placed 15th with a time of 21:44. Corey Stejback came home in a time of 22:42 to finish 25th while Terence Boyd (23:17, Kenny Brooks (23:33), Marc Kaiser (24:49) and Daniel McCormick (24:53) all tallied Top 50 finishes for VSU. The Blazers and Lady Blazers return to action next weekend when they travel to Memphis, Tenn. For the Christian Brother Twilight Invitational.

Cross Country Races to Third

2009-08-29

Lady Blazers Start 3-1

2009-08-29

CARROLLTON, Ga. - After splitting Friday, the Lady Blazers went undefeated Saturday. With a 3-2 win against South Carolina-Aiken and a 3-1 win over Barton, Valdosta State moved to 3-1 to start the season. Valdosta State fell in the first two games against USC-Aiken, but came back to win two games by matching scores of 25-20. In the fifth frame, USC-Aiken pushed the Lady Blazers to the edge, but VSU won 21-19 to finish the match 17-25, 18-25, 25-20, 25-20, 21-19. Katie Onushko led the way in kills for VSU with 20. Both Irene Hannan and Ruthie King had 17 kills with Hannan turning in .433 attacking percentage. Hannan also had 10 digs while Emelia Saulter dished 50 times and had 11 digs. Against Barton the Lady Blazers lost the first game again, this time in a close 26-24 battle. Valdosta State showed its mental toughness by coming from behind again. The Lady Blazers bounced back to win three straight games, 25-18, 25-17, 25-18 to move to 3-1 on the year. King finished with 16 kills and 19 digs to lead VSU in both categories while Hannan had 15 kills. Saulter was the only Lady Blazer with an assist all day and passed out 41 in the second match. Valdosta State will be in action next at the Montevallo Classic September 5-6. Game 1 Box Score Game 2 Box Score

Lady Blazers Split to Start Season

2009-08-28

VALDOSTA, Ga. - The Lady Blazers jumped out to a great start against Rollins Friday afternoon with a chance to win the first game. Valdosta State saw two game points in the first, but could not close out. That was a mistake VSU would not make again when the team faced Stillman. The Lady Blazers fell to Rollins, 3-1, but rebounded with a 3-0 victory over Stillman at the West Georgia Classic. "We started really well in the first game. We did some good things," Head Coach Sia Poyer said. "We were scrappy throughout the match, and we will be throughout the season." The first and third games against Rollins were the team's best games Friday. Valdosta State took a narrow loss in the first, but won the third game off Rollins. Poyer said it felt like VSU won nearly every rally but made too many service errors. Valdosta State will look to finish the tournament tomorrow against USC-Aiken at 10 a.m. and Barton at 12:30 p.m.

Serves Up!

2009-08-27

VALDOSTA, Ga. - Valdosta State volleyball will start the season against Rollins at the West Georgia Invitational at 2 p.m. on Friday. The Lady Blazers will face Stillman, South Carolina-Aiken and Barton before the weekend is over. For a full look at the schedule, click here. To download a schedule wallpaper for your computer desktop, click here. After finishing 18-19 and just missing the Gulf South Conference tournament, VSU is looking for improvement this season. Head Coach Sia Poyer feels like the preseason has been full of good effort and that the team is on its way to a better season. "It's been a really fun, competitive preseason of practice for us this year," said Poyer. "The junior class has really stepped up to lead this team into the season." The junior class consists of outside hitters Irene Hannan and team captain Ruthie King, setter Emelia Saulter and middle blocker Arielle Parnell. Hannan and King, according to Poyer, have led the group in effort and attitude, and he needs that from his most consistent offensive duo. Saulter has challenged Lea Weber at the setter position this season. "She has been pretty good competition for Lea, and she has been playing lights out on defense," Poyer said of Saulter. "She's playing like a veteran and with great effort." That said, Weber has improved from last season. She played in 34 of 37 matches last season as a freshman. This year Poyer looks for more consistency and leadership from Weber. Parnell is part of a solid middle blocker position. The others are sophomore Chelsea Logan and freshman Tania Tauiliili. Logan leads all returners in attack percentage and was the best blocker on the team last season. She also notched 58 service aces on the year. Tauiliili is a 5-foot-11 freshman that will contribute this season. One of the biggest losses from last season was Laura Boos at the libero position, but Poyer has two players battling to take over the spot. Sophomore Macy Markham is competing with freshman Chelsea Luttfring. Poyer believes both are getting better every day. Luttfring brings an extensive sand volleyball background that is helping her in her first season. Freshman Jennifer Bryant is also competing at the libero position. As with every college volleyball team, most of the offense comes from the hitters on the outside. King and Hannan have the starting spots locked down, but freshman Katie Onushko has stepped up in the preseason according to Poyer. She can hit from the left or right and puts "monster" hits down Poyer said. He has also been impressed by her defense. Redshirt sophomore Chelsea Proffitt will also log time at outside hitter. Check back at www.vstateblazers.com for results from this weekend's tournament.

Newberry Game Notes

2009-08-26

This Week's Game: Valdosta State kicks off its 2009 season as the Blazers host South Atlantic Conference foe Newberry College at 7:00 p.m. Saturday. The 2009 season marks the 28th year of Valdosta State football while the Newberry game will be the 311th game in school history. The Blazers have won 210 contests, lost 96 and tied four times, a winning percentage of .684. The Newberry contest will allow the VSU coaches to get their first good look at a host of new Blazers, as Valdosta State 40 student-athletes will don the Red and Black for the first time in the game. The Blazer depth chart will also look significantly different from 2008 as the Blazer offense will feature five new starters, the defense six and special teams one. Valdosta State, which returns 37 letterwinners from 2008, averaged 380.8 yards and 28.3 points while holding opponents to 304.6 yards and 18.6 points per game in 2008. Running back Ronnye Nelson (382 yards, one touchdown rushing, 33 receptions, 354 yards, two touchdowns receiving) and wide receiver Cedric Jones (57 receptions, 551 yards, one touchdown receiving) return as offensive leaders while Larry Dean (95 tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss, 3.0 sacks, three fumbles forced) and Demario Jones (37 tackles, 8.0 tackles for loss, 1.0 sack, two fumble recoveries) pace the defensive unit. Newberry returns 54 letterwinners and 14 starters, including eight on offense and six on defense, off of its 2008 squad. NC tallied 24.6 points and 348.8 yards per game last season while holding foes to 18.3 points and 329.0 yards of offense. Wide receiver Kelton Tindal (39 receptions, 745 yards, six touchdowns receiving) will lead the Newberry offense in 2009 while linebacker R.J. Reeder (44 tackles, two passes broken up, one fumble forced) paces the defensive unit. All Home Games to be Webcast: All Valdosta State home games will be webcast on the internet during the 2009 season. Five of the six home games will be carried free of charge by VSU on www.vstateblazers.tv. These games include Newberry, Southern Arkansas, West Alabama, Henderson State and Edward Waters. The North Alabama game, which will be televised nationally by CBS College Sports, will also be carried on the station's website. Click For Complete Game Notes

Valdosta State Softball to Host Blood Drive

2009-08-26

VALDOSTA, Ga. - The defending Gulf South Conference Champion Valdosta State Lady Blazer softball team will host a blood drive Monday, August 31 at the P.E. Complex. The drive will take place on the mezzanine of the Complex and will be run as a partnership with the American Red Cross Organization. From the Red Cross website: "Blood is needed for emergencies and for people who have cancer, blood disorders, sickle cell, anemia and other illnesses. Some people need regular blood transfusions to live. "Imagine if giving blood was part of everyone's life. Something you did on a regular basis, like eating at your favorite restaurant. What kind of difference would that make? For nearly 5 million people who receive blood transfusions every year, your donation can make the difference between life and death." Click here for the Red Cross top 10 reasons to give blood.

Dean Thanks Community

2009-08-24

To everyone who came out to Meet the Blazers on Saturday, I would like to thank the entire Valdosta community for a record-breaking turnout at Meet the Blazers. We had more than 400 children participate in all the fun. That is, by far, the most support we've ever seen at a Meet the Blazers event. It was a great way to start our season, and all of the players are pumped and ready to go against Newberry this Saturday at 7 p.m. at Bazemore-Hyder Stadium. The team and I would like to encourage every family that made it to Meet the Blazers to come out to the game so the Blazers can hear you! The kids are welcome to join the Junior Blazer Kids Run at the beginning of the game, as well as come down to the field after the game to catch passes from our quarterbacks. Saturday was a great atmosphere for everyone, and I hope everyone who attended had a great time. Our players certainly did. I would especially like to thank the Valdosta State Red Hots and Cheer teams, who taught a large group of girls some VSU cheers that they used during the kids' run at the end of the event. Coach Tennant, Coach Fields, myself and our teams would, once again, like to thank everyone. We look forward to seeing everyone at our home games this season. Thank you, David Dean Head Coach Valdosta State Blazers

Blazer Football Schedule Wallpapers Available

2009-08-19

Blazer football schedules are now online on the football publications page. Download your favorite one so you can have the Blazer football schedule anytime you want it.

Blazers Hold Final Preseason Scrimmage

2009-08-19

VALDOSTA, Ga. - The Valdosta State defense dominated early while the offense controlled the latter part of the Blazers' final pre-season scrimmage of the 2009 season Wednesday afternoon at Bazemore-Hyder Stadium. The day began with the offense starting on its own five yard line and needing, but saw the unit fail to pick up a first down on either of its two drives. Derrick Harris began the first drive with a five-yard line, but linebacker Marcel Horne and cornerback Rashad Etheridge broke up a pair of Kellen Lewis passes on the ensuing plays to stop the drive. Meanwhile, after Russ Callaway found Isaiah Jupiter on the first play of the second drive, Alec Williams sacked Callaway for a six-yard loss on second down and David Arnold managed just four yards on third down to end the drive. The next four drives of the scrimmage featured the offense attempting to score from the defense's 10-yard line. Lewis led the Blazer offense to a touchdown on the first drive, although the offense dug itself a hole early in the drive. Lewis was sacked on first down before a pair of false start penalties brought up a second and 29. Lewis promptly found R.J. Bastone for a 15-yard pick-up and, on third down, connected with Jackson Dean from 14 yards out for the score. Austen Roberts came on for the second drive and moved the offense to the four-yard line before a pair of incomplete passes ended the drive while Lewis' final two drives of the series also ended without a score. The next ten plays of the scrimmage featured the Blazer offense facing a third and long situation, with the offense needing to gain at least 10 yards on each of the plays. The first seven plays saw the offense gain just seven yards, on a Lewis to Harris completion on the third play, before Lewis moved the chains for the first time in the series with a 24-yard run on the eighth play. Lewis and Gerald Ford hooked up for 10 yards on a third-and-11 play on the next series before also connecting for a 10 yard pick-up and a first down on the final play. The defense tallied three passes broken up and three sacks during the first half of the scrimmage, which covered 27 plays. After some special teams work, the offense and defense again squared off, beginning with a pair of two-minute drill drives beginning at the offense's 25-yard line. Lewis was perfect on the first drive as he completed all five of his passes for 62 yards while Ronnye Nelson also rushed for three yards before the coaches stopped the drive, on a second-and-seven play, for a successful 31-yard field goal by Daniel Anderson. Callaway came on for the second drive and completed three of his first four passes to pick up 14 yards. On the next play he found Kody Case down the middle for 36 yards, but an illegal receiver down field penalty erased the play and Callaway's next four passes fell incomplete to end the series. The next eight plays featured a second-and-short scenario that saw the offense gain just two first downs before the offense again faced lengthy drive, beginning at its own 40. Lewis was intercepted on the first drive of the series and saw a pass batted down on third-and-nine of the second drive before moving the ball into the red zone on the third drive. He completed all four passes he threw on the drive, including three to Owen Dixon for 41 yards. Wilbert Carter caught the final pass on the defense's eight-yard line, but was promptly stripped of the ball, a fumble that was recovered by the defense. The next eight plays again featured the Blazer offense needing to convert a short yardage situation, with the offense being successful on half of those plays before two additional drives with the offense needing to score from the defense's 10. Lewis found Chris Wellborn for a score on the first play of the series and then saw Curt Diel get a foot in-bounds on a jumping grab on the sideline on the final drive for a second score. The scrimmage ended with a pair of two-minute drills from the offense's 30-yard line. Lewis began the series with a touchdown while completing all three passes he threw on the series. He hooked up with Case for six yards on the first play and then hit Bastone along the sideline for a first down on the offense's 40. On the next play, he hit a streaking Jupiter down the sideline for a 60-yard touchdown pass. Callaway closed out the scrimmage with the final two-minute drive. He was sacked on first down and saw his pass on second drop incomplete before Williams, who coupled a pass broken up with his sack early in the scrimmage, intercepted a screen pass to end the scrimmage. Lewis, who took the majority of snaps on the day after missing Monday night's scrimmage due to class, completed 24-of-38 passes for 281 yards and four touchdowns, against one interception, on the day. Meanwhile, Callaway was five-of-12 passing for 41 yards. The Blazers turn their attention the next two days to preparing for the season opener against Newberry. They will also host the annual "Meet the Blazers" day on Saturday at Bazemore-Hyder Stadium. Registration for the event opens at 8:00 a.m. followed by a Youth Mini-Camp, opened to ages five through 13, beginning at 9:00 a.m. The festivities will end with a photograph and autograph session beginning at approximately 10:30 a.m. In case of rain, the event will be moved to the P.E. Complex on the VSU campus.

New Season Ticket Sales Record Established

2009-08-19

VALDOSTA, Ga. - For the second straight season, a new season ticket sales record has been established for Valdosta State football. With a late push Wednesday, the VSU ticket office issued its 1,801st season ticket of the 2009 season. Of the 1,801 tickets, 862 are from individual ticket sales, breaking the old mark of 861 set last season. Prior to 2008, the record stood at 711. Fans still wishing to purchase season tickets can still do so by calling the Blazer Ticket Office at 229-333-SEAT. Season tickets start at just $40 for youth and are available by mail, phone or walk-in. Single-game tickets start at $4 for seniors and youth and just $10 for adults for general admission or $15 for reserved seating. Single-game tickets are available online, by phone or walk-in. For another opportunity to buy single-game tickets, stop by Magpie's Café located in the Publix Shopping Center on Gornto, Road. Don't miss out on what stands to be a great season for the Blazers. Get your tickets now!

Blazer Athletic Alumni Kick Off

2009-08-18

VALDOSTA, Ga. - Valdosta State invites all Blazer Athletic Alumni and their families for a VSU athletic reunion including appetizers and beverages from 5-7 p.m. Saturday, August 29 before the Blazers face Newberry in the first football game of the season. The event will take place at the American Legion at 1301 Williams St. and special guests will include the 1994 Blazer football team as this season marks the 15-year anniversary of VSU's first NCAA football playoff team. Valdosta State requests alumni RSVP no later than August 21 to alumni relations at (229) 333-5797 or (800) 464-3638.

VSU, Career Athletes Connect Student-Athletes with Mentors, Training

2009-08-18

VALDOSTA, Ga. - Valdosta State athletics and Career Athletes have agreed to a partnership providing Valdosta State University student-athletes a unique resource for career development. Over the past 10 years, Career Athletes has conducted over 800 training and development seminars at universities throughout the country providing much needed career education for over 250,000 student-athletes. In addition to their proprietary training and development seminars, Career Athletes builds and maintains customized career networking web sites for individual university athletic departments providing additional career education, mentors, access to career opportunities and potential employers upon graduation, and a platform to connect with athletic alumni who are encouraged to join the network as mentors and/or job seekers. "This is another nice addition for the VSU athletic program. It's a way to assist both our current and former student-athletes," said Athletic Director Herb Reinhard. "In these stressful economic times, anything we can do to help our student-athletes to better market their talents and skills in the work place we are pleased to do." Career Athletes is the leading provider of a wide range of dedicated career development services and software within collegiate athletics. Since the inception in 1998 to date, athletes in every sport, from over 1,200 individual colleges and universities nationwide, have utilized Career Athletes as a valuable tool in their transition from athletics to the workplace. "It's obvious that the administration at Valdosta State cares about its student-athletes beyond their playing days and graduation, and we are excited to be partnered with such an outstanding institution," said Chris Smith CEO and President of Career Athletes. "Due to the demanding nature of collegiate athletics, these athletes face a unique set of challenges regarding career development not typically experienced by the general student-body. The current economic environment will provide even greater challenges for today's student-athletes to overcome, making career development more important than ever." Career Athletes possesses the largest member based community of current/alumni student-athletes, representing a growing legion of athletes, athletic departments and hundreds of national, regional and local employers. Today, the on-campus training and development seminars Career Athletes provide to student-athletes are the most relied upon in the nation, with over 800 seminars conducted and over 250,000 student-athletes educated on-campus within college athletic departments at the NCAA, NAIA and Junior Colleges level.

Meet the Blazers Saturday

2009-08-17

VALDOSTA, Ga. - Come out to Bazemore-Hyder Stadium Saturday morning for a good time with the Valdosta State football team along with the cheerleaders and dance team. The Blazers will put on a clinic full of football drills for kids. Blazer fans will have the opportunity to interact face-to-face with their favorite VSU football players. After fun times on the field, hot dogs will be served and an autograph session will take place. Team photos of the Blazers will also be handed out for each Blazer to sign. In addition, the cheer and dance teams will hold a clinic of their own. Registration starts at 8 a.m. at the field on Saturday and the event lasts from 9-11:30 a.m. To get through registration more quickly, children can download the waiver form ahead of time and have it in hand at the event. Don't miss out on your last opportunity to see the Blazers up close before the season begins.

Scrimmage Shortened by Lightning

2009-08-15

VALDOSTA, Ga. - Valdosta State managed just eight drives before lightning cut the Blazer scrimmage short Saturday afternoon at Bazemore-Hyder Stadium. The Blazers sat through a 45 minute lightning delay before taking the field and, after warming up for five minutes, was forced to wait another 30 minutes for lightning to move out of the Valdosta area before finally taking the field for its first scrimmage of the 2009 preseason. The scrimmage, which was slated to run two hours, was cut short 45 minutes later when inclement weather moved back into the area. The Blazer offense scored on three of its eight drives, each of which started from the offense's 25 yard line. Each of the three quarterbacks vying for the starting job, led the offensive unit to a score as the offense scored two touchdowns and a field goal on the day. Russ Callaway led the VSU offense on its first drive, completing three-of-five passes for 16 yards before the drive stalled out at the 50 yard line. Kellen Lewis came for the second drive and completed four-of-seven attempts, with all three incompletes coming on his final three passes of the series. David Arnold gave the fans their first chance to cheer on the drive when he took a hand-off and appeared to get stopped at the line of scrimmage. However, the sophomore transfer spun out of the tackle and drug a defender 14 yards before being tackled. The drive ended with a 35-yard field for the first score of the day. The next three drives saw the defense dominate as the offense managed just 43 total yards on 10 plays. After a three and out from the offense, Lewis re-entered and provided the only highlight of the three drives as he rolled out and picked up 31 yards before being run out of bounds at the defense's 30 yard line. However, the senior was unable to cleanly handle the ensuing snap from center and Tommie Duhart fell on the ball to recover the fumble for the defense. Jimmy Coy led the offense to its first touchdown of the day on his second series as he directed the offense on a nine-play, 75 yard drive. Coy completed two of his three passes on the drive and also carried the ball twice for 12 yards, including a five-yard touchdown run to cap off the drive. The big play of the series came when Coy found Nick Richards down the middle for a 31-yard gain while Eric Sledge recorded four carries for 23 yards to set up Coy's touchdown run. After a three and out in Lewis' final series of the day, Callaway closed out the scrimmage with a 26-yard scoring strike to P.J. Katz. After incomplete passes on the first two plays of the drive, Callaway found Chris Wellborn for a 21-yard gain. Derrick Harris proceeded to pick up 14 more yards on the ground followed by a 15-yard pass interference call. Two incomplete passes left Callaway facing a third-and-10, but the junior found Katz over the middle in the end zone for the score. "The weather was frustrating," said head coach David Dean after the scrimmage. "Our guys handled it well, being all pumped up and then having to sit around. They kept their focus and overall I thought we had a good scrimmage. "I thought our guys did a good job adjusting and making quick decisions. We're not where we need to be, but we have two more weeks to get there and what I saw today makes me feel like we are heading in the right direction." Lewis led the quarterbacks as he completed eight-of-11 passes for 49 yards. He also carried the ball two times for 23 yards while Callaway completed five-of-13 passes for 67 yards and a score. Coy finished the day three-of-six passing for 39 yards and tallied two carries for 12 yards. Wellborn led the receivers with three catches for 42 yards while Katz tallied a pair of receptions for 29 yards and a score. Cedric Jones also finished with two catches, for 15 yards, both of which came on the first, and his only, series of the scrimmage. Arnold finished the day with 17 yards on two carries. "I thought Eric Sledge and David Arnold ran very well out there today," Dean added. "I was also impressed with our pass rush. Our front four put a lot of pressure on the quarterback." Due to the shortened scrimmage, Dean announced after the practice that he would delay naming a starting quarterback until after Monday night's practice. "While we got to see all three quarterbacks today, we wanted one more good look at them and we just weren't able to get that with as little as we were out there," he concluded. "We practice late on Monday and decided we would scrimmage a little bit more then so we are going to wait until Tuesday to name our starter."

Blazers Get Reprieve From Heat

2009-08-13

VALDOSTA, Ga. - After battling seven days with temperatures approaching triple digits, Valdosta State got a reprieve Thursday as the Blazers held their second Two-a-Day practice of the 2009 preseason. The Blazers took the field Thursday morning with the temperatures hovering in the high 70s and clouds blocking out the sun that had punished the squad over the course of the first week of practices. The cool weather held through Thursday afternoon's session, as the temperature reached just 83 degrees when the team took the field at 3:00 p.m. "The cooler weather today was an answer to prayers," said head coach David Dean after the day's sessions. "Its been pretty brutal the last couple of days, which really wears on the players. However, today, we had a little more energy. You could tell the cooler weather helped fuel the enthusiasm some and our guys had a little more pep in their step." Thursday's morning session featured full pads and ended with a lively 11-on-11 session. Kellen Lewis, competing for the VSU starting quarterback position, and Cedric Jones provided the highlight of the day on the first drive when Jones got behind the Red Swarm coverage and caught a 40-yard pass for a score. With Jimmy Coy attending a mandatory VSU Orientation session, Lewis and junior Russ Callaway split the time at quarterback during the session, with both leading the Blazer offense to scores. "We are starting to see the guys that we are going to count on step up," Dean continued. "The guys are starting to make the reads, both offensively and defensively, and everyone is doing a great job at displaying the techniques we have taught them over the last week. Each practice our guys have gotten better, which is what a coaching staff wants at this time of the year." While Dean was happy with the cool weather, he did not discount the benefits of the warm weather of the past several days. "We have had a couple problems with dehydration and cramps, but we haven't lost many guys, which is a testament to how hard our guys worked over the summer," he concluded. "We had a large group that worked out together through the heat all summer and we are handling the hot weather well as a team. Russ Hoff and the Athletic Training staff have done an outstanding job of taking care of our guys and getting them back on the field when we have had a dehydration or cramping issue. In the long run, fighting through days like that will help us." Valdosta State holds a single practice on Friday before its final Two-a-Day session on Saturday. The Blazers will practice on Reames Field from 8:00 a.m. till 10:15 a.m. Saturday morning before scrimmaging at Bazemore-Hyder Stadium at 2:15 p.m. Saturday afternoon. 2009 Valdosta State Football Camp Schedule Friday, August 14: 9:00-11:30 a.m. Saturday, August 15: 8:00-10:30 a.m.; 2:15-4:45 p.m. (Scrimmage/Stadium) Sunday, August 16: 5:15-7:45 p.m. Monday, August 17: 8:00-10:00 p.m. Tuesday, August 18: 3:30-5:45 p.m.* Saturday, August 22: 9:00-Noon (Meet the Blazers/Stadium) *Regular season practice schedule commences

Blazers Wrap Up First Week

2009-08-10

VALDOSTA, Ga. - Valdosta State closed out its first week of practice Monday as the Blazers held their final split squad practice of the 2009 preseason. Monday's practices featured the fifth day of practices for the VSU squad, with four of those practices dates featuring split squad sessions. "We were a little sluggish today, but that is kind of to be expected at this point in practice," said head coach David Dean after the day's morning practice. "This has been the hottest and toughest camp we have had in my three years as head coach and the guys are feeling that a little right now. However, these are the days when we find out who we can count on, who is going to tough it out and be there when we need them." While the first five days have featured just one complete squad practice, Dean indicated that he has been impressed with the play of three groups thus far in the preseason. "I think as a group our running backs and defensive line has looked very good," he added. "We are going to have a pretty decent pass rush this season if the guys continue to progress they way they have been thus far. I also have been very happy with the tremendous progress our linebacking corps has made. We have a young group there and they have really opened some eyes on the coaching staff in the first week." With Valdosta State's first two-a-day practice scheduled for Tuesday, Dean also announced the addition of two new safeties to the team. Over the weekend, free safety Josh Wiley, who played for Louisville last season after beginning his career at Pearl River Community College, and strong safety Tay Ogletree, who began his career at Louisiana-Monroe before transferring to Hines Community College last season, joined the team over the weekend and are in their second day of practice with the squad. "Two-a-days start tomorrow and that is when we start to put everything together," Dean concluded. "The whole team comes together and we will finally start our 11-on-11 drills. The upcoming days are when the game gets real and we start to see who can put all of the teaching into action. We start to learn who can make the reads and who can get the ball where it needs to be." 2009 Valdosta State Football Camp Schedule Tuesday, August 11: 8:00-10:30 a.m.; 3:00-5:30 p.m. Wednesday, August 12: 9:00-11:30 a.m. Thursday, August 13: 8:00-10:30 a.m.; 3:00-5:30 p.m. Friday, August 14: 9:00-11:30 a.m. Saturday, August 15: 8:00-10:30 a.m.; 2:15-4:45 p.m. (Scrimmage/Stadium) Sunday, August 16: 5:15-7:45 p.m. Monday, August 17: 8:00-10:00 p.m. Tuesday, August 18: 3:30-5:45 p.m.** Saturday, August 22: 9:00-Noon (Meet the Blazers/Stadium) *Split squad scrimmages. The majority of VSU's returning starters will practice in Group A. **Regular season practice schedule commences

Preseason Camp Update: Day 2

2009-08-07

VALDOSTA, Ga. - The Valdosta State football coaching staff got its second good look at its 2009 squad as the Blazers endured their second day of split squad practices on Friday. After a pair of split squad sessions Thursday afternoon, the Blazer A group took to the field Friday morning while the B group followed in the afternoon. The two squads continued to work on fundamentals as they prepared for their first full team practice Sunday. "Right now we are working on the basics, on learning our assignments and getting our steps down pat," said head coach David Dean after the morning practice. "We are putting in a lot of the fundamentals right now, the things we will build on once we start teaching the guys our system. We can throw a lot at them on these days because it is stuff they have been learning their whole lives, but soon we will have to slow down so they learn how to play VSU football." While the first two practices have been heavily based in instruction, Dean indicated that he has been pleased with the progress he has seen thus far. "I think we have shown really good effort thus far," he continued. "Our young guys are picking things up really quickly, which allows us to do a more reps and less teaching. The biggest thing for the new guys is learning how fast our practices run. They have to learn the speed at which we demand they practice. As they pick that up, our practices run more smoothly and we get more done." The first two days of practice have also allowed Dean to gain a new perspective on the practices, as for the first time in his career, he is not coaching a position. After handling the Blazer wide receivers his first season as head coach and the running backs in 2008, Dean has relinquished all position coaching to his assistants this season and has already seen the benefits of the move. "In the past, I have been able to be around our defense a little, but have always been busy working with a position," he concluded. "By handing the position duties off, its allowing me to see more of our players and to get to know them better. I get to be around more of the team this way and it gives me a better feel for our abilities as a whole, instead of just the offense." The Blazers continue the split squad practices on Saturday before a full-team practice on Sunday. Monday will feature the final split-team practice as well as the Blazers' first day in full pads. 2009 Valdosta State Football Camp Schedule Saturday, August 8: Group B: 8:00-10:15 a.m.; Group A: 3:00-5:15 p.m.* Sunday, August 9: 3:00-5:30 p.m. Monday, August 10: Group B: 8:00-10:15 a.m.; Group A: 3:00-5:15 p.m.* Tuesday, August 11: 8:00-10:30 a.m.; 3:00-5:30 p.m. Wednesday, August 12: 9:00-11:30 a.m. Thursday, August 13: 8:00-10:30 a.m.; 3:00-5:30 p.m. Friday, August 14: 9:00-11:30 a.m. Saturday, August 15: 8:00-10:30 a.m.; 2:15-4:45 p.m. (Scrimmage/Stadium) Sunday, August 16: 5:15-7:45 p.m. Monday, August 17: 8:00-10:00 p.m. Tuesday, August 18: 3:30-5:45 p.m.** *Split squad scrimmages. The majority of VSU's returning starters will practice in Group A. **Regular season practice schedule commences

Blazers Report to Camp

2009-08-04

VALDOSTA, Ga. - Under the heat of the afternoon sun, preparations for the 2009 football season began as the Valdosta State Blazers reported to camp Tuesday afternoon. More than 130 athletes began checking into dorm rooms at 1:00 p.m. on Tuesday as the VSU squad prepared for its first meetings as a team Tuesday evening. Wednesday will see the players undergo their yearly physicals as well as the distribution of equipment while the team will take to the field for the first time Thursday in the first of four split squad practices. The first three days of practice will all feature split squad practices before the team will gather on the field for the first time as a single unit on Sunday afternoon. After a final split squad session on Monday, practice begins in earnest next Tuesday when two-a-days begin, with practices at 8:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. "We're excited that the day has finally come," said Blazer head coach David Dean during Tuesday's check-in activities. "Today is a day everyone, coaches and players alike, has been looking forward to all summer. We begin to learn today who we are as a team." Tuesday's report date began with the Blazers learning they had been selected to finish third in the Gulf South Conference, according to a vote by the league coaches. Valdosta State finished with 87 points in the preseason poll, just one behind North Alabama for second and nine behind Delta State, who finished first with 96 points. Four Blazers also earned preseason recognition from the GSC coaches as wide receiver Cedric Jones, linebacker Larry Dean, defensive tackle Demario Jones and deep snapper Joey Farmer all received recognition on the Preseason All-Gulf South Conference team. 2009 Valdosta State Football Camp Schedule Thursday, August 6: Group A: 1:00-3:15 p.m.; Group B: 3:30-5:45 p.m.* Friday, August 7: Group A: 8:00-10:15 a.m.; Group B: 3:00-5:15 p.m.* Saturday, August 8: Group B: 8:00-10:15 a.m.; Group A: 3:00-5:15 p.m.* Sunday, August 9: 3:00-5:30 p.m. Monday, August 10: Group B: 8:00-10:15 a.m.; Group A: 3:00-5:15 p.m.* Tuesday, August 11: 8:00-10:30 a.m.; 3:00-5:30 p.m. Wednesday, August 12: 9:00-11:30 a.m. Thursday, August 13: 8:00-10:30 a.m.; 3:00-5:30 p.m. Friday, August 14: 9:00-11:30 a.m. Saturday, August 15: 8:00-10:30 a.m.; 2:15-4:45 p.m. (Scrimmage/Stadium) Sunday, August 16: 5:15-7:45 p.m. Monday, August 17: 8:00-10:00 p.m. Tuesday, August 18: 3:30-5:45 p.m.** *Split squad scrimmages. The majority of VSU's returning starters will practice in Group A. **Regular season practice schedule commences

Gast Promoted to Associate Head Coach

2009-08-04

VALDOSTA, Ga. - Valdosta State assistant men's basketball coach Nick Gast has been promoted to associate head coach, according to an announcement made by Blazer head coach Mike Helfer on Tuesday. Gast is entering his third season on the Valdosta State staff, having helped the Blazer squad to a 42-19 mark during his first two years. He has been instrumental in the VSU recruiting efforts during his two seasons while also coaching the Valdosta State post players. His tutelage was instrumental in forward Tyrone Curnell earning All-America honors in 2009 while he also coached Devario Hudson to All-Region recognition during the 2007-08 season. "Nick has been a tremendous asset to my coaching staff," said Helfer in making the announcement. "He represents Valdosta State and our athletic department as well as anyone due to his playing experience here and his coaching experience overall." Gast came to Valdosta State from Southeastern Louisiana, where he served as an assistant coach for two seasons. He also served as the head boy's basketball coach at Clinch County High for one season and was a graduate assistant under for Blazer head coach Jim Yarborough for two years. Gast was a four-year starter for the Blazers and was named to the All-Gulf South Conference team in 2001 and 2002. He finished his career with 1,094 points and starred in the classroom as he was named to the GSC All-Academic team in 2002. "I honestly believe Nick is one of the top assistants in all of Division II," Helfer concluded. "I'm happy to give him this promotion as it directly reflects his value to our program."

2009 Football Media Guide Online

2009-07-30

The 2009 Valdosta State football media guide is now available for viewing and download. The book is available on the Football publications page.

Softball Walk on Tryouts

2009-07-30

Softball walk on tryouts will be held Wednesday, August 26, 2009 starting at 3 p.m. at the Softball Complex. First, there are five things you need to know. 1) Must be enrolled at Valdosta State as a full-time student 2) Must provide proof of a medical examination within six months before the tryout. 3) Must be NCAA qualified 4) Must download and complete the waiver form and have it at the tryout. Contact Information: Head Coach Thomas Macera tjmacera@valdosta.edu (229) 333-7405

Former Lady Blazer Earns Fulbright Scholarship

2009-07-10

VALDOSTA, Ga. - Former Lady Blazer Katie Steffen was awarded a Fulbright-Garcia Robles Scholarship for the Bi-National Business Program. The 2007 summa cum laude graduate will begin the prestigious full-time internship program with the New Business and Finance Department of Nestle Mexico in Mexico City. She will play an integral role for 10 months to introduce a new Nestle product into the Mexican market. Steffen played basketball at Valdosta State for two years and played a role on the 2004-05 team that went to the NCAA tournament. It was the first appearance for Head Coach Kiley Hill's Lady Blazers. In the first round of the tournament, Steffen came up big against Florida Tech to help lead VSU to a first round victory. Now she will work with a different team through every aspect needed to succeed in introducing the product into the market. Steffen can't wait. "I hope to gain awesome international work experience, while using this opportunity to improve my business Spanish; and like most people my age, I hope this great experience can give me more clues as to what I want to do long-term," Steffen said. During her time at Valdosta State, Steffen was the ideal student-athlete. In addition to playing basketball, she served as a resident assistant, volunteered for the Migrant Education Agency and participated in the Society for International Students, the Langdale College of Business Administration Student Advisory Board and the Ultimate Frisbee club team. She also earned the President's Award, the Outstanding Management Student Award and others. "These are the kinds of stories collegiate athletics are all about," said women's basketball assistant coach and senior woman administrator Jennifer Head. "Let's celebrate her determination and success." Steffen went through a nearly 10-month application process that included essays, recommendation letters and interviews with as many as 12 people along with each participating company. Nestle Mexico was her top choice. While there, she will also use her time to take classes toward a Master of Business Administration. "I'm also hoping to gain a graduate assistantship to aid my studies towards an MBA and Ph.D.," Steffen said. "This opportunity will make me a much more appealing candidate."

Koenigsfeld Named GSC "Top Ten"

2009-06-23

VALDOSTA, Ga. - Valdosta State junior baseball player Jon Koenigsfeld has received the second-highest honor awarded by the Gulf South Conference as the shortstop was named to the GSC's "Top Ten" list as one of the league's 10 best all-around student-athletes. The GSC "Top Ten" Award recognizes the top five male and top five female student-athletes in the conference, based on athletic, academic and extracurricular achievement. As one of the "Top Ten," Koenigsfeld, who was the only non-senior male and one of only three non-seniors to make the list, becomes eligible for the Commissioner's Trophy as the top male student-athlete in the Gulf South Conference. Koenigsfeld batted .328 with 33 runs batted in and 50 runs scored during the 2008 season while starting 62 of the Blazers' 63 games. He helped the Diamond Blazer squad to a 43-21 record and an appearance in the NCAA South Regional, where he was named to the All-South Region Tournament squad. Koenigsfeld was a second-team All-GSC team member in 2007 after leading VSU with a .349 batting average. A native of New Port Richey, Fla., Koenigsfeld is even more spectacular in the classroom where he holds a perfect 4.00 grade point average as a Middle Grades Education major. He has earned VSU Male Student-Athlete Academic Award winner honors in both of his years with the Blazers and is also a two-time member of the GSC All-Academic team, including a unanimous selection in 2009. "Simply put, Jon is a model scholar-athlete," said Scott Grubbs, Program Coordinator in the Department of Middle, Secondary, Reading and Deaf Education at Valdosta State. "Not only does he demonstrate outstanding performance academically, Jon leads both inside and outside of the classroom by modeling the high standards expected by the department and the university. In addition to his academic and athletic activities, Jon is involved in helping others through his community service and I feel that I may speak for my colleagues when I say that we in Middle, Secondary, Reading and Deaf Education are very proud of all that Jon accomplishes." Koenigsfeld is also active in community service as he tallied nearly 20 hours during the 2008-09 school year. In addition to helping with the Annual Blazer Build for Habitat for Humanity, he has also volunteered at the Valdosta State baseball Special Needs Awareness Day and helped assemble a new playground at Crossroads Baptist Church. "Jon embodies all the qualities that we think of with a student-athlete," said Blazer head coach Greg Guilliams in learning of the honor. "He excels in the classroom with a 4.00 GPA while also excelling on the field in his play and as a role model for his peers. His leadership and work ethic are unmatched." The Commissioner's Trophy winner will be announced at the Gulf South Conference's Annual Award's Banquet Thursday evening at in Pensacola. Koenigsfeld competition for the GSC's Top male student-athlete includes: Christian Brothers cross country runner Stephen Hill, West Florida soccer player Nolan Intermoia, Southern Arkansas baseball player James Schroeder and North Alabama basketball player Kenny Johnson.

Football Adds Three to Squad

2009-06-22

VALDOSTA, Ga. - Valdosta State head football coach David Dean announced the addition of three players to the Blazer squad Monday. Two of the new players will compete for the starting quarterback position with the Blazers as former Indiana quarterback Kellen Lewis and El Camino College's Jimmy Coy have signed scholarships to join VSU when camp opens in August. Lewis, a rising senior, is one of the most prolific quarterbacks in the history of the Indiana program. The Jacksonville, Fla. native passed for 6,395 yards in his three seasons with the Hoosiers, the third-most yards in school history, while also tossing a school-record 49 touchdowns. He also rushed for 1,677 yards and 17 touchdowns while earning Big Ten Player of the Week honors on four occasions during his career. A second-team All-Big Ten honoree as a sophomore, Lewis holds 16 major passing records at Indiana. Coy led El Camino to a 10-2 record and a semifinal appearance in the Southern California State Junior College Playoffs in 2008. The rising junior completed 188-of-295 passes on the season and threw 14 touchdowns against just three interceptions. He completed 63.7 percent of his passes on the year and owned a 155.80 passer rating while also rushing for 59 yards and three scores on the year. Lewis and Coy add depth to a quarterback position that has been decimated by departures and injuries since the end of the 2008 season. The duo will compete for the starting job with rising junior Russ Callaway, who had assumed the starting job during Spring Practice before tearing his ACL two practices before the Blazers' Annual Spring Game. Additional candidates for the starting job will include rising junior Ronnye Nelson, who came to VSU as a quarterback before playing running back the last two seasons, red-shirt freshman Austen Roberts and true freshmen Stephen Warren and Brett Whitmire. The final addition to the roster adds is defensive tackle Tommie Duhart. Duhart saw action in 19 games over the course of the last two seasons at Pittsburg, including three starts. He registered 27 tackles, including 5.0 for loss, two forced fumbles, a pass broken up and two blocked kicks during his two seasons with the Panthers. He joined Pitt from Coffeyville Community College, where he was an All-Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference performer and was rated as the No. 26 JUCO prospect in the nation. "We are excited to have these young men join our program," said Dean in making the announcement. "Jimmy and Lewis will both compete for our open starting position. Both of them fit in perfectly with the system that we run and bring a lot of athleticism to our squad. "Tommie is a big, athletic presence on the defensive line," Dean concluded. "He has the athleticism to do a lot of things out on the field and is very strong. Tommie has already enrolled in school and has been working out with members of our team. We have been very impressed with his work ethic and look forward to having him join our defensive unit."

Pair of Blazers Taken in MLB Draft

2009-06-11

VALDOSTA, Ga. - A pair of Valdosta State Blazers were selected in the 35th round of the Major League Baseball draft Thursday. Brandon Graves, a left-handed pitcher from Crawfordville, Fla., was taken with the 1,047 overall pick by the San Francisco Giants. Graves led Valdosta State in wins (11), earned run average (3.04), saves (7) and strikeouts (85) during the 2009 season. A senior, Graves held opponents to a .260 batting average as he allowed 81 hits in 80.0 innings pitched on the season. After beginning the year as the VSU closer, he moved into the starting rotation and recorded two complete games and tallied an 11-2 record on the year. He was honored as the Gulf South Conference's top relief pitcher at the end of the season while also earning All-America honors from Daktronics. Matt Costello, also a left-handed pitcher, was taken with the 1,066 overall pick by the Milwaukee Brewers. Costello, who was named the South Region Player of the Year while earning first-team All-America honors from Daktronics and second-team recognition from both Rawlings/American Baseball Coaches Association and the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association. The West Barnstable, Mass. Native was 9-3 on the mound during the year while tallying a 3.67 ERA. He recorded two complete games on the year while allowing 98 hits and striking out 83 batters in 98.0 innings. Costello was just as affective at the plate as he batted .462 on the year while scoring 65 runs and driving in 69. Costello collected 22 doubles, a triple and 11 home runs on the year for a .733 slugging percentage and tied a NCAA Division II record by hitting safely in 13 straight at-bats in March. Graves and Costello are the first Blazers to be selected in the MLB draft since Robert Wachman was taken by the Cincinnati Reds in 2004.

Meet the Blazers August 22

2009-06-09

VALDOSTA, Ga. - Mark your calendars now for the chance to meet the Valdosta State Blazer football team on August 22 at Bazemore-Hyder Stadium. Children from ages 5-13 will be able to participate in football drills with the Blazers and get the opportunity for autographs from the team. Don't miss out on a great time for the entire family.

VSU Athletics Seeks Graduate Assistants

2009-06-09

The Valdosta State University Department of Athletics has five athletic administrative graduate assistantship positions available for the 2009-2010 year. One of the positions will start in August for the fall semester and the other four will begin in January for the spring semester. The positions will be centered in academic services, ticketing, athletic alumni relations, development, and compliance but all positions will assist in the total athletic administration area. For additional information please e-mail Herb Reinhard, Athletic Director at hreinhar@valdosta.edu.

Brent Witcher Named Top DII Golfer

2009-06-07

COLUMBUS, Ohio - Valdosta State senior Brent Witcher was named the recipient of the Jack Nicklaus Award as the nation's top NCAA Division II golfer Sunday. Witcher was awarded his honor the legendary Nicklaus before the final round of the Memorial Tournament presented by Morgan Stanley at Muirfield Village Golf Club in Dublin, Ohio Sunday morning. The Lawrenceville, Ga. native led Valdosta State in 10 of its 11 tournaments this season, averaging 71.1 strokes in 31 rounds on the season. Witcher finished in the top five in five tournament, including victories at the AASU/Southbridge Pirate Invitational and the First Federal Southeastern Collegiate during the spring schedule. Witcher was named the Gulf South Conference Player of the Year for the second straight season in April, becoming the first Blazer to earn the honor in back-to-back seasons since Scott Hay did so in 1988 and 1989. He also earned All-America honors for the second straight season as he was a finalist for the Nicklaus Award in 2007-08. "It is an unbelievable honor to be chosen as the national Player of the Year, particularly when you take into account just how many great golfers there are in the Division II ranks," said Witcher after the awards ceremony. "It makes the award even more special that I received it from the greatest golfer to ever play the game. I feel like a lot of hard work has paid off today." Witcher becomes the second Valdosta State golfer to be named the nation's top Division II golfer, joining Briny Baird, who earned the honor in 1994. Witcher tallied 12 top five finishes in 22 career tournaments with the Blazers, including first place finishes in five of those events. His scored counted in 61 of the 63 rounds he played for VSU as he finished outside of the top 20 in just two tournaments during his career.

Season Ticket Sales Approaching Record Numbers

2009-06-06

VALDOSTA, Ga. - New season tickets for Valdosta State football have only been on sale since July 1, but Blazer fans have responded in great numbers. The 2009 ticket campaign is already second in VSU athletics history and gaining on the record set in 2008. There are still great seats left for all six home games this season. With season tickets, that's six opportunities to share in the excitement of Blazer football, so get used to the Blazers at home. If you want season tickets for Blazer football, order soon. Call (229) 333-SEAT or log on to vstateblazers.com to fill out an order form so you don't miss out on the season opener against Newberry on August 29. Individual game tickets will go on sale in August, but, until then, season tickets are going fast. Don't miss out.

Valdosta State Tallies Seven All-Americans

2009-06-05

VALDOSTA, Ga. - Seven Valdosta State tennis players were named to the 2009 Intercollegiate Tennis Association's (ITA) All-America Team. Four Blazers and three Lady Blazers made the team. A singles player must finish in the top 20 of the final ITA rankings while a doubles player must be in the top 10 for all-american status. Daniel Dueren, Florian Halb and Joerg Ekkenga all made the singles group with final rankings of fourth, 12th and 17th respectively. Ekkenga joined Leos Jelinek as all-americans in doubles competition. Dominique Rothlaender and Natali Gumbrecht also claimed all-american status in singles with rankings of 16th and 17th. Rothlaender teamed with Tina Trautmann to also make all-american in doubles play. The Blazers finished the season 16-4 and undefeated in Gulf South Conference play. The Lady Blazers team was one of the final four left in the nation before falling to Armstrong Atlantic State, the 2009 National Champions. The Lady Blazers finished 14-4 with just one loss in conference action.

Valdosta State Tallies Seven All-Americans

2009-06-05

Blazers Earn All-America Honors

2009-06-04

VALDOSTA, Ga. - Valdosta State Blazers Matt Costello, Brandon Decker, Brandon Graves and Chase Blackwood were recognized for their outstanding play during the 2009 baseball season as the quartet received a variety of All-America honors Thursday. Costello, who batted a team-high .462 while driving in 69 runs, earned first team honors from Daktronics, as voted on by sports information directors, as a utility player while also being named to the organization's honorable mention list as a starting pitcher, where he compiled a 9-3 record and a 3.67 earned run average. Likewise, the junior earned second team honors on the Rawlings/American Baseball Coaches Association and National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association All-America teams. Costello counted 22 doubles, a triple and 11 home runs among his 97 hits while also scoring 65 runs. Decker earned a pair of first team nods as he was recognized as one of the nation's best outfielders by Daktronics and Rawlings/ABCA. The junior, who batted .402 while hitting a team-best 21 home runs, also earned second team honors from the NCBWA. Decker led VSU with 75 runs scored and 84 RBI while hitting six doubles and three triples on the season. Graves Earned third team All-America honors from Daktronics, the second straight season a VSU reliever has been honored. The senior tallied an 11-2 record and seven saves while leading Valdosta State with a 3.04 earned run average on the year. He led the Blazer squad with 85 strikeouts while holding opponents to a .260 batting average. Blackwood rounded out the honors by earning Honorable Mention All-America honors from the NCBWA. The senior endured a two-month slump during the season that limited his batting average to just .258, but tied with Decker with 21 home runs, the fourth-best total in the nation. He scored 61 runs on the year while driving in another 56. In order to be named to receive All-America recognition, a player must receive first-team All-Region honors from the respective organization. VSU's three All-America honorees and one honorable mention this season marks the schools most since the 1983 season, when four Blazers earned the recognition.

Blazers Add Second Signee

2009-06-01

VALDOSTA, Ga. - Josh Williams, a 6-foot-9 center, has signed a national letter-of-intent to play with the Valdosta State men's basketball program in the 2009-10 season, according to an announcement made by Blazer head coach Mike Helfer on Monday. Williams joins the Blazers from Truett-McConnell Junior College after leading Bears to a 16-14 record in 2008-09. Williams averaged 8.6 points a game as he connected on 96-of-180 field goal attempts, a 53.3 percent success rate. He also shot 77.3 percent from the free throw line, where he made 58-fo-75 attempts. Williams led TMC with 7.4 rebounds on the season and blocked 68 shots while appearing in 29 of the Bears' 30 contest. "Josh brings a big physical presence for us in the paint," said Helfer in making the announcement. "He is very skilled on the block offensively and is an excellent shot blocker. We are pleased that he will be joining our program in the fall." Williams joins Billy McShephard as members of the 2009 signing class for Helfer. The Blazers return four starters and nine letterwinners off of a team that compiled a 24-7 record and advanced to the NCAA South Regional Tournament in 2008-09.

Blazers Excel in the Classroom

2009-06-01

VALDOSTA, Ga. - Thirteen Valdosta State Blazers from VSU's five spring sports earned Gulf South Conference All-Academic honors, according to an announcement made by the league office on Monday. Eight of the honorees were unanimous selections to their respective All-Academic teams, led by a trio of seniors from softball. Catcher Rebecca Asman led the way for the Lady Blazers as she compiled a 3.65 grade point average as a Chemistry major. She was joined by pitcher Brianna Collis, who tallied a 3.61 GPA as a Psychology major and utility player Kristie Cornell, who also had a 3.61 GPA while majoring in American Sign Language Interpretation. Men's tennis led all squads with four honorees, including senior Leos Jelinek, who was a unanimous choice with a 3.70 GPA as a Business Administration major. He was joined by three-time GSC All-Academic honoree Joerg Ekkenga, who owned a 3.91 GPA as a Finance major, as well as Florian Halb (3.70 / Finance) and Daniel Dueren (3.60 / Marketing). Women's tennis added three more members, led by unanimous selections Natali Gumbrecht (3.71 / Business), who earned the honor for the second straight year, and Tina Trautmann (3.93 / Psychology). Raphaelle Durante also earned the recognition after compiling a 3.51 GPA as a Finance major. Men's golf provided one honoree as Wade Holland earned the honor after tallying a 3.30 GPA as an Economics major while the final two selections, both unanimous choice picks, came from baseball. Shortstop Jon Koenigsfeld, who holds a 4.00 GPA as a Middle Grades Education major, earned the honor for the second straight year and was joined by pitcher Steve Turner, who earned the award after compiling a 3.41 GPA as a Business Administration major. The strong showing on the GSC All-Academic teams comes after a semester that saw 142 VSU student-athletes earn a 3.00 GPA, including 31 in the five spring sports that earned GSC Honor Roll distinctions. Fifty-seven Blazers and Lady Blazers earned Dean's List honors while 10 finished with a perfect 4.00 GPA. The women's tennis squad tallied the highest team grade point average for the seventh straight semester as its seven members accounted for a 3.67 cumulative GPA. The men's tennis team was second with a 3.56 while the women's cross country (3.50), cheerleading (3.23), and women's basketball teams (3.01) all finished with a team GPA above 3.00. The GSC All-Academic teams are compiled from a vote of the league's Sports Information Directors and Faculty Athletic Representatives. To qualify, a student-athlete must have at least a 3.20 cumulative GPA while completing a full academic year at their institution. The student-athlete must also have played a significant role for their squad during the athletic year.

Braswell, Littlefield, Shirey Make All-America

2009-05-21

VALDOSTA, Ga. - Three of the most reliable Lady Blazers were named to All-American teams this week. Marti Littlefield made first team Daktronics All-America. She also made the 2009 Louisville Slugger/NFCA Division II All-Americans third team. Meanwhile, Andi Braswell was named to the NFCA second team. Alyssa Shirey received third team honors with Littlefield and an honorable mention on the Daktronics All-America list. The three combined for 53 home runs and 229 runs batted in on the season. Littlefield was the only freshman to make the Daktronics All-America first team. She is also the only player in the nation with more than 100 RBIs and she tied for the lead in home runs with 25. Braswell was the most consistent hitter for Valdosta State all season. She finished hitting .436, but was as high as second in the nation in batting average. She finished with the most hits on the team (96) and tied with Littlefield for the most doubles (18). Braswell was also a perfect 11 for 11 on stolen bases and struck out a mere 10 times all season. Shirey was the second biggest hitter on the team, belting 17 homers on the year. She is such a good hitter in the fourth spot that she forced teams to pitch to Littlefield. With 64 RBIs, 13 doubles and 75 hits on the year, Shirey showed her prowess with the bat. She also showed her toughness by leading the team in hits by pitch with 12. Littlefield and Shirey will return next season to build on their success.

Blazers Fall 12-5 to Southern Arkansas

2009-05-17

MAGNOLIA, Ark. - Southern Arkansas scored five runs in the first inning and five more in the second as the Muleriders defeated Valdosta State 12-5 in an elimination game of the 2009 NCAA South Region Tournament Sunday afternoon at Mulerider Field. The Muleriders (52-10) wasted little time in getting on the board as Dane Lucas reached on a one-out single in the first and safely advanced to second when VSU third baseman Austin Smith committed a throwing error on a James Schroeder fielder's choice. Cannon Lester and Brandon Graves followed with back-to-back doubles that scored three runs while Jeffrey Meadows doubled two batters later to plate Graves. Nick Paschal closed out the first inning scoring with a single to left, scoring Meadows for a 5-0 SAU lead. Valdosta State (43-21) got two runs back in the top of the second as Clayton Cain and Smith opened the frame with base hits while Blaine Wilson was hit by a pitch to load the bases. After a fielder's choice erased Cain, Jon Koenigsfeld singled up the middle to score both Smith and Wilson, cutting the VSU deficit to 5-2. Southern Arkansas sent nine more batters to the plate in the bottom of the frame to build a 10-2 lead. Lester, Graves, Patrick Johnson and Meadows all collected running scoring hits in the frame as five straight Mulerider players reached base in the inning. Neither team scored over the ensuing four innings before Wilson hit his 14th home run of the year in the seventh to pull VSU to within 10-3. The home run was the 113th of the year for Valdosta State, giving the Blazers sole possession of fourth place in the NCAA Division II single season record book. SAU responded with runs in the bottom of the seventh and eighth innings while the Blazers tallied their final two in the ninth. Koenigsfeld and Chase Blackwood each tallied run scoring singles in the frame to close out the scoring. Nick Starrett (2-2) took the loss for Valdosta State as he allowed five hits and five runs, only two of which were earned, in an inning of work. Thomas Tripp surrendered five hits and five runs in the second before Shawn Keill went five inning for the Blazers and surrendered four hits, three over the course of the last two innings, and two runs. Brian Bird improved to 9-1 as he gave up 11 hits and five runs in nine innings of work. The righthander walked none and struck out three in the game. Cain collected three hits to lead VSU offensively while Koenigsfeld finished with two hits and three RBI. Graves and Meadows each tallied two hits for Southern Arkansas while three more batters finished with two each.

Blazers Eliminate Tampa 10-5

2009-05-16

MAGNOLIA, Ark. - Jon Koenigsfeld fell a home run shy of hitting for the cycle in leading No. 19 Valdosta State to a 10-5 victory over No. 10 Tampa in an elimination game of the NCAA South Region Tournament at Mulerider Field Saturday afternoon. Tampa (39-17) opened the scoring in the top of the first inning when Mike Schwartz hit his 14th home run of the year. After a pair of ground outs to open the frame, Jose Jimenez drew a walk and scored as Schwartz hit a three-ball, two-strike pitch over the wall in right field to give the Spartans a 2-0 advantage. Valdosta State (43-20) got a run back in the bottom of the frame as Chase Blackwood singled with one out and moved to third on a Brandon Decker ground out. Matt Costello hit the first pitch he saw down the left field line for a single to plate Blackwood, cutting the UT lead to 2-1. Austin Smith's 15th home run of the year in the bottom of the second evened the game at 2-2 as the Blazers wasted a chance to take the lead in the frame. After Smith's home run, Logan Pierce reached on a single up the middle before Koenigsfeld sent the first pitch he saw into the left-center gap. Pierce rounded third on the play and fell while trying to hold up on the base. The throw to third on the play beat the VSU centerfielder to the bag for the second out in the frame. Decker tallied his first hit of the tournament in the bottom of the third as he greeted Tampa reliever Carmine Giardina with his 22nd home run of the year to put VSU in front 3-2, only to have the Spartans even the game in the top of the fourth. Devin Gonzalez doubled to right to open the frame and moved to third on a Jared Simon fly ball out before coming home when Garrett Maines singled down the left field line to knot the game at 3-3. Valdosta State scored in its fourth straight inning as it plated a two-out run in the fourth. Smith drew a walk to open the inning, but was erased when Blaine Wilson grounded into a force out. Wilson stole second and broke for third on a hit-and-run attempt by Koenigsfeld. The VSU leftfielder was forced to stop as Koenigsfeld delivered a sharp ground ball through the left-side of the infield, but was still able to easily score to put the Blazers back in front 4-3. The Blazers added three more runs in the fifth inning to push their advantage to 7-3. Sho Kohata singled to open the frame and two batters later moved to third when Decker singled up the middle. A Costello base hit to second scored Kohata and moved Decker to third. Costello advanced to second on a wild pitch and scored along with Decker as Clayton Cain singled through the left-side of the infield. Koenigsfeld pushed the Blazer lead to 10-3 in the bottom of the eighth as he tripled with the bases loaded. Costello singled to open the frame before being lifted for pinch runner Chaz Bagwell. Shawn Keill singled on a bunt to put two runners on before Smith laid down a sacrifice bunt to put both runners into scoring position. Pierce was intentionally walked to load the bases with two outs in the frame. Koenigsfeld sent the first pitch he saw from UT pitcher into the right-center gap to plate all three runners. Koenigsfeld singled, doubled and tripled while driving in four to lead Valdosta State at the plate. Costello also finished the contest with three hits while Decker recorded two. Ross Gusky (6-4) picked up the victory as he allowed six hits and three runs in five innings of work. Jeremy Forbus allowed seven hits and two runs over the final four innings to earn his first save of the season. Schwartz finished with two of Tampa's 13 hits while Jesus Barroso, Gonzalez and Simon all tallied two each. Giardina fell to 5-1 as he allowed five hits and five runs in two innings of relief. Valdosta State advances to Sunday's elimination game against the South Region's and nation's top-ranked team, Southern Arkansas. SAU defeated West Alabama 10-6 in the first game on Saturday to set up Sunday's 1:00 p.m. tilt.

Blazers Sign Billy McShephard

2009-05-16

VALDOSTA, Ga. - Billy McShephard, a 6'11 forward from Bertie, N.C., has signed a national letter-of-intent to play basketball for Valdosta State, according to an announcement made by Blazer head coach Mike Helfer on Saturday. The highly touted McShephard comes to VSU from Louisburg College in Louisburg, N.C. where he played for head coach John Meeks last season. McShephard averaged 17.0 points and 8.6 rebounds per game in 2008-09 while leading the Hurricanes to a 22-7 record on the year. The 220-pound McShephard 54.4 percent from the field on the season as he connected on 99 of 182 field goal attempts, including 21-of-57 three pointers (36.8 percent). He also tallied 1.7 assists, 1.2 steals and 1.6 blocks per game. "Billy is a very talented player that can play multiple positions," said Helfer. "His height is a great advantage, but really his skill level is what impressed us the most. We are excited about bringing in a quality young man who will represent us well both on and off the court. Valdosta State returns four starters and 10 letterwinners off of a team that went 24-7 and advanced to the NCAA South Region in 2008-09.

Blazers to Hold Open Tryouts

2009-05-16

The Valdosta State baseball squad will hold open tryouts on Saturday, Maay 30 at Billy Grant Field. The tryouts will begin at Noon and is open to anyone wishing to try out for the VSU team. All participants in the baseball tryouts will be required to bring a copy of a physical that has been completed in the last six months. All four-year college students looking to transfer will also need a signed release from their current institution.

Former Blazers Join New Teams

2009-05-16

VALDOSTA, Ga. - A pair of former Valdosta State Blazers will sport new jerseys next season, one in the NFL and one in the Canadian Football League. Markus Manson, who played running back for VSU last season after transferring from Florida, has signed a free agent contract with Carolina Panthers and will enter off-season camp with the Charlotte team this spring. Manson rushed for a team-high 447 yards and four touchdowns last season while catching 10 passes for 53 yards. Meanwhile, former VSU offensive lineman Gerald Davis was recently traded from the CFL's Hamilton to Edmonton. Davis, who was a four-year starter for VSU, played in six games for the Tiger-Cats last season.

Valdosta State Falls to Alabama-Huntsville

2009-05-16

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. - Alabama-Huntsville shut out Valdosta State for the second consecutive game Saturday to win, 3-0. The only shutouts of VSU's season came this weekend in Huntsville as the Chargers proved to be too much for an outstanding Lady Blazer squad. After losing, 2-0, Friday, VSU had to take two games from UAH Saturday. They couldn't muster one. In the third inning, Huntsville's Erin Duke hit a solo homer for the early Charger lead. In the sixth, Alabama-Huntsville expanded it with two more runs for a 3-0 win. Valdosta State had opportunities nearly every inning. VSU stranded eight runners on base and was able to get the lead hitter on base in each of the first five innings. Each time, Valdosta State was able to move the player to second, but never in for a score. The Lady Blazers were still able to pile up the hits though. Five players notched six hits with Stephanie Carlson leading the way with two. The others with hits were Andi Braswell, Melessa Jackson, Becca Aszman and April Hutchens. Alabama-Huntsville was able to notch eight hits on the team's way to three runs to force Valdosta State to drop to 57-8 on the season and out of the tournament.

Blazers Fall 6-3 to Florida Southern

2009-05-15

MAGNOLIA, Ark. - Florida Southern used a six-run sixth inning to defeat Valdosta State 6-3 in the second round of the NCAA South Region Tournament at Mulerider Field Friday evening. After the two starting pitcher dominated the first five innings of the game, the Mocs (40-14) got on the board with one out in the bottom of the sixth when Zach Maggard hit a home run over the wall in centerfield, scoring Nick Stanley who had walked. Blazer starter Brandon Graves got a ground out for the next out in the frame, before FSC strung together three straight hits to score its next run. Andrew Grutka started the string with an infield single and moved to second when Braxton Chisholm singled through the left-side of the infield. Colin Kaline proceeded to collect a base hit to center to plate Grutka before Trae Gore walked to load the bases. Wade Kirkland followed with a single to right-center that scored Chisholm and Kaline to post Florida Southern to a 6-0 advantage. The Blazers (42-20) responded with three runs in the top of the seventh. With two outs in the frame, Brandon Decker was hit by a pitch and advanced to second as Blaine Wilson doubled down the left field line for VSU's second hit of the game. Jon Koenigsfeld drove both base runners home with a single up the middle and advanced to second on a Sho Kohata walk. The next batter, Robby Kuzdale, singled to left, scoring Koenigsfeld for the final run of the game. Florida Southern threatened early in the contest as it loaded the bases against Graves in the first inning and had a runner on third in the third, but came up empty both times. Meanwhile, VSU managed just three base runners through the first three innings as Kuzdale drew a pair of walks and Chaz Bagwell singled in the third. Valdosta State was held to just four hits in the game, its third-lowest total of the season as FSC starter Matt Zoltak also walked three while striking out 10 in six and two-thirds to improve to 2-4 on the year. Daniel Tillman recorded the final five outs, four via strikeout, to earn his 11th save of the year. Graves surrendered nine hits and walked five batters while striking out six in five and two-thirds to fall to 11-2 on the year. Gore, Robbie Shields and Kaline each tallied two hits to lead the Mocs at the plate. Valdosta State advances to Saturday%u2019s elimination game against Tampa. The game, which was originally scheduled for 4:30 p.m. Eastern, has been moved to 1:00 p.m. due to rain that is supposed to move into the Magnolia area later in the afternoon.

VSU Drops First One

2009-05-15

VALDOSTA, Ga. - In a scoreless game, Caitlin Lee hit a two-run home run in the bottom of the sixth inning to break the tie. Valdosta State couldn't come back, so Alabama-Huntsville claimed the first of a three-game series by a score of 2-0. Holly Satterfield was charged with the loss. She only allowed three hits all day and struck out one. UAH's Whitney Hawkins struck out four and allowed four hits, but the Lady Blazers could not capitalize. The four hits came from Melessa Jackson, Marti Littlefield, Stephanie Carlson and Becca Aszman. Two of VSU's hits came in the sixth inning. Jackson hit a single to left field just over the third baseman's head, and Littlefield followed it up with a fast-moving shot up the middle. Alyssa Shirey was next up to bat and took her 12th hit by pitch of the season to load the bases. With the bases juiced, Carlson hit a rocket, but Kathryn Whitlock snagged the ball and the third out of the inning to ruin Valdosta State's best opportunity to score. With the loss, Valdosta State needs to win both games tomorrow. If the weather permits, they will be played at 2 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. if necessary. Check www.vstateblazers.com for updates if the game times need to be changed due to weather.

VSU Falls to Armstrong Atlantic

2009-05-15

ALTAMONTE SPRINGS, Fla. - The No. 3-ranked Armstrong Atlantic State women's tennis team put away Valdosta State by a convincing 5-1 score. It will be the 10th time in school history that AASU made it to the NCAA Division II National Championship match. Valdosta State was ranked fourth nationally and proved to be one of the final four teams playing this season. Unfortunately though, the Lady Blazers could only score one point in the match against the Lady Pirates. Natali Gumbrecht and Tina Trautmann teamed up to take down No. 7 Sona Novakova and Gabrielle Kovacs in the second doubles spot. After that, VSU would not be able to take another match. After falling behind 2-1 in doubles, the closest the Lady Blazers came in singles play was in the second singles position. Raphaelle Durante went down in the first set, 6-4, and was down in the second, 2-1, before her match was stopped after AASU clinched. Armstrong Atlantic State's 19th-ranked Kovacs defeated Kristel de Groot, 6-1, 6-2, at No. 4 singles, then top-ranked Novakova defeated No. 14-ranked Gumbrecht, 6-3, 6-0, at No. 1 singles. 30th-ranked Martina Beckmann then closed out the match with a 6-0, 6-2 win over Trautmann at No. 3 singles.

Blazers Down Barry 8-3

2009-05-14

MAGNOLIA, Ark. - Matt Costello was dominant on the mound and Valdosta State hit a pair of home runs as the seventh-seeded Blazers defeated second-seeded Barry 8-3 in the opening round of the NCAA South Region Tournament Thursday afternoon at Mulerider Field. Costello allowed eight hits and three runs, only two of which were earned, while walking none and striking out two in seven and two-thirds innings to improve to 9-3 on the season. The junior kept the Buccaneers (44-10) at bay as he allowed just one lead-off hitter to reach base, on a single in the second inning. Valdosta State (42-10) opened the scoring in the top of the second as Costello led off with a single and scored two batters later on Clayton Cain's 12th home run of the year that posted VSU to a 2-0 lead. VSU, ranked 19th nationally, pushed its lead to 3-0 in the third when Sho Kohata led off with a double. Chase Blackwood proceeded to hit a foul ball down the first base line that was caught by BU first baseman Yudelmis Hernandez, but Kohata was able to move to third on the play. Hernandez throw to third on the play got by Yan Gomes, allowing Kohata to score. The two teams traded runs in the fourth as Costello singled off the bag at first to open the frame and scored on a Blaine Wilson ground out while Hernandez hit his 22nd home run of the year to get Barry, the nation's third-ranked squad, on the board. The Blazers busted the game open in the seventh as they plated four runs, three coming on Blackwood's 22nd home run of the year. Wilson singled to open the frame and moved to second on a Jon Koenigsfeld single. Kohata collected a base hit up the middle to plate Wilson before scoring along with Koenigsfeld when Blackwood hit a line drive over the wall in left. The home run moved the Blazer catcher to within one of the VSU single season record of 23, which was set by Bobby McDonald in 1997. Gomes closed out the scoring with his 20th home run of the year in the eighth, a two-run shot that scored Danny Lima, who had reached on a Kohata error with one out in the inning. Kohata, Costello and Koenigsfeld all had two hits to lead Valdosta State. The Blazers two home runs in the game gave them 110 on the season, moving them into sixth place on the NCAA Division II single season record list. Brad McAllister took the loss as he allowed eight runs, seven of which were earned, and 10 hits in six and a third innings of work. Hernandes finished with three of BU's eight hits while Joel Keefe tallied two. Valdosta State advances to Saturday's winner's bracket game and will play the winner of the game between No. 3 West Alabama and No 6 Florida Southern. The game will be held at 8:30 p.m.

More Regional Honors for Lady Blazers

2009-05-14

VALDOSTA, Ga. - Five Lady Blazers were named to the 2009 Louisville Slugger/National Fastpitch Coaches Association Division II All-Region Team. Holly Satterfield, Becca Aszman, Marti Littlefield, Andi Braswell and Alyssa Shirey were all named to the South Region second team. Valdosta State had the second most players named to the team. Satterfield was one of just three pitchers to be so honored from the Gulf South Conference. Aszman was one of two catchers selected and the only one from the GSC. Littlefield was the only GSC shortstop to be selected while Braswell joined Alabama-Huntsville's Beth Lawson as the only third basemen selected to the team. Shirey was named in the utility/non-pitcher spot, joining another UAH Charger, Kristina Prater. With five Lady Blazers named to the team, Valdosta State is second only to Alabama-Huntsville (six) in players named to the team. The two outstanding teams will meet in the super regional at 4:30 p.m. Friday and again at 2 p.m. Saturday. There will be a third game played, if necessary, at 4:30 p.m. Saturday.

NCAA South Regional Central

2009-05-14

Check here throughout the weekend to follow the Blazers as they compete in the 2009 NCAA Baseball South Region Tournament. Saturday's Schedule Changed: Due to threatening weather that is due to hit the Magnolia, Ark. area during the late afternoon hours, Saturday's game times have been changed. See below for the updated times.

Tournament Schedule: (all times Eastern)

Thursday, May 14

Game 1 - No. 5 Lynn 11, No. 4 Tampa (10 inn.) Game 2 - No. 7 Valdosta State 8, No. 2 Barry 3 Game 3 - No. 6 Florida Southern 14, No. 3 West Alabama 7 Game 4 - No. 1 Southern Arkansas 14, No. 8 Stillman 1

Friday, May 15

Game 5 - West Alabama 14, Barry 9 Game 6 - Tampa 21, Stillman 8 Game 7 - Lynn 5, Southern Arkansas 4 Game 8 - Florida Southern 6, Valdosta State 3

Saturday, May 16

Game 9 - Southern Arkansas 10, West Alabama 6 Game 10 - Valdosta State 10, Tampa 5 Game 11 - Lynn 7, Florida Southern 3

Sunday, May 17

Game 12 - 1:00 pm: Southern Arkansas vs. Valdosta State Game 13 - 4:30 pm: Winner Game 12 vs. Florida Southern

Monday, May 18

Game 14 - Noon: Winner Game 13 vs. Lynn Game 15 - 3:30 pm: Winner Game 13 vs. Lynn (if necessary) Follow the Blazers on the Internet: Blazer fans can follow Valdosta State Fans throughout the tournament via the internet in three distinct ways. The entire 2009 NCAA South Region Tournament will be webcast over the internet, AT NO CHARGE TO THE VIEWER. In order to watch the webcast, visit the Southern Arkansas athletics website and click on the "Broadband" link next to the game currently in progress. All VSU games can also be heard live over the internet by visiting www.talk921.com and clicking on the "on air: Listen Live" link. Finally, fans can follow the play-by-play by clicking on the Live Stats link next to each game on the Southern Arkansas athletic website.

Blazers Earn Regional Recognitions

2009-05-13

VALDOSTA, Ga. - After leading Valdosta State to its first NCAA Regional appearance since 2002, four Blazers have received regional honors according to announcements made by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) Wednesday. Three of the Blazers have been named to the Daktronics All-South Region team, led by pitcher/designated hitter Matt Costello, who was named the South's Player of the Year. Costello has batted .474 and counts 22 doubles, one triple and 11 home runs among his team-high 92 hits. The junior, who was named first-team All-South Region as a utility player and a starting pitcher, has scored 62 runs and driven in 67 on the season while holding a .768 slugging percentage. On the mound, Costello has tallied an 8-3 record and a 3.79 earned run average while striking out 81 batters in 90.1 innings. Costello was joined on the All-South Region first-team by outfielder Brandon Decker and relief pitcher Brandon Graves. Decker owns a .416 batting average and is tied for fourth nationally with 21 home runs. He has driven in a VSU single season record 83 runs while scoring a team-high 72. Graves is tied for second nationally with 11 victories, against just one loss, on the season and has also recorded seven saves. The senior leads Valdosta State with a 2.54 earned run average and has struck out 79 batters in 74.1 innings. Junior shortstop Jon Koenigsfeld was the final Blazer to earn regional honors as he was named to the South's ESPN the Magazine All-Academic team. Koenigsfeld has tallied a 4.00 grade point average as a Middle Education major and has batted .314 while starting 58 of VSU's 60 games this season. He has scored 47 runs while driving in 24 on the season. Both the All-Region and Academic All-District squads are voted on by the Sports Information Directors. By winning South Region honors, all four Blazers now move on to the national ballot. The Blazers open play in the 2009 NCAA South Region Tournament Thursday at 2:15 p.m. when they face Barry at Mulerider Field in Magnolia, Ark.

Braswell Named South Region Player of the Year

2009-05-13

VALDOSTA, Ga. - Valdosta State is one of just two teams from the South Region that are still alive in the NCAA Softball Tournament, so it's no surprise that four players from the squad were named All-South Region headlined by Andi Braswell. Braswell took the Player of the Year honors for the South Region and was named to the All-South second team. Joining Braswell on the team is Marti Littlefield, Alyssa Shirey and Melessa Jackson. Littlefield and Shirey each made the first team while Jackson took second team honors. It's clear why Braswell earned the top honor in the region. She is currently hitting .442 for the season with 69 runs scored. She's blasted 11 home runs and 64 runs batted in. Braswell has hit 18 doubles on the season and is a perfect 11 for 11 in stolen bases. She started 62 games this season. The senior has only struck out nine times, and has been just as good defensively at third base as she has been in the batter's box. Littlefield has been a monster for the Lady Blazers. She belted 25 homers and hit in 103 RBIs, both Gulf South Conference and Valdosta State records. She hits .424 on the season and is coming off South Region Tournament Most Outstanding Player honors for her two-run homer in the sixth inning to earn the opportunity for Valdosta State to play for the South Region Championship. She started all 63 games the Lady Blazers have played to date. Shirey has had the misfortune of batting behind Littlefield who usually cleans the bases, but Shirey is no slouch. Playing both catcher and right field this season, Shirey has 17 homers on the year with 62 RBIs. She hits .401 on the year and leads the team in hits by pitchers with 10. Shirey started 61 of 62 games played for VSU this season. Jackson has been a mainstay at center field for Valdosta State this year. She completes the fearsome foursome for VSU at the top of the lineup. She bats second from the left side and is hitting .348 on the year. She started 61 games this season and scored 51 runs. She is nine for 10 on stolen bases and hit 23 RBIs. Look for all four to be an integral part of the team's efforts against Alabama-Huntsville in a best two out of three series this weekend to determine the South Region Champion.

Valdosta State Wins First Round

2009-05-13

ALTAMONTE SPRINGS, Fla. - Fourth-ranked Valdosta State beat No. 15 Northwood, 5-0, in the first round of nationals Wednesday. With the win, the Lady Blazers will go on to face Hawaii Pacific at 1 p.m. Thursday. Valdosta State beat HPU, 6-3, in the only match in which the teams met this season. The Lady Blazers jumped to an early 3-0 lead thanks to excellent double play by teams of Raphaelle Durante and Karine Redon, Natali Gumbrecht and Tina Trautmann, and Sonya Haggstrom and Kristel de Groot. Durante and Redon ran away from Robert Huetter and Ashley Neumann, 8-3, in the top spot. Gumbrecht and Trautmann beat Darina Berkova and Raphaela Perisic, 8-4, while Haggstrom and de Groot took care of Sabrina Kihm and Nicole Kromer in an 8-6 decision. Once the VSU set the tone in doubles, there were only two matches to secure the victory. Redon supplied the first from the fifth spot with a 6-3, 6-0 win over Perisic while Haggstrom quickly followed with a 6-1, 6-0 romp of Kromer.

VSU Advances to Semifinals

2009-05-13

ALTAMONTE SPRINGS, Fla. - Play resumed Friday morning for No. 4 Valdosta State and No. 14 Hawaii Pacific. With a 2-1 lead after doubles, the Lady Blazers only allowed one more point to HPU in a 5-2 win. With the victory, Valdosta State will face No. 3 Armstrong Atlantic in the semifinal round at 3 p.m. Friday. Raphaelle Durante, No. 28, put away Nina Mihova with ease in the second slot with twin 6-1 finishes for VSU's third point. With just two points left for the win Karine Redon in the fifth spot and Sonya Haggstrom in the sixth spot each earned wins. Redon put away Aleksandra Stankovic, 6-2, 6-2, and Haggstrom won the most easily with a 6-1, 6-0 victory over Sandra Wikstrom.

Blazers Repeat as GSC All-Sports Champs

2009-05-12

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - Valdosta State repeated as the Gulf South Conference All-Sports Champions. West Florida took the women's award while the Blazers claimed the men's spot. Both teams were the first to repeat since Jacksonville State in 1992-93. Valdosta State is the first men's team to repeat since North Alabama in 1994-96. The Blazers are only the sixth men's team to repeat since the inception of the award. This marks VSU's sixth time to win the award. The red and black finished with 60 points while Harding came in second with 50. No other team broke the 50-point barrier. Men's tennis won the Gulf South Conference Championship to help the Blazers earn the award while basketball and baseball both finished second in the GSC. Football was third while golf finished fourth. The Lady Blazers finished fifth in the running for the All-Sports award.

Blazers Repeat as GSC All-Sports Champs

2009-05-12

Blazers Repeat as GSC All-Sports Champs

2009-05-12

Blazers Repeat as GSC All-Sports Champs

2009-05-12

Blazers Repeat as GSC All-Sports Champs

2009-05-12

Blazers Repeat as GSC All-Sports Champs

2009-05-12

Valdosta State Continues National Play

2009-05-12

VALDOSTA, Ga. - Lady Blazer tennis and softball along with Blazer baseball will all compete in national tournaments this weekend. Valdosta State's softball team travels to Huntsville, Ala. to face Alabama-Huntsville in a best two out of three series for the NCAA South Regional Championship and the right to go to the eight-team national tournament in Virginia. The games are scheduled for Friday at 4:30 p.m. and Saturday at 2 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. if the third game is necessary. The Lady Blazers split with the Chargers in the only two games they played this season. Valdosta State won the first, 4-2, while UAH came back in the second to win 9-4. Lady Blazer tennis travels to Orlando this weekend for nationals. There are only 16 women's tennis teams left, and Valdosta State will start the tournament against Northwood at 4 p.m. Wednesday. If the red and black win, the Lady Blazers will face the winner of Montana State-Billings and Hawaii Pacific at 1 p.m. Thursday. In the case VSU wins that match as well, the team will compete against an opponent to be determined at 1 p.m. Saturday. The Lady Blazers have already beaten Hawaii Pacific, 6-3, March 29, but have yet to face any of the other teams. Blazer baseball will begin South Regional play against Barry, the Sunshine State Conference champion and second seed in the region, at 2:15 p.m. on Thursday. Southern Arkansas will host the tournament as the top seed in the region while VSU is the seventh seed. The tournament will run through Monday. Be sure to follow your Blazer and Lady Blazer action at www.vstateblazers.com or on Talk Radio 92.1.

Valdosta State Continues National Play

2009-05-12

Valdosta State Continues National Play

2009-05-12

Baseball Earns South Regional Bid

2009-05-10

VALDOSTA, Ga. - The Valdosta State baseball will make its first appearance in the NCAA Region Tournament since the 2002 season, according to an announcement made by the NCAA Sunday evening. The Blazers, who finished the 2009 season with a 41-19 record, enter the NCAA South Regional as the No. 7 seed and will face No. 2 seed Barry, the Sunshine State Conference winner, Thursday at Mulerider Field on the campus of Southern Arkansas University in Magnolia, Ark. The remainder of the South Regional field includes No. 1 Southern Arkansas, the Gulf South Conference champion, No. 3 West Alabama, No. 4 Tampa, No. 5 Lynn, No. 6 Florida Southern and No. 8 Stillman, the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference champion. The double-elimination tournament runs Thursday, May 14 through Monday, May 18. With a victory on Thursday, the Blazers will face the winner of the UWA-FSC contest while a loss will pit VSU against the loser of the game between the Tigers and Mocs. Game times for Thursday's opening round have yet to be set. Valdosta State and Barry played one time during the regular season, with the Blazers claiming a 7-1 victory in Winter Park, Fla. on February 3. The game was just the third of the year for VSU and was the first of the season for the Bucs. Valdosta State features one of the top offenses in the country as the Blazers bat .335 as a team and lead the nation with 108 home runs, the seventh-best total in NCAA Division II history. Not to be outdone, the Barry offense batted .348 during the 2009 season and finished the year tied for second in home runs with 105. The baseball team's invitation to NCAA Regional Tournament play marks a milestone for Valdosta State as 10 of its 11 sports have competed in NCAA Regional play during the 2008-09 school year.

Lady Blazers Head to South Region Championship

2009-05-10

Sunday
Game 6: Valdosta State Beat Nova Southeastern, 5-4 - Box Score VALDOSTA, Ga. - Valdosta State beat Nova Southeastern, 5-4, for the opportunity to face Alabama-Huntsville for the NCAA South Region Championship. Six Lady Blazers made the All-Tournament Team with Marti Littlefield being recognized as the Most Outstanding Player. Her game-winning two-run homer helped her win the award. Nova Southeastern out hit VSU, 10-8, but the Lady Blazers were more efficient. Stephanie Carlson hit a two-run shot in the second inning, and Littlefield's came in the seventh. Carlson's hitting coupled with great defense helped her get named to the All-Tournament Team. April Hutchens also made the team, and was great at the plate for Valdosta State with a two for three day while Brianna Collis went one for two and pitched 3.1 innings. Collis struck out four and allowed one earned run on the day, her only one of the tournament. She was also named to the All-Tournament Team. Carlson picked up where she left off at the Gulf South Conference Tournament to start the scoring Sunday. After Alyssa Shirey reached first base on a walk, Carlson bombed her first home run of the tournament. Nova Southeastern responded with a run of its own in the bottom of the second inning. Erica Barrabi reached on an error and made her way around the bases. It was the only run VSU allowed in an inning the Sharks spent most of the time with bases loaded. In the fourth inning, Collis worked the count for a walk. After that, Becca Aszman singled to left field. Hutchens followed Aszman with a single of her own to left center. The NSU centerfielder tried to make the throw to third, but put it in the dugout. Amber Shaw, running for Collis, scored on the play to make it 3-1 for the Lady Blazers. Again the Sharks responded to Valdosta State's score with one of their own. Nova's Dana Bergner earned a walk. Katie Pepper entered the game to pinch run for Bergner and scored on a hit by Noemi Luciani. Lauren Lopez tied the game with a solo home run to lead off the bottom of the fifth inning. The Sharks scored in their third consecutive inning when Luciani came home while Lopez reached on an error. The run put NSU ahead one headed to the top of the seventh inning, 4-3. In the last inning though, Littlefield's big bat returned. She regained the lead with her two-run homer for VSU, 5-4. Her 102nd and 103rd runs batted in and her 25th homer of the season proved to be the final blow to Nova Southeastern. Friday, Valdosta State will meet Alabama-Huntsville for just the third time this season. The teams will play a best of three series with one game scheduled Friday and two Saturday. The Complete All-Tournament Team is as follows: Pitcher: VSU - Senior Brianna Collis Pitcher: VSU - Sophomore Holly Satterfield Catcher: FSC - Sophomore Heather Raulerson Infield: VSU - Freshman April Hutchens Infield: NSU - Junior Noemi Luciani Infield: FSC - Junior Elli Howell Infield: VSU - Junior Stephanie Carlson Outfield: NSU - Junior Patty Rivero Outfield: VSU - Sophomore Melessa Jackson Outfield: NSU - Sophomore Rachel Talenfeld Designated Player: NSU - Junior Brittney Lamb At-Large: Tampa - Sophomore Deanna Henriott At-Large: VSU - Freshman Marti Littlefield Most Outstanding Player: VSU - Freshman Marti Littlefield Saturday
Game 3: Valdosta State beat Nova Southeastern - Box Score Game 4: Florida Southern beat Tampa - Box Score Game 5: Nova Southeastern beat Florida Southern - Box Score VALDOSTA, Ga. - Valdosta State continued the team's undefeated streak in postseason play with a 1-0 victory over Nova Southeastern Saturday to move to 56-6 on the season and into the finals against Nova yet again. The Sharks beat Florida Southern for the second time this weekend for the opportunity to play VSU for the chance to win the NCAA South Regional next weekend. In Saturday's opener, Andi Braswell was hit in by Alyssa Shirey in the third inning. Melessa Jackson led the team in hits on a two for three day. Marti Littlefield and Stephanie Carlson joined Jackson and Shirey for the only VSU hits in the game. Brianna Collis and Holly Satterfield both saw time in the game with Collis picking up the win and Satterfield the save. Only three Sharks were able to hit off of the duo, and they struck five out. In the second game of the day, Florida Southern sent Tampa home after a close 8-6 battle. There were 18 hits in the game with the Mocs notching 10. The big inning was in the fourth when Florida Southern scored five runs, and Tampa responded with four. In the fifth inning the Mocs put up three runs to Tampa's two, and those two innings would be the difference in the game. With the win in game four of the tournament, Florida Southern went on to face Nova Southeastern for the second time this weekend. Both teams scored one run in the opening frame, but the Sharks scored two more in the third inning and rattled off 14 hits in the game. Already with a two-run lead, NSU added to it in the seventh inning with two more runs. That would make the final score, 5-1, and end Florida Southern's season. Game 1: NSU beat FSC Game 2: VSU beat Tampa Game 3: VSU beat NSU Game 4: FSC beat Tampa Game 5: NSU beat FSC Game 6: VSU vs. NSU - 1:30 p.m. Game 7 to be played 45 minutes after game 6 if necessary Friday
Game 1: Nova Southeastern beat Florida Southern - Box Score Game 2: Valdosta State beat Tampa - Box Score VALDOSTA, Ga. - Valdosta State capitalized on four errors in the second inning to put Tampa away, 5-0, on the first day of the NCAA South Regional Tournament. Nova Southeastern upset Florida Southern in the first game of the day with a 2-0 victory. In addition to the Tampa errors, Valdosta State rattled off five hits coming from Andi Braswell, Melessa Jackson, Alyssa Shirey, Stephanie Carlson and April Hutchens. Hutchens' hit was just one of many highlights she provided on the day. She continued her outstanding defensive play, highlighted by a diving stop late in the game. All five runs were unearned, even though there were three hits in the inning. Shirey led off in the second inning with a single on a deep hit to left field. To follow, Carlson laid down a bunt that came to a complete stop inches away from home plate. The Tampa catcher could not make a clean throw to first. With two on, Becca Aszman hit a sacrifice bunt to move the runners to second and third. Then Brianna Collis reached on an error by first base. After that, Hutchens hit a fly ball to right field. The outfielder could not handle the catch, but Amber Shaw, running for Shirey, scored on the play. Braswell made the second hit of the inning into left center to score Carlson. Jackson followed it with a hit up the middle over the pitcher's head. Collis and Hutchens both scored on the play. The final run of the second inning and the game came, fittingly, on an error. Marti Littlefield reached on the first baseman's second error of the inning while Braswell scored. Nothing but five scoreless innings came after that thanks to great pitching from Holly Satterfield. She notched seven strikeouts on the day, and only allowed one hit. That with four hits made for only five Tampa base runners all day. The tournament opener was played closer, and Nova Southeastern, the sixth seed, was able to upset Florida Southern, the third seed. Florida Southern left five base runners on base throughout the first four innings, but would only see one Moc reach first in the final three innings. Meanwhile, the Sharks heated up as the game went on to the tune of seven hits in the fifth, sixth and seventh innings. Jessica Hernandez started the fifth inning with a double down the left field line. After that, she scored on a bunt that turned into a double from Brittney Lamb. Her bunt was just out of reach of Florida Southern pitcher Brittany Minton. The ball trickled to second baseman Peggy Alex at such a slow rate that Lamb was able to leg it out to second base. In the sixth inning, Noemi Luciani singled to left and stole a base. On April Donachie's single to center. Now the bracket is set as follows: Friday Game 1: Nova Southeastern beat Florida Southern, 2-0 Game 2: Valdosta State beat Tampa, 5-0 Saturday Game 3: Valdosta State vs. Nova Southeastern - 1:30 p.m. Game 4: Florida Southern vs. Tampa - 4 p.m. Game 5: Winner Game 4 vs. Loser Game 3 - 6:30 p.m. Sunday Game 6: Winner Game 3 vs. Winner Game 5 - 1:30 p.m. Game 7 to be played 45 minutes after Game 6, if necessary Click here for live stats.

Blazers Fall 5-4 to Lynn

2009-05-09

BOCA RATON, Fla. - No. 3 Lynn overcame a 4-1 deficit to defeat No. 3 Valdosta State 5-4 in NCAA South Region Men's Tennis action Saturday afternoon. VSU (12-4) jumped out to a 2-1 lead in doubles play as it took victories at No. 2 and 3. Lynn (18-3) got on the board first as Julien Carsuzaa and Alessandro Sarra defeated Joerg Ekkenga and Leos Jelinek 8-4 at No. 1. However, the Blazers responded with an 8-5 victory at No. 2, where Daniel Dueren and Michael Kuech downed Tomas Racak and Luca Pavanelli, while Florian Halb and Otto Lenhart claimed an 8-4 win over Miloslav Navratil and Alex Voirin at No. 3. The Blazers pushed their advantage to 3-1 as Kuech defeated Axel Joachim 7-6 (7-3), 6-1 at No. 6 singles before closing to within a point of the victory when Ekkenga downed Sarra 7-5, 6-2 at No. 3. Pavanelli began the Fighting Knight comeback as he defeated Jelinek 6-4, 7-6 (7-2) at No. 4 before Racak claimed a 6-1, 7-6 win over Halb at No. 2. Carsuzaa evened the match with a 6-1, 3-6, 6-2 victory over Dueren at No. 1 and Voirin closed out the match with a 6-3, 2-6, 6-4 victory over Lenhart at No. 5.

Women's Tennis Heading to NCAA Championships

2009-05-09

Saturday

Valdosta State Takes South Regional

VALDOSTA, Ga. - Valdosta State was able to exact a little revenge against West Florida for the team's loss in the Gulf South Conference Championship. With a sweep, 5-0, of West Florida, the Lady Blazers move on to play the winner of the South Regional bracket being played at Lynn University The Lady Blazers jumped out to an early 3-0 lead thanks to teams of Raphaelle Durante and Karine Redon, Natali Gumbrecht and Tina Trautmann, and Kristel de Groot and Sonya Haggstrom. The closest doubles match took place at the third spot, with a thrilling 9-7 win for de Groot and Haggstrom. Gumbrecht and Trautmann pulled out another close one, 8-5, while Durante and Redon ran away at the top spot, 8-1. With the early 3-0 lead, Valdosta State only needed two singles victories. For the second consecutive match, Durante and Redon pulled them out for the Lady Blazers. In the second position Durante won, 6-0, 6-3. Redon pulled the first set in the fifth spot with ease, 6-1, but the second did not come so easy. In the end, Redon won, 6-1, 7-6 (1). Full results are as follows: Valdosta State beats West Florida, 5-0 Doubles: 1. Durante/Redon (VSU) beat Calvacante/Ojeda (UWF), 8-1 2. Gumbrecht/Trautmann (VSU) beat Mattos/Baines (UWF), 8-5 3. de Groot/Haggstrom (VSU) beat Brewster/Bokareva (UWF), 9-7 Singles 1. Gumbrecht (VSU) vs. Calvacante (UWF), Unfinished 2. Durante (VSU) beat Ojeda (UWF), 6-0, 6-3 3. Trautmann (VSU) vs. Bokareva (UWF), Unfinished 4. de Groot (VSU) vs. Brewster (UWF), Unfinished 5. Redon (VSU) beat Mattos (UWF), 6-1, 7-6 (1) 6. Haggstrom (VSU) vs. Baines (UWF), Unfinished The remaining bracket is set as follows: Thursday - 3 p.m.: Nova Southeastern beat Tuskegee, 5-0 (Game 1) Friday - 9 a.m.: West Florida beat Florida Southern, 5-0 (Game 2) Friday - 1 p.m.: Valdosta State beat Nova Southeastern, 5-0 (Game 3) Saturday - 9 a.m.: Valdosta State beat West Florida, 5-0 (Championship)

Friday

VSU to Meet West Florida in Finals

VALDOSTA, Ga. - In the second day of the first round of the NCAA South Regional Tournament for women's tennis, Valdosta State swept Nova Southeastern to meet West Florida in the finals at 9 a.m. Saturday. The Lady Blazers jumped out to an early 3-0 lead thanks to teams of Raphaelle Durante and Karine Redon, Natali Gumbrecht and Tina Trautmann, and Kristel de Groot and Sonya Haggstrom. The closest doubles match took place at the third spot, but de Groot and Haggstrom pulled it out, 8-6. Durante and Redon won in the top spot, 8-2, while Gumbrecht and Trautmann won, 8-4. In singles action, VSU only needed two victories. Durante and Redon supplied them. Durante won easily, 6-0, 6-0, in the second position. Redon, playing in the fifth spot, won, 6-1, 6-0. Full results are as follows: Valdosta State beats Nova Southeastern, 5-0 Doubles: 1. Durante/Redon (VSU) beat Talalenko/Feaster (NSU), 8-2 2. Gumbrecht/Trautmann (VSU) beat Kulichova/Porizkova (NSU), 8-4 3. de Groot/Haggstrom (VSU) beat Crider/Lindsley (NSU), 8-6 Singles 1. Gumbrecht (VSU) vs. Talalenko (NSU), Unfinished 2. Durante (VSU) beat Kulichova (NSU), 6-0, 6-0 3. Trautmann (VSU) vs. Feaster (NSU), Unfinished 4. de Groot (VSU) vs. Porizkova (NSU), Unfinished 5. Redon (VSU) beat Lindsley (NSU), 6-1, 6-0 6. Haggstrom (VSU) vs. Crider (NSU), Unfinished The remaining bracket is set as follows: Thursday - 3 p.m.: Nova Southeastern beat Tuskegee, 5-0 (Game 1) Friday - 9 a.m.: West Florida beat Florida Southern, 5-0 (Game 2) Friday - 1 p.m.: Valdosta State vs. Nova Southeastern (Game 3) Saturday - 9 a.m.: Valdosta State vs. West Florida (Championship)

West Florida Takes Down Florida Southern

VALDOSTA, Ga. - In the second day of the first round of the NCAA South Regional Tournament for women's tennis, two Florida teams battled it out with West Florida beating Florida Southern, 5-0. The Argonauts took two doubles matches by matching scores of 8-1. In the second doubles match, West Florida won, 8-4. Suzana Cavalcante and Naomi Higa won the two singles matches the Argonauts needed to finish off the Mocs. Cavalcante won, 6-4, 6-3, in the top spot while Higa took care of business at the sixth position with a 6-1, 6-1 win. Full results are as follows: West Florida beats Florida Southern, 5-0 Doubles: 1. Cavalcante/Ojeda (UWF) beat Softic/Hungerford (FSC), 8-1 2. Mattos/Bames (UWF) beat Conroy/Kovacikova (FSC), 8-4 3. Brewster/Bokareva (UWF) beat Baertschi/Carns (FSC), 8-1 Singles 1. Cavalcante (UWF) beat Softic (FSC), 6-4, 6-3 2. Ojeda (UWF) vs. Hungerford (FSC), Unfinished; 6-7, 3-2 3. Brewster (UWF) vs. Conroy (FSC), Unfinished; 4-6, 1-5 4. Mattos (UWF) vs. Kovacikova (FSC), Unfinished; 5-7, 2-3 5. Bames (UWF) vs. Baertschi (FSC), Unfinished; 6-2, 1-6, 3-2 6. Higa (UWF) beat Carns (FSC), 6-1, 6-1 The remaining bracket is set as follows: Thursday - 3 p.m.: Nova Southeastern beat Tuskegee, 5-0 (Game 1) Friday - 9 a.m.: West Florida beat Florida Southern, 5-0 (Game 2) Friday - 1 p.m.: Valdosta State vs. Nova Southeastern (Game 3) Saturday - 9 a.m.: Valdosta State vs. West Florida (Championship)

Thursday

Nova Southeastern Drops Tuskegee

VALDOSTA, Ga. - The competition in Valdosta started Thursday with the women's tennis tournament. The Lady Blazers are hosting Tuskegee, Nova Southeastern, West Florida and Florida Southern, but Nova Southeastern struck first blood with a win over Tuskegee. In the first round of the NCAA South Regional Tournament, Nova Southeastern ran away from Tuskegee in an easy 5-0 victory. The Sharks won two doubles matches by scores of 8-0 and the third, 8-1. After jumping out to a 3-0 lead, Karolina Porizkova and Paige Lindsley earned the victories NSU needed in singles for the win. Both players won 6-0, 6-0. Full results are as follows: Nova Southeastern beats Tuskegee, 5-0 Doubles: 1. Talalenko/Feaster (NSU) beat Aranda/Dixon (Tuskegee), 8-0 2. Kulichova/Porizkova (NSU) beat Scott/Willoughby (Tuskegee), 8-0 3. Crider/Lindsley (NSU) beat Smith/Shelton (Tuskegee), 8-1 Singles 1. Talalenko (NSU) vs. Scott (Tuskegee), Unfinished; 6-1, 1-0 2. Kulichova (NSU) vs. Dixon (Tuskegee), Unfinished; 6-2, 2-0 3. Feaster (NSU) vs. Aranda (Tuskegee), Unfinished; 6-1, 4-0 4. Porizkova (NSU) beat Smith (Tuskegee), 6-0, 6-0 5. Lindsley (NSU) beat Willoughby (Tuskegee), 6-0, 6-0 6. Crider (NSU) vs. Shelton (Tuskegee), Unfinished; 6-1, 1-0 The remaining bracket is set as follows: Thursday - 3 p.m.: Nova Southeastern beat Tuskegee, 5-0 (Game 1) Friday - 9 a.m.: West Florida vs. Florida Southern (Game 2) Friday - 1 p.m.: Valdosta State vs. Nova Southeastern (Game 3) Saturday - 9 a.m.: Winner Game 3 vs. Winner Game 2 (Championship)

Blazers Fall in GSC Championship Game

2009-05-08

MILLINGTON, Tenn. - Hayden Simpson limited Valdosta State to just three hits to lead Southern Arkansas to a 5-0 victory over Valdosta State in the championship game of the Gulf South Conference Tournament Friday at USA Stadium. Southern Arkansas (49-9) scored the game's first runs in the top of the fifth as it utilized the speed of rightfielder Patrick Johnson. Johnson drew a one-out walk in the frame and stole second to move into scoring position. Jeffrey Meadows proceeded to single through the right-side of the infield to score Johnson. After a flyout, Gavan McCauley doubled down the left field line to drive home Meadows for a 2-0 SAU lead. The Muleriders added their third run in the sixth as Dane Lucas led off with his third hit of the game. Two batters later, Cannon Lester single to right to move Lucas to third, allowing him to score on a Johnson sacrifice fly to give Southern Arkansas a 3-0 lead. Southern Arkansas closed out the scoring with a pair of runs in the eighth inning. Valdosta State (41-19) threatened in the fourth inning, but saw a double play end the threat. Logan Pierce reached on an infield single, moved to second on a wild pitch and third on a throwing error on the wild pitch. Brandon Decker proceeded to draw a walk, but Matt Costello hit into a first base to short stop double play to end the inning. The victory marked the second of the tournament for Simpson over the Blazers as the righthander improved to 11-1 on the year. Simpson, who was named tournament Most Outstanding Player, walked three and struck out six VSU batters in eight innings of work. Ross Gusky allowed eight hits and four runs while striking out four in seven innings to fall to 5-4 on the year. Chase Blackwood, Clayton Cain and Austin Smith were all named to the All-Tournament team. Valdosta State now awaits word on if the Blazers will advance to the NCAA South Regional. The NCAA announcement on the 2009 regional play will be made Sunday between 5:00 and 8:30 p.m.

Blazers Meet Lynn Again in Finals

2009-05-08

BOCA RATON, Fla. - Valdosta State swept Rollins in the NCAA South Regionals Friday. The Blazers took all three doubles matches to claim the early lead and received the needed singles victories from Leos Jelinek and Otto Lenhart. With the 5-0 win, Valdosta State moves on to face Lynn in the finals. The final results are as follows: 1. Daniel Dueren (VSU) vs. Adrian Tan (RCM) 6-1, 3-2, unfinished 2. Florian Halb (VSU) vs. Neil Clausen (RCM) 6-4, 3-1, unfinished 3. Joerg Ekkenga (VSU) vs. Jeff Morris (RCM) 6-3, 4-3, unfinished 4. Leos Jelinek (VSU) def. Gustavo Carvalho (RCM) 6-0, 6-1 5. Otto Lenhart (VSU) def. Bill Rockwood (RCM) 6-0, 6-3 6. Michael Kuech (VSU) vs. Andrew Johnson (RCM) 6-3, 5-1, unfinished Doubles competition 1. Joerg Ekkenga/Leos Jelinek (VSU) def. Adrian Tan/Jeff Morris (RCM) 9-7 2. Daniel Dueren/Michael Kuech (VSU) def. Neil Clausen/Gustavo Carvalho (RCM) 8-3 3. Florian Halb/Otto Lenhart (VSU) def. Bill Rockwood/Nick Rowlands (RCM) 8-4

Eighth Inning Rally Equals VSU Victory

2009-05-07

MILLINGTON, Tenn. - Valdosta State scored three runs in the top of the eighth inning to defeat West Florida 7-6 in an elimination game of the Gulf South Conference Tournament at USA Stadium Thursday afternoon. Valdosta State (41-18) trailed 6-4 entering the eighth before Sho Kohata drew a walk to open the frame. After a fly out, Chase Blackwood hit a low line drive over the wall in left to even the game, his fifth home run of the tournament and 21st of the year. After a strike out for the second out of the frame, Matt Costello singled up the middle and scored from first when Austin Smith hit a single to right. Greg Pron, the UWF rightfielder overran the ball, allowing Costello to score for the winning run. West Florida (33-22) opened the scoring in the bottom of the first inning as it plated a pair of runs. Kyle Brown drew a walk to open the Argonaut half of the frame and moved to second on a Pron ground out. Tyler Hastings proceeded to deliver a two-out single through the right-side of the infield before VSU starter Tanner Fudge balked Hastings to second. Reliever Shawn Keill came on and surrendered a single to Cody Campbell that scored Hastings for a 2-0 UWF lead. Campbell pushed the West Florida lead to 3-0 in the third inning as he doubled with two out to score Pron, who had singled to open the inning and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt, before Brandon Decker got the Blazers on the board in the fourth as he led off with his 21st home run of the year, a shot off the scoreboard in left that cut the Argonaut lead to 3-1. The Blazers evened the game at 3-3 in the top of the fifth on Clayton Cain's 11th home run of the season. Robby Kuzdale doubled to open the frame and two batters later scored when Cain hit a round tripper over the wall in right-center. The Argonauts regained the lead in the bottom of the frame as it plated a pair of runs. Hastings doubled with one out in the frame and Campbell drew a walk before Jack Materne doubled to left to plate Hastings. Zach Cates proceeded to ground out to first to score Campbell to give UWF a 5-3 lead. Valdosta State got a run back in the top of the seventh on a Smith run-scoring single. Blackwood singled to open the frame and moved to second when Cain reached on a catcher's interference call. Two batters later, Smith singled through the right-side of the infield to score Blackwood. The Blazers proceeded to load the bases, but were unable to score another run as West Florida maintained a 5-4 lead. UWF immediately pushed its lead back to two runs in the bottom of the seventh as Lee Huggins led off with a triple down the right field line and scored on a Hastings single to give West Florida a 6-4 advantage. Smith recorded three hits to lead VSU offensively while allowing three hits and striking out four in three innings of work to earn his second victory in as many days to improve to 2-3 on the year. Blackwood, Cain, Costello and Wilson all recorded two each. Valdosta State advances to Friday's championship day and will play at 10:30 a.m. VSU's opponent in the game will be determined by the winner of Thursday's contest between Southern Arkansas and Delta State. If Southern Arkansas wins Thursday's game, the Blazers and Muleriders will play for the championship on Friday, with VSU needing to defeat SAU in a doubleheader. If Delta State wins, the Blazers and Statesmen will play at 10:30 a.m., with the winner playing Southern Arkansas at 2:00 p.m.

Blackwood Home Run Propels VSU

2009-05-06

MILLINGTON, Tenn. - Chase Blackwood's 20th home run of the season propelled Valdosta State to a 9-8 victory in 10 innings over Harding in an elimination game of the Gulf South Conference Tournament Wednesday. After Harding (32-25) evened the game with three runs in the bottom of the ninth, Bison reliever Dakota Garnder recorded the first two outs of the 10th inning, bringing Blackwood to the plate. The senior took a high curveball for a ball one before sending the next pitch deep over the fence in left field for his second roundtripper of day and fourth in the last two days. For the second straight day, Blackwood got Valdosta State (40-18) on the board in the first inning with a two-run home run. Sho Kohata led off the contest with a walk and scored as Blackwood hit his 19th home run of the year and third of the tournament. Harding starter Troy Keith proceeded to walk Brandon Decker and induce a fielder's choice by Matt Costello before walking Clayton Cain as well. Cain was thrown out trying t advance to second on a wild pitch, but Keith walked Austin Smith and Blaine Wilson to load the bases. However, a Logan Pierce ground out ended the inning without any further damage. The Bison got a run back in the bottom of the second on a two-out single by Will McDonald. With one out in the frame, Tyler Thompson singled and moved to second on a wild pitch. After a strikeout, McDonald delivered a single up the middle to score Thompson and cut the VSU advantage to 2-1. The Blazers stranded base runners at third base in both the third and fourth innings before scoring five runs in the fifth. Decker walked to open the frame and moved to third as Costello singled to right before coming home on a Cain single up the middle. A Smith ground out scored Costello, who had advanced to third on the Cain base hit, while Cain scored as Wilson doubled to left to chase Keith from the mound. Pierce greeted D.A. Kremer with a single to left to score Wilson before using his speed to manufacture the final VSU run of the frame. The centerfielder stole second, advanced to third on a Jon Koenigfeld ground out and stole home to give Valdosta State a 7-1 lead. Wildness by Kremer led to VSU's eighth run in the sixth. With two out, Costello doubled before Kremer hit Cain and Smith. The Bison reliever proceeded to throw a pitch over the head of Wilson, allowing Costello to score for an 8-1 Blazer lead. Alex Darby hit his 16th home run of the year in the bottom of the sixth while Harding got two more runs in the seventh. Kevin Ganus singled to open the inning and moved to second two batters later when Charles Bradley reached on a bunt single. J.D. Glenn proceeded to hit a ground ball to short, but Koenigsfeld was unable to handle the ball, allowing Ganus to score. Chase Presley followed with a double down the left field line to plate Bradley. Ross Gusky came on for the Blazers and walked Ryan Moody and Darby to force home Glenn, cutting the VSU advantage to 8-5. The Bison evened the game with three runs in the bottom of the ninth. Glen and Presley singled to open the frame before Moody drew a walk to load the bases. Darby followed with a single to center to score Glen and Presley. A sacrifice bunt moved both base runners into scoring position before Thompson was intentionally walked. Smith, who relieved Gusky after the Moody walk, induced a ground ball, but Ganus beat the throw to first to avoid the double play and allow Moody to score the tying run. Smith, in his first appearance on the mound since March 14, allowed one hit and struck out two in two innings of work to improve to 1-3 on the season. VSU starter Jeremy Forbus allowed four hits and a run in four innings of work. Gardner (1-3) took the loss as he allowed three hits and one run in three and two-thirds innings. Valdosta State's 40 victories marks the first time the Blazers have won 40 games in a season since 2002 and just the third time since VSU joined the GSC prior to the 1983 season. The Blazers advance to tomorrow's elimination game against West Florida to be played at 2 p.m.

Blazer Rally Falls Short

2009-05-06

FLORENCE, Ala. - Valdosta State's rally fell just short as the Blazers shot a final round 288 (E) to finish sixth at the NCAA South/Southeast Super Region at the par 72, 7,126 yard Robert Trent Jones at the Shoals Fighting Joe Course Wednesday. The Blazers entered the final day in 10th place with a 16-over 592 before firing the second-best round of the day to move up four spots with an 880. The sixth place finish left VSU just short of advancing to the NCAA Championships as the top five teams in the Super Regional tournament advance to the national tournament. Georgia College, which tallied a two-under 286 on Wednesday, edged the Blazers by four strokes with a 12-over 876 to claim the fifth and final spot. North Alabama claimed the regional championship as it shot a four-over 868 followed by Lynn at 869. Barry was third with a 10-over 874 while Columbus State finished third at 875 (11-over). Brent Witcher ended his Valdosta State career with a one-under 71 to tie for 16th in the event with a one-over 217. Chad Smith was three strokes back and tied for 24th with a four-over 220 while Chesley Gunn tied for 39th at 223 (seven-over). Cole Willis tied for 56th at 226 (10-over) while Wade Holland rounded out the Blazer squad with a 12-over 228.

VSU, Carlson Earn Honors

2009-05-06

VALDOSTA, Ga. - In the final week for weekly awards from the National Fastpitch Coaches Association, Stephanie Carlson was named the National Player of the Week. In addition to her individual achievement, the Lady Blazers moved to third in the national poll, passing up Alabama-Huntsville, which took the fifth spot. The #3 national ranking is the highest the Lady Blazers have been selected all season. Claiming the Gulf South Conference Championship this past weekend helped the team move up, and Carlson helped the team earn the championship. In each of VSU's three tournament games, it was Carlson's hitting that won it for Valdosta State. Two of Carlson's home runs came against GSC Pitchers of the Year. The junior from Surrey, British Columbia hit .438 for the week and an eye-popping .600 for the tournament. Carlson and the Lady Blazers will look to keep their success going this weekend at the NCAA Regional Tournament to be hosted by Valdosta State.

Blazers Pound Ouachita Baptist 16-1

2009-05-05

MILLINGTON, Tenn. - Valdosta State hit five home runs, including three in a 10-run fifth inning, to defeat Ouachita Baptist 16-1 in an elimination game of the Gulf South Conference Tournament Tuesday at USA Stadium. Chase Blackwood got Valdosta State (39-18) on the board first as he hit his 17th home run of the year in the top of the first inning. Robby Kuzdale drew a walk to open the frame and scored as Blackwood followed with a towering shot over the wall in left-center for a 2-0 Blazer lead. Ouachita Baptist (37-20) got a run back in the top of the second when Derek Dibbens led off with a double to left-center and moved to third on a Rudy Jovanovski ground out. A wild pitch allowed Dibbens to score to cut the VSU lead in half while a great relay throw later in the inning preserved the Valdosta State advantage. After Dibbens scored, Kevin Bird reached on an infield single and Luke Hardcastle doubled down the left field line. However, Blaine Wilson got the ball in quickly and Austin Smith delivered a perfect throw home to retire Bird. The Blazers quickly got the run back in the bottom of the second when Chaz Bagwell reached on a bunt single and scored on Kuzdale triple to right-center before a record-breaking home run by Smith in the third posted VSU to a 5-1 advantage. With one out in the frame, Matt Costello singled through the right-side of the infield, snapping a 0-for-12 slump, and scored as Smith hit a shot deep over the wall in left. The home run was Valdosta State's 100 round-tripper of the season, establishing a new Valdosta State record for home runs in a season. A Clayton Cain double that scored Kuzdale pushed the Blazer lead to 6-1 in the fourth before VSU sent 14 batters to the plate and added 10 more runs in the fifth. Wilson singled with one out and moved to second on a passed ball before scoring on a Brandon Decker single to right. Decker moved all the way to third on the play as Bird let the ball get by him and stole home for the second Valdosta State run of the frame. Jon Koenigsfeld followed with a single through the right-side of the infield and scored as Sho Kohata followed with a triple off the wall in right. A Kuzdale double plated Kohata before Blackwood hit his second home run of the game, again a shot to left-center. Cain followed with a single and scored when Costello hit his 11th home run of the year while Decker also hit a two-run homer in the frame to give VSU a 16-1 advantage. Brandon Graves allowed five hits and one run to improve to 11-1 on the season. The senior walked one and struck out eight in recording his second complete game in as many outings. Will Gowdy allowed six hits and five runs, all of which were earned, in three innings to fall to 10-3. Kuzdale and Cain recorded three hits each to lead Valdosta State offensively while Blackwood finished the contest with two hits and four RBI. Costello, Smith and Decker also tallied two hits each. Valdosta State advances to Wednesday's 1:00 p.m. elimination game against Harding.

Blazers Fall 8-6 to Southern Arkansas

2009-05-04

MILLINGTON, Tenn. - Southern Arkansas broke a late inning tie with a three-run home run in the bottom of the seventh inning to defeat Valdosta State 8-6 in the first round of Gulf South Conference Tournament at USA Stadium Monday. Southern Arkansas (45-9) jumped to an early lead as it plated a run in the bottom of the third inning. Nick Paschal singled to open the frame and appeared to give the Muleriders the lead as Gavan McCauley followed with a double to right. However, Sho Kohata took a relay from Brandon Decker and threw a strike to home plate that beat Paschal to the bag. McCauley moved to third on the throw home on the play and scored a batter later when Andrew Whittington singled up the middle, giving SAU a 1-0 advantage. Valdosta State (38-18) evened the game at 1-1 in the top of the fourth without the benefit of a hit. Logan Pierce drew a walk to open the frame and moved to second as Chase Blackwood was hit by a pitch. After a Decker strikeout, Matt Costello loaded the bases with a free pass, allowing Pierce to score on a Blaine Wilson ground out. Brandon Graves' seventh home run of the year in the bottom of the fourth put Southern Arkansas back in front by a run while a Paschal two-out single in the frame posted the Muleriders to a 3-1 advantage. With two out in the frame, Jeffrey Meadows reached on an infield single and stole second, allowing him to score as Paschal blooped a base hit to shallow right. VSU answered with two runs in the fifth to once again knot the game. Austin Smith walked to open the frame and advanced to second as Kohata followed with VSU's first hit of the game. A Jon Koenigsfeld sacrifice bunt moved both runners up a base, allowing Smith to score on a wild pitch. Kohata came home as Pierce reached on a fielding error by James Schroeder at third. Blackwood and Decker proceeded to tally base hits, but Pierce was thrown out at home on the Decker hit to end the inning with the scored tied at 3-3. The Blazers threatened in the sixth as they loaded the bases with only one out, but came away without a run as a double play ended the inning, and stranded a runner at third in seventh before Southern Arkansas regained the lead in the bottom of the seventh. With one out in the frame, McCauley reached on a fielding error by Koenigsfeld. After a fly out, Dane Lucas singled to chase Costello from the mound. Schroeder proceeded to hit his 19th home run of the year, an opposite field shot over the wall in right, to give the Muleriders a 6-3 lead. VSU again left the bases loaded in the eighth as it stranded 11 base runners in the game. The Muleriders plated their final two runs in the eighth while the Blazers got a three-run home run from Clayton Cain in the top of the ninth to close out the scoring. Costello allowed eight hits and five runs, three of which were earned, while striking out five in six and two-thirds innings to fall to 8-3 on the season. SAU's Hayden Simpson allowed six hits and three runs while striking out six and walking six in seven and a third innings to improve to 10-1. Blackwood tallied two of VSU's eight hits in the game to lead the Blazers offensively while four different SAU players tallied two hits each. Valdosta State returns to action Tuesday, May 5 when it plays Ouachita Baptist at 6:15 p.m. in a tournament elimination game.

Golf Seventh at NCAA Regional

2009-05-04

FLORENCE, Ala. - Valdosta State shot a four-over 292 to tie for seventh after the first round of the NCAA South/Southeast Golf Super Regional Monday at the par 72, 7,126-yard Robert Trent Jones at the Shoals. Host North Alabama claimed the first round lead after shooting a seven-under 281 while Lynn was second with a 284 (-3). Barry shot an even-par 284 to stand third followed by West Florida (289 / 1-over) in fourth and Columbus State and Georgia College tied for fifth at 290 (2-over). Nova Southeastern matched the Blazers with a 292 on the day while Barton and Newberry rounded out the top 10 at 293 (5-over). VSU's Cole Willis shot a two-under 70 to tie for sixth in the first round as Lynn's Chris Goldan claimed the first round lead with a five-under 67. The remaining four Blazers - Wade Holland, Brent Witcher, Chris Smith and Chesley Gunn, all shot a two-over 74 to tie for 43rd. The tournament continues with a single round of play on Tuesday. Willis leads VSU off at 8:20 a.m. while Witcher will be the last off for the Blazers at 9:00 a.m.

NCAA South Region Tournament Central

2009-05-04

VALDOSTA, Ga. - Valdosta State's spring teams have stood out this season, so much so that two teams will host NCAA South Regional Tournaments. Softball along with women's tennis will be hosting a number of teams looking to move on to the NCAA National Championship. In addition to our tournaments to be hosted at home, the Valdosta State men's tennis team will head to Lynn for the NCAA South Regional Tournament while Blazer golf is currently teeing it off at their regional tournament. VSU's baseball team is battling it out at the Gulf South Conference Tournament for a possible regional bid as well. The competition in Valdosta starts Thursday with the women's tennis tournament. The Lady Blazers will host Tuskegee, Nova Southeastern, West Florida and Florida Southern. The bracket is set as follows: Women's Tennis Bracket Thursday - 3 p.m.: Tuskegee vs. Nova Southeastern (Game 1) Friday - 9 a.m.: West Florida vs. Florida Southern (Game 2) Friday - 1 p.m.: Valdosta State vs. Winner Game 1 (Game 3) Saturday - 9 a.m.: Winner Game 3 vs. Winner Game 2 (Championship) Meanwhile, Lady Blazer softball will host Florida Southern and Nova Southeastern like tennis, along with Tampa. Valdosta State holds the top seed in this bracket of the regional tournament with the #2 seed in the overall region. Florida Southern is the third seed while Nova Southeastern and Tampa are the six and seven seeds respectively. The schedule for the softball tournament is as follows: Softball Bracket Friday 4 p.m.: #3 Florida Southern vs. #6 Nova Southeastern (Game 1) 6:30 p.m.: #2 Valdosta State vs. #7 Tampa (Game 2) Saturday 1:30 p.m.: Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2 (Game 3) 4 p.m.: Loser Game 1 vs. Loser Game 2 (Game 4) 6:30 p.m. Winner Game 4 vs. Loser Game 3 (Game 5) Sunday 1:30 p.m.: Winner Game 3 vs. Winner Game 5 (Game 6) Game 7 to be played 45 minutes after Game 6, if necessary. Admission to the tennis tournament will be completely free and open to the public. Pricing for the softball tournament is as follows: Tickets Day Tickets Adult - $5 Senior (65 ) - $3 Student (Age 12 - Non-VSU College with ID) - $3 Youth (Ages 1-11) - $2 VSU Students - FREE Tournament Pass Adult - $12 Senior (65 ) - $7 Student (Age 12 - Non-VSU College with ID) - $7 Youth (Ages 1-11) - $5 VSU Students - FREE Note: VSU Season Passes are not valid for this tournament. There will be no complimentary admissions provided to any game or session. Parking Tennis Parking will be accessible in the P.E. Complex lot (except during VSU graduation Saturday morning) and the Oak Street lot throughout the tournament. Softball The Billy Grant Field lot will be open for parking. The small lot immediately in front of the softball field house is reserved for Tournament Staff only while the parking area immediately adjacent to the softball field is reserved for umpire and handicapped vehicles only. Prohitibed Items - Weapons of any type - Flash photography - Video cameras - Outside food or drink - Tobacco and alcohol

NCAA South Region Tournament Central

2009-05-04

Valdosta State Claims Gulf South Conference Championship

2009-05-02

SOUTHAVEN, Miss. - After being down for most of the game, Valdosta State, led by Stephanie Carlson, beat Arkansas Tech, 5-3, to claim the team's second Gulf South Conference Championship, first under Head Coach Thomas Macera. Carlson hit a three-run homer in the bottom of the sixth inning to bring VSU back from a 3-1 deficit. Becca Aszman topped it off with another home run immediately after to make the final score, 5-3. Carlson was two for three with three runs batted in and one run scored. She was easily the most valuable player throughout the entire tournament for VSU. She hit .600 on the weekend which was also her on base percentage. She did it without any errors in the field and tallied seven RBIs and three homers with a 1.500 slugging percentage. April Hutchens joined Azman and Carlson with a home run to start the Lady Blazers in the fifth inning. Her solo shot made it 3-1, but the Lady Blazers finished it off in the sixth. Arkansas Tech scored in the fourth inning with a solo home run from the team leader, Tiphani Moon. In the fifth inning, thanks to Lady Blazer errors, Arkansas Tech scored two more runs. When Valdosta State put in Brianna Collis though, the Golden Suns had no answer. On their run through the Gulf South Conference tournament, the Lady Blazers went through both Gulf South Pitchers of the Year in Jillian Lafrance from West Florida and Casey Hammons from ATU. After going through the lineup two times against both pitchers, VSU reminded everyone of the power in the lineup with late rallies. The Lady Blazers will move on to be one of two hosts of the NCAA South Regional Tournament next weekend. It will start Friday and be concluded on Sunday. Box Score

Lady Blazers Undefeated at GSC Tourney

2009-05-01

SOUTHAVEN, Miss. - Valdosta State started the Gulf South Conference tournament with two wins Friday over Ouachita Baptist, 2-1, and West Florida, 8-4. To add to the wins, Marti Littlefield broke another record. With two home runs in a great come from behind victory over West Florida, Littlefield became the sole owner of the Gulf South Conference record for most home runs in a season with 24. The first game was tied much of the seven innings played, and the Lady Blazers only tallied four hits in the game along with two important runs batted in. Brianna Collis earned the win. OBU played Valdosta State well. In fact, the Lady Tigers scored in the first inning to grab an early lead that lasted until the bottom of the fourth inning. Becca Aszman hit Littlefield in to tie the game. The game went scoreless after that until Stephanie Carlson led off in the bottom of the seventh inning. After working to a count of two and two, Carlson started to foul the ball. After three straight fouls she ended the game with a solo home run for the win. West Florida proved to be the most entertaining game of the day. Littlefield had the big game going two for three with three runs and two RBIs. Alyssa Shirey also stepped up to go three for four with one RBI and two runs while Carlson had another great game with a two for four performance with three RBIs and two runs scored. April Hutchens was a perfect three for three with one RBI. VSU faced GSC East rival West Florida for the fifth time this season. As the visiting team, the Lady Blazers started off hitting and scored a run early with the record tying homer from Littlefield. Unfortunately, the Argonauts fought back in the bottom of the first to score three runs and take the lead. Later, Shirey homered in the top of the fourth inning to pull Valdosta State within one, 3-2. West Florida again responded to VSU, this time with a home run to regain the two-run lead. With her second home run of the game, Littlefield broke the GSC record and made it three runs for VSU. In the next at bat, Shirey singled to reach first base followed by a deep single to left field from Carlson. Aszman stepped up afterward to hit a line drive past West Florida's third baseman to score Joy Perry, pinch running for Shirey. Hutchens kept the rally going with another shot past third base to score Carlson and earn the first lead, 5-4, for VSU since the first inning. After intentionally walking Littlefield in the seventh inning, West Florida gave up a hit to Shirey. It proved to be a big mistake. With those runners on second and third, Carlson hit her second homer of the day. The three-run shot pushed the VSU lead to 8-4 in the top of the seventh inning. Valdosta State would go on to hold through the bottom of the inning to win. The Lady Blazers will face Arkansas Tech at 1 p.m. Saturday. The surviving team will be the only undefeated team left in the Gulf South tournament. Game 1 Box Score Game 2 Box Score

Blazer Tennis Heads to Regional Play

2009-04-30

VALDOSTA, Ga. - The Valdosta State women's tennis team will host a 2009 NCAA South Region Tournament while the men's squad will travel to Boca Raton, Fla. and the campus of Lynn University for its regional Tournament. The women's regional play will begin Thursday, May 7 at 3:00 p.m. when Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference champion Tuskegee will play Nova Southeastern out of the Sunshine State conference. The winner of that match will face Valdosta State at 1:00 p.m. on Friday while Gulf South Conference champion West Florida and the SSC's Florida Southern will play at 9:00 a.m. on Friday. Friday's two winning teams will face off in the regional championship match Saturday at 9:00 a.m. On the men's side, the South Regional will begin Thursday at 11:00 a.m. when Florida Tech and Florida Southern, both out of the Sunshine State Conference, play. At 3:00 p.m., the SSC's Rollins and GSC's West Alabama will meet in an opening round match, with the winner facing Valdosta State at 3:30 p.m. on Friday. Lynn will face the winner of the FIT-FSC match at 1:00 p.m. on Friday while Friday's two winners will play Saturday at 3:00 p.m.

Radio Schedule for GSC Tournaments

2009-04-30

Below is the Valdosta State radio schedule for this weekend's Gulf South Conference softball and baseball tournaments. These schedules will be updated as the Blazers and Lady Blazers advance through their respective tournaments. All games can be heard live in the radio at Talk 92.1 FM or on the internet at www.talk921.com. SOFTBALL: Friday: Valdosta State beat Ouachita Baptist, 2-1, and West Florida, 8-4. Saturday: 1:00 p.m. - Arkansas Tech. If VSU beats Arkansas Tech, 6 p.m.; If VSU loses to Arkansas Tech, there will not be a broadcast of the second VSU game, but tune in for baseball. BASEBALL: Saturday: 8:30 p.m. - vs. Southern Arkansas. Sunday: 5:15 PM: If VSU loses to SAU (broadcast will be delayed if softball is playing in 3:30 p.m. championship game); 8:30 PM: If VSU defeats SAU. Monday: 1:00 p.m. - If VSU wins the 5:15 p.m. game on Sunday; 5:00 p.m. - If VSU loses the 8:30 p.m. game on Sunday; 8:30 p.m. - If VSU wins the 8:30 p.m. game on Sunday. Tuesday: 2:00 p.m. or 5:30 p.m. Wednesday: 2:00 p.m.; 5:00 p.m. - If necessary.

Six Blazers Named All-GSC

2009-04-30

VALDOSTA, Ga. - Six Valdosta State baseball players have been named to the 2009 All-Gulf South Conference team in a vote of the league coaches, according to an announcement made by the league office Thursday. Junior Matt Costello led the Blazers as he became just the fourth Blazer to earn East Division Player of the Year. Costello currently leads the nation with a .494 batting average and is tops in the conference in on-base percentage with a .580 on-base percentage. Costello counts 21 doubles, one triple and 10 home runs among his 85 hits on the season and has scored 56 runs while driving in 65. The West Barnstable, Mass. native also tallied an 8-2 record and a 3.76 earned run average on the mound. He struck out 76 batters while allowing just 82 hits in 82.3 innings. Costello became the first GSC East Player of the Year to earn All-GSC honors at two positions as he was a unanimous choice at designated hitter while also earning first-team honors as a starting pitcher. Junior Brandon Decker joined Costello as a unanimous choice the first team squad after leading the conference with 19 home runs during the season. Decker batted .429 on the year while setting a Valdosta State single season record with 79 runs batted in. He scored a team-high 67 times and counted six doubles and three triples among his 87 hits. Senior Blaine Wilson earned first-team All-GSC honors in the outfield for the second straight year after batting .337 with 13 home runs. The Santa Maria, Calif. native scored 32 times on the season and drove in 45 runs. Senior relief pitcher Brandon Graves rounded out the VSU first-team honorees after tallying a 10-1 record and saves on the season. Graves had a team-low 2.67 earned run average and struck out 71 batters while allowing 69 hits in 67.1 innings. Two Blazers earned second-team All-Gulf South Conference, led by catcher Chase Blackwood, who earned the honor for the second straight-year. Blackwood endured a month long slump during the year and batted just .255 during the regular season, but was second on the squad with 16 home runs and scored 53 runs while driving in 43. He was joined by third baseman Austin Smith, who batted .344 while counting 14 doubles, a triple and 14 home runs among his 66 hits. Smith scored 35 runs and drove in 48 more on the year.

Six Lady Blazers Named All-GSC

2009-04-29

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - The Gulf South Conference released this season's All-Gulf South Conference squad on Wednesday, and it's no surprise the team with the most wins in the Gulf South would be well represented. The Lady Blazers, top seed headed into the GSC Tournament, placed six players on the team including four first teamers. Topping the list of first teamers for the Lady Blazers is Marti Littlefield, who was also tabbed the GSC East Freshman of the Year. Becca Aszman, Melessa Jackson and Alyssa Shirey join Littlefield on the first squad. Representing Valdosta State on the second team is Holly Satterfield and the Gulf South leader in batting average, Andi Braswell. The all-star group helped lead the Lady Blazers to 51 wins this season, and a #5 ranking in the nation. The squad will battle to add Gulf South Conference Champion to their resume at the GSC Tournament in Southaven, Miss. this Friday through Sunday.

Blazers Down No. 13 Georgia College 15-5

2009-04-28

MILLEDGEVILLE, Ga. - Valdosta State closed out its 2009 regular season with an upset of No. 13 Georgia College as the Blazers defeated the Bobcats 15-5 in non-conference baseball action at John Kurtz Field Tuesday evening. Valdosta State (38-17) used a pair of first inning home runs to grab the lead. Sho Kohata led off the game with a single to left before Chase Blackwood got the Blazers on the board with his 15th home run of the year to left. Brandon Decker proceeded to reach on a base hit and scored on a Clayton Cain double, who came home when Blaine Wilson homered to give VSU a 5-0 advantage. Georgia College (35-14) got a run back in the second when Kyle Allen drew a bases loaded walk and another run in the third on a Buddy Elmore single only to have the Blazers add three more runs in the fourth. Austin Smith singled to open the inning and moved to third as Logan Pierce followed with a double to left. A Jon Koenigsfeld sacrifice fly plated Smith and Pierce scored on a Kohata triple to right. Blackwood collected his third RBI of the game with a double to left-center that drove home Kohata for an 8-2 VSU advantage. A Pierce run-scoring single in the seventh plated Matt Williams, who was pinch-running for Cain, while Valdosta State added three more runs in the eighth. Shawn Keill drew a bases-loaded walk to drive in the first run while Robby Kuzdale followed with a single to plate Pierce and Decker. The Bobcats got three runs back in the bottom of the eighth with a pair of bases loaded hits. Allen tallied the first hit, a one-out single to left that plated Andrew Evans, while Derek Johns singled to center with two outs to score Matt Pitts and Chandler Snell. Koenigsfeld hit his second home run of the season in the ninth while Blackwood added his second of the game, a shot to center that scored Kohata, Jeremy Forbus allowed one hit and a walk while striking out six batters in four and two-thirds innings of relief to improve to 3-1 for the Blazers. Cain, Blackwood and Smith tallied three hits each to lead Valdosta State at the plate while Kohata, Blackwood and Pierce finished with two each. Matt Costello finished the game 0-of-6 at the plate and had his batting average fall to .494, the first time it has been below .500 for the first time since the first week of March. Valdosta State's four home runs in the game brought its 2009 total to 97, tying the second-highest total in school history. The Blazers are now just two shy of the school record of 99 set during the 1985 season. Valdosta State returns to action Saturday, May 2 when it opens play in the Gulf South Conference Tournament in Millington, Tenn. The Blazers, the East Division's No. 3 seed, face Southern Arkansas, the West Division's No. 2 seed as well as the nation's second-ranked team, at 7:30 p.m. in USA Stadium.

Collis Named Pitcher of the Week

2009-04-28

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - Valdosta State's Brianna Collis was named the Gulf South Conference's Pitcher of the Week for her performance this past weekend against West Florida. She only threw for 2.2 innings in the doubleheader, but they were crucial. She did not allow a hit and struck out four batters to earn the win. With the win she moved to 13-1 on the season and helped the Lady Blazers capture the East Division crown for the first time since 2007. It was another week that she turned in a 0.00 earned run average. Collis is at 1.06 ERA for the season. Collis and company will look to lead the Lady Blazers to the top of the GSC this weekend at the GSC Tournament in Southaven, Miss. Valdosta State is the top seed in the tournament and will start off at 12 p.m. against Ouachita Baptist on Friday.

Lady Blazers Make it a 51-win Season

2009-04-27

VALDOSTA, Ga. - Valdosta State notched it's 50th and 51st wins of the season with a sweep over Albany State Monday night. Brianna Collis moved to 13-1 with a 9-1 victory in the first game, and Margaret Carter earned her 16th win of the season with the 5-0 win in game two. Andi Braswell paced the Lady Blazers in the first game with a perfect three for three performance, one of which was a home run. She was two for four with a run batted in for the second game. April Hutchens was two for three in game one with five RBIs and two runs scored. She was one for three in the second game. Also helping out in game one was Stephanie Carlson with a one for three game with a run scored and an RBI. Melessa Jackson joined Braswell with a two for four performance in game two. She also scored two runs. Alyssa Shirey and Clare Wamsley were both two for three in the game while four others had one hit. Valdosta State started quick with a leadoff home run from Braswell. The next runs didn't come until the fourth, but they came all at once when Hutchens hit a grand slam. Albany State countered with a run in the fifth, but the Lady Blazers responded. Carlson hit a solo homer. Soon after, Hutchens hit a double on which Becca Aszman scored. In the next at bat, Wamsley hit a ball to deep center that the ASU centerfielder couldn't handle. On the error, VSU scored the final two runs of the game to put the run rule in effect, 9-1. The Lady Blazers started quickly again in game two. Shirey doubled to drive in Jackson for the first run of the game in the first inning. In the second inning, Collis doubled to get on base and scored VSU's second run on a Wamsley single. To keep hitting well, Wamsley busted a home run in the fourth inning. Valdosta State continued to score in the fifth. Marti Littlefield hit a grounder down the left line for a double that scored Jackson from second. In the sixth inning, Hutchens made it on base with a single and scored later off a Braswell single to make it 5-0 headed to the seventh. Valdosta State's next action will come at the Gulf South Conference tournament in Southaven, Miss. May 1-3 where the Lady Blazers are the top seed. Game 1 Box Score Game 2 Box Score

Blazers Blank West Florida 10-0

2009-04-26

VALDOSTA, Ga. - Brandon Decker was a perfect four-of-four at the plate and drove in five runs to lead Valdosta State to a 10-0 Gulf South Conference victory over West Florida in baseball action Sunday afternoon at Billy Grant Field. Valdosta State (37-17, 11-7) opened the scoring in the bottom of the first inning as it built a 1-0 lead. Sho Kohata opened the Blazer half of the frame with a single up the middle and moved to second when Logan Pierce laid down a sacrifice bunt. Decker proceeded to double down the right-field line, scoring Kohata for the first run of the game. Blaine Wilson added his 12th home run of the season for VSU in the second before Decker used a record-setting home run in the third to push the Valdosta State lead to 4-0. After Pierce walked to open the frame, Decker sent his 19th home run of the year over the wall in centerfield. The two runs batted in on the play gave him 77 on the 2009 season, establishing a new VSU single season record. Decker recorded his fourth RBI of the day in the fourth inning as he singled home Kohata, who had walked and moved to third on a Pierce single, while a Kohata sacrifice fly in the fifth pushed the VSU lead to 6-0. A pair of Lee Huggins throwing errors in the seventh allowed Valdosta State to close out the scoring and the game. With one out in the frame, Austin Smith singled and moved to second as Huggins throw to first on the play was over the head of Zach Cates at first. After a fly ball moved Smith to third, a Jon Koengisfeld ground ball appeared to get West Florida (31-21, 8-10) out of the inning, but Huggins throw on the play pulled Cates off the bag. Smith scored on the error while Koenigsfeld came home a batter later when Kohata doubled to left. Kohata moved to third on the throw home on the play and Pierce drew a walk to put runners at the corners. A wild pitch plated Kohata while Decker doubled to straight-away centerfield to score Pierce, ending the ball game. Matt Costello surrendered five hits and two walks while striking out six batters in seven innings of work to improve to 8-2 for VSU. Kevin Johnson fell to 5-2 as he allowed four hits and four runs in three innings on the mound. Kohata finished the day with two hits, two RBI and three runs scored for the Blazers while Pierce and Smith scored two runs each. Cates finished the day with three of the Argonauts five hits while Tyler Hastings and Brenton Goebel collected one each. Valdosta State closes out its 2009 regular season Tuesday, April 28 when it travels to Milledgeville, Ga. to face No. 14 Georgia College. The game, which is a make-up of a rain out from earlier in the season, is slated for a 4:00 p.m. first pitch.

VSU Puts Away the Argos

2009-04-26

VALDOSTA, Ga. - After a week off, Valdosta State returned to post two victories over West Florida Sunday. It took extra innings in the first game, but VSU triumphed, 10-8. With a 7-3 win in the second game, the Lady Blazers clinched the top seed in the Gulf South Conference tournament to be played May 1-3. Margaret Carter earned the first win in relief while Brianna Collis took the second win, also in relief. The two moved to 15-3 and 12-1 respectively. Both teams posted a number of runs in the first game of the day, but it was Marti Littlefield who hit the walk-off home run. She was three for five with three runs and five runs batted in the first game. Melessa Jackson was two for five with three runs and three RBIs in game one. Six others were one of four in the game. In the second game, Andi Braswell was two of four with one RBI while Clare Wamsley was two of four with two runs and two RBIs. Four others were one for three in the game. In game one, after falling behind in the top of the third on a home run by Kristee Wheeler, the Lady Blazers came back with a vengeance in the bottom of the inning. Becca Aszman started the run with a single. April Hutchens followed Aszman with a single of her own, and then Braswell walked. With the bases loaded Jackson hit a single that drove in Aszman and Hutchens. Next, Littlefield hit a double that brought in Braswell. With the score 3-1, Stephanie Carlson singled to bring in Jackson and Littlefield and claim a 5-1 lead headed into the fourth. After Littlefield hit a two-run shot for her 21st home run of the season, West Florida mounted a furious comeback to pull within one. In the top of the seventh inning UWF scored the tying run on a VSU error. In the ninth inning, West Florida's Melissa Chastang hit a solo home run to gain the first lead of the game for UWF. With two outs in the bottom of the ninth, Braswell was able to land a hit to right field for a double. Jackson hit Braswell home with a deep double to left field to tie it up. Next up to hit was record-setting freshman Littlefield. She didn't disappoint. She sent a two-run homer over left center to notch one more victory for Valdosta State, 10-8. Aszman started game two off with a solo home run in the bottom of the second inning. Later in the inning, Wamsley singled to get on base. She made her way around the bases for VSU's second run of the game. The Argonauts responded with one run in the top of the third. West Florida gained the lead on a two-run homer from Kat Pursell in the top of the fifth, but the Lady Blazers came back to post five runs in the sixth inning. After holding UWF in the seventh, Valdosta State took game two by a score of 7-3. The Lady Blazers will next be in action in a doubleheader against Albany State at 5 p.m. Monday. It will be VSU's last game in Valdosta before the Gulf South Conference tournament. Game 1 Box Score Game 2 Box Score

Blazers Split with West Florida

2009-04-25

VALDOSTA, Ga. - Valdosta State rolled to a 10-0 victory in the first game of a doubleheader, but had a late-inning comeback bid fall short while falling 6-5 in the second game in splitting a pair of Gulf South Conference games with West Florida at Billy Grant Field Saturday afternoon. Clayton Cain and Brandon Decker got Valdosta State (36-17, 10-7) on the board first in the first game of the day as they hit back-to-back home runs in the bottom of the second inning. With one out in the frame, Cain sent a 1-1 pitch over the scoreboard in left-center field for his ninth roundtripper of the year. Two pitches later, Decker tallied his team-leading 18th dinger of the year as he homered over the wall in centerfield to post VSU to a 2-0 lead. Chase Blackwood added his 14th home run of the season in the third to push the Blazer lead to 3-0 while Valdosta State took advantage of a two-base error by Argonaut first baseman Zach Cates in the sixth to push its advantage to four runs. Decker led off the sixth and hit a shot to Cates, who was unable to handle the ball, allowing Decker to reach second. A sacrifice bunt moved Decker to third, allowing him to score on a Jon Koenigsfeld single. A Matt Costello single plated Blaine Wilson and Blackwood in the seventh while a Blackwood sacrifice fly that plated Koenigsfeld, a Costello double that scored Sho Kohata and Wilson and a Cain single that drove home Costello closed out the scoring in the eighth. Brandon Graves improved to 10-1 on the year as he surrendered just five hits and no walks while striking out three in eight innings for VSU's first complete game shutout of the year. Kyle Ramsey surrendered six hits and three runs for the Argonauts (31-20, 8-9) as he fell to 3-3. VSU again scored first in the second game as it plated a single run in the bottom of the first. With one out in the frame, Logan Pierce reached on a throwing error by Cates, who moved to third base for the second game. A ground out moved Pierce to second, allowing him to score as Costello followed with a single to left. The Argonauts avoided further damage when Costello, who moved to second on the throw home on his base hit, was thrown out at the plate when Cain singled to left. West Florida got its first run of the day in the top of the third as it took advantage of a pair of wild pitches by VSU starter Steve Turner. With two outs in the frame, Jack Materne singled and moved to third on the two Turner wild tosses. Greg Pron proceeded to single to center, scoring Materne to tie the game at 1-1. The Argonauts took the lead in the fourth off of Cates' first home run of the season. Cody Campbell singled to open the frame and scored when Cates followed with a shot over the wall in left field. After a walk and a pair of outs, Jimmy Boswell doubled to left-center, plating Kyle Brown to give UWF a 4-1 lead. West Florida added an unearned run in the fifth to push its lead to 5-1 before the Blazers pounced for four runs in the bottom of the sixth to even the game. Koenigsfeld started the rally with a double down the left field line and scored when Brown was unable to handle a Kohata ground ball at second. After Pierce fielder's choice, Decker and Costello walked to load the bases before a Cain base on balls plated Pierce. Shawn Keill proceeded to hit a pinch-hit single through the left-side of the infield to score Decker and Costello, evening the contest at 5-5. The Argonauts reclaimed the lead in the top of the seventh. Materne drew a walk to open the frame and moved to third as Pron singled to right-center. After a foul out, Cates hit a fly ball to foul territory in right field. Decker caught the ball, but his throw home was just late, allowing Materne to score for a 6-5 UWF lead. Ryan Sorce earned the victory for West Florida as he struck out two and did not allow a hit in an inning and two-thirds to improve to 5-2. Ross Gusky surrendered a hit and two runs, only one of which was earned, in two and a third innings to fall to 5-3. Koenigsfeld led the Blazers offensively on the day as he tallied four hits in six at-bats. Costello, Decker and Cain all tallied three hits on the day. The two teams conclude the three-game series with a single game on Sunday. First pitch is slated for 1:00 p.m. at Billy Grant Field.

Braswell the Blogger

2009-04-23

VALDOSTA, Ga. - In an effort to publicize the great softball being played in the Gulf South Conference, the GSC has chosen a select few to blog about their experiences on the diamond as a part of the Diamond Journal. Valdosta State's own Andi Braswell has been tabbed as a contributor. Braswell will dedicate a few paragraphs every week to the Diamond Journal. This week, she takes a look back at one of the most eventful weekends for Lady Blazer softball this season. Look for a new installment of Braswell's blog every Thursday on the GSC Facebook page. As a senior, Braswell brings a wealth of softball experience to the blog. She was the perfect choice because she is not only one of the best players in the Gulf South, but Braswell is tops in the nation. Helping VSU to a top three ranking in batting average, Braswell's 0.475 leads the team and is 17th in the nation. She has ranked as high as second nationally this season. She is also top 30 in runs scored per game, toughest players to strike out, runs batted in per game and on base percentage. Braswell has scored 64 runs, hit 60 RBIs and 27 hits for extra bases, including 10 home runs this season. She has only struck out six times all year. Braswell and company have led the team to a 47-6 overall record and 21-2 in the Gulf South. The team is currently ranked seventh in the nation and second in the South Region. The Lady Blazers face West Florida Sunday at 3 p.m. in the team's final conference game before the GSC tournament.

Blazers Top SCAD 13-5

2009-04-22

VALDOSTA, Ga. - Valdosta State pounded out 16 hits, including three home runs, to defeat SCAD 13-5 in non-conference baseball action at Billy Grant Field Wednesday afternoon. Valdosta State (35-16) scored first as it plated a pair of runs in the bottom of the second inning. Jon Koenigsfeld singled to open the frame and moved to second as Sho Kohata executed on a hit-and-run. Both base runners moved up a base on a wild pitch, allowing them to score when Brandon Decker singled down the right field line for a 2-0 Blazer lead. SCAD (33-17) struck back for a run in the top of the fourth when Mark Stewart Jr. doubled and moved to third on a passed ball. Patrick Braswell followed with a sacrifice fly to score Stewart Jr. to slice the Bee deficit to 2-1. Decker added three more RBI in the fifth inning as he hit his 17th home run of the season. Koenigsfeld, who singled to open the inning, and Kohata, who reached on a bunt single, also scored on the play to push the VSU lead to 5-1. The Bees added a second run on a Patrick Braswell two-out single in the sixth while Blaine Wilson hit his 11th home run of the year in the bottom of the frame. Kohata added double that scored Koenigsfeld and scored when Logan Pierce singled in the inning to push the Valdosta State advantage to 8-2. A pair of Clayton Cain errors in the seventh gave SCAD a run in the top of the seventh while Matt Costello added his 10th roundtripper of the season in the bottom of the inning. The home run marked the fifth Valdosta State player to hit double digit home runs on the season, establishing a new school record. Wilson added a run-scoring double later in the frame. The Bees added their final two runs in the top of the eighth while an Austin Smith sacrifice fly and two runs on a pair of SCAD errors in the bottom of the inning closed out the scoring. Jeremy Forbus (2-1) earned the victory for VSU as he struck out five and allowed just one hit in a pre-determined three innings of work as the starter. Ricky Vaughn (3-2) took the loss as he allowed 10 hits and eight runs, all earned, in five and two-thirds innings. Kohata tallied three hits and three runs scored in five at-bats for the Blazers while Decker was two-of-four with five RBI. Koenigsfeld also finished with two hits, in as many at-bats, and scored three runs while Costello was three-of-five on the day. Braswell led the Bees with two hits on the day. Valdosta State returns to action this weekend when it plays its final Gulf South Conference regular season game of the year. The Blazers host West Florida for a doubleheader beginning at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday in Billy Grant Field while the two teams conclude the three-game series with a single game at 1:00 p.m. on Sunday.

Blazers, Lady Blazers Earn GSC Honors

2009-04-22

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - Valdosta State tennis pulled a number of accolades for both teams' performances in the Gulf South Conference this season, including a sweep of the East Division Player of the Year awards. Daniel Dueren and Natali Gumbrecht both earned the honor of being named the East Player of the Year for their prospective sports. Kristel de Groot was named Freshman of the Year. A host of others made the All-GSC team. For the men, Florian Halb, Joerg Ekkenga and Leos Jelinek joined Dueren on the team. Jelinek made the team his fourth consecutive year while Ekkenga was a selection in both 2007 and 2008. Halb makes his second appearance on the team while it is Dueren's first. Dominique Rothlaender, Raphaelle Durante and Tina Trautmann join Gumbrecht on the women's All-GSC team. This is the third consecutive year Rothlaender, Gumbrecht and Durante have been named All-GSC. It is Trautmann's second such honor. Both the Blazers and Lady Blazers will look to keep their seasons alive in regional play starting May 7.

Blazers, Lady Blazers Earn GSC Honors

2009-04-22

Pair of Blazers Earn Golf Honors

2009-04-22

VALDOSTA, Ga. - A pair of Valdosta State golfers were named to the All-Gulf South Conference squad in a vote of the league coaches, as announced by the GSC Office on Wednesday. Brent Witcher led the squad as he was named Gulf South Conference's Player of the Year for the second straight season, the first VSU player to earn the honor in back-to-back seasons since Scott Hay did so in 1988-89. Witcher averaged 71.0 strokes per round in 28 rounds this season and finished in the Top five in five out of 10 tournaments on the year. Overall, he accumulated eight Top 10 finishes and nine Top 20 showings while leading VSU in nine of the 10 events. He earned victories at two spring events as he claimed medalist honors at the AASU/Southbridge Pirate Invitational and the First Federal Southeastern Collegiate. Witcher opens play in the Nationwide Tour's South Georgia Classic on Thursday at 12:20 p.m. as he tees off on the 10th hole. The senior tees off on the first hole on Friday at 9:10 a.m. Cole Willis also earned recognition as he was named to the GSC's Second Team for the second straight season. Willis averaged 74.5 strokes per round in 28 rounds this season while notching four Top 20 finishes. His best finish of the season came at the Dennis Rose Intercollegiate, where he shot an 11-under 205 to finish second.

Pierce Named GSC Player of the Week

2009-04-22

Valdosta, Ga. - For the third time this season a Valdosta State player has been named the Gulf South Conference baseball Player of the Week as Logan Pierce earned the honor Wednesday. Pierce batted .714 last week while collecting hits in 10 of his 14 at-bats. After hitting just one home run in his first year and a half in a VSU uniform, Pierce hit two last week, including a grand slam against GSC foe Montevallo on Saturday. He scored eight runs and drove in 10 while counting a double and a triple among his 10 hits. Pierce is now batting .329 on the season and has 22 RBI and 27 runs scored. He has hit all three of his career home runs this year while also counting eight doubles and two triples among his 28 hits.

Blazers Finish Fourth at GSC Tourney

2009-04-21

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. - Despite improving by two strokes on the team's round two score, Valdosta State finished fourth as a team at the Gulf South Conference tournament. Brent Witcher moved up from 31st in the first round to finish third overall in the tournament with a 215 overall, one under par. The Blazers shot a 286 in round three with the best performance coming from Witcher and Cole Willis. They both shot a 70. Willis would finish 20th with a 224 for the tournament. Valdosta State's 877 put the team 14 strokes behind North Alabama, the first place team with a score of 863. Behind UNA was Arkansas Tech (869) and West Florida (872). Chesley Gunn finished two strokes behind Witcher with a 217, good enough for ninth in the tournament. Wade Holland finished tied for 21st with a third round of 74 to finish at 225. Chad Smith shot a 77 in the third round to finish with a 227 tied for 31st.

Cheer and Dance to Put on Exhibition

2009-04-21

VALDOSTA, Ga. - Don't miss out on the opportunity to see Valdosta State's national champion dance and cheer teams. Both the co-ed cheerleading squad and the Red Hots dance team brought home national championships from Daytona Beach, Fla. earlier this month. It is Valdosta State's honor to host both teams in an exhibition open to the public. Starting at 7 p.m. on Monday, the cheerleading squad and the Red Hots will perform their championship routines in their entirety at the P.E. Complex for anyone who missed their great performances at the national competition. Admission is free, so don't miss out!

Blazers Currently Sit Fourth at GSC Tourney

2009-04-20

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. - Valdosta State moved from seventh to fourth after two rounds of golf at the Gulf South Conference tournament Monday. After the first round of 18, Valdosta State was seventh in the standings with a total stroke count of 303. Chesley Gunn led the way for VSU with a 71, good enough to tie for second in the standings. Brent Witcher and Wade Holland were tied for 31st with 77s. Chad Smith and Cole Willis shot a 78 and an 80 respectively. Those scores put Smith at 38th and Willis 46th. In the second round, though, the Blazers made some strides. The team improved by 15 strokes to finish round two at 288 and hold a 591 total for the tournament. The improvement shot the team up three spots to fourth behind North Alabama, West Florida and Arkansas Tech in that order. Witcher shot an impressive 68 in the second round to move up to seventh while Gunn shot a 74 to drop into a tie with Witcher at 145. Smith shot a 72, good enough for 21st with a 150 overall. With matching scores of 74 in the second round, Holland moved up to 24th (151) while Willis moved to 30th (154). The final 18 holes to decide the champion will take place Tuesday.

Blazers Sweep Falcons

2009-04-19

MONTEVALLO, Ala. - After two wins Saturday, Valdosta State completed the full sweep of the Falcons with a 16-3 victory Sunday. The Blazers scored in all but one inning of a seven-inning game that ended early due to Valdosta State's lead. Logan Pierce led everyone on the day with six runs batted in and four runs scored. He brought in four with a grand slam and two with another home run on a four of five performance. Also going four of five was Brandon Decker. He notched four RBIs and three runs. As fans are beginning to expect, Matt Costello was a perfect four of four on the day with a walk. He finished with three RBIs and three runs scored. After hitting three home runs Saturday, Austin Smith was three of four Sunday with one RBI and one run scored. Steve Turner pitched the full seven innings played. He struck five out, walked one and gave up five hits with three earned runs. Just like the two previous games, the Blazers put up runs in the first inning Sunday. This time, it was three to start the game. A strong series of base hits scored Sho Kohata, Pierce and Decker. Valdosta State put up two more runs in the second. Pierce hit his first home run of the day, a two-run shot that brought in Chase Blackwood. Montevallo struck back in the bottom of the second with three runs, but the Blazers topped that in the third with four runs. It was Pierce again. He hit a grand slam to put the Blazers up, 9-3, in the third inning. In the fourth, Costello doubled to start the inning. He advanced to third on a wild pitch and took home on another one. He would see home plate again in the sixth inning. With one man on, Costello went long for a two-run homer to claim a 12-3 Blazer lead with one inning left. The Falcons would see no rest in the seventh inning as the Blazers posted four more runs. With two men on base, Decker homered. Then, on a Shawn Keill single, Costello came home to put the final nail in the coffin. After the VSU defense held Montevallo to just a fly out, ground out and a strikeout in the final frame, the game would end, 16-3. Valdosta State will next be in action at home against SCAD at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday.

Lady Blazers Too Much for Wolves

2009-04-19

CARROLLTON, Ga. - Valdosta State softball continued to terrorize the Gulf South Conference with two victories over West Georgia. After squeaking by in the first game, 7-6, the Lady Blazers turned it on in game two to win 10-2 in five innings. In game one, Holly Satterfield earned the win, but Margaret Carter and Brianna Collis also pitched in the game. The trio combined to allow 10 hits and six runs, only two of which were earned. Carter had three strikeouts while Collis and Satterfield combined for three strikeouts. Satterfield pitched the bulk of game two, but Carter entered the game in relief. The two combined to give up five hits and five strikeouts. Satterfield gave up two runs and four walks. In game one, the Lady Blazers were in a rare position: down early. Behind, 3-0, Valdosta State rallied in the third with a three-run homer from Alyssa Shirey. She was two for four in game one. Then, in the fifth, Stephanie Carlson gave VSU its first lead of the day, 6-5, with another three-run shot over right field. West Georgia came back to tie the game in the sixth inning, but it would not be enough. With Collis on second, Becca Aszman singled down the left side to bring in Collis and the winning run. The Wolves could not respond in the bottom of the seventh, and VSU took game one, 7-6. Carlson and Aszman were both two of four in the game while April Hutchens was one for three along with Melessa Jackson. Game two proved to be a different story. The Lady Blazers jumped out to an early 5-0 lead in the first and expanded it with four more runs in the second. Carlson notched two more RBIs with a single to left field that brought in Andi Braswell and Jackson. Carlson then came home off an Aszman double, and Hutchens brought in Aszman with a double of her own. With VSU's third consecutive double, Clare Wamsley brought in Hutchens before West Georgia could end the first inning. In the second, Braswell reached on a walk and scored on a Marti Littlefield single. Littlefield came home on a single by Aszman. Hutchens knocked her second double in as many at bats to score Shirey and Aszman and claim a 9-0 lead in the second inning. West Georgia responded with two runs in the bottom of the second but would not score again. In the fourth, Carlson homered to make it 10-2. The Valdosta State defense held strong throughout the fourth and fifth innings to force an early ending due to the run rule. In game two, four Lady Blazers were two of three with three of them notching a combined eight RBIs. Three others went one of two in the game. The Lady Blazers get a week off before they snap back to action at home at 3 p.m. Sunday in a doubleheader with West Florida. Game 1 Box Score Game 2 Box Score

Blazers Clip Falcons' Wings

2009-04-18

MONTEVALLO, Ala. - Valdosta State put up 25 runs in two wins against Montevallo Saturday. The Blazers won, 14-3, and, 11-1, to claim the series before game three at 1 p.m. Sunday. Despite the heavy scoring day, Head Coach Greg Guilliams attributed much of the momentum behind the wins to his starting pitchers, Matt Costello and Brandon Graves. "The key to today was our starting pitching. Graves and Costello gave us both really good starts," said Guilliams. "When you're able to do that everything else just comes together." Valdosta State hitting definitely came together. Brandon Decker was three of four with four runs batted in during game one while Austin Smith was three for five with four RBIs in game one. He followed it up with four more RBIs in game two on a two for four performance with one run. Also in game two, Costello was a perfect three for three with three runs scored and two RBIs while Logan Pierce was three of four with two runs and two RBIs. The Blazers used a big inning in the third to earn a win in game one against the Falcons. After a run from Robby Kuzdale in the first, VSU put up seven in the third to make it 8-0 early. Jon Koenigsfield and Chaz Bagwell were both on base when Chase Blackwood brought them in with a double down the left field line. Then Blaine Wilson singled to bring in Blackwood. Later in the inning with Wilson at third and Costello at second, Decker went long for a three-run shot. In the next at bat, Smith also homered before Montevallo could end the inning. In the fifth inning, Decker brought in Costello again for Valdosta State's ninth run of the game. With the score, 9-0, it was the bottom of the fifth before the Falcons would score their first run of the day. The Blazers answered with their 10th run in the sixth inning. Bagwell scored on a single from Wilson. Montevallo put up one run in the seventh, but the Blazers scored again in the eighth. Pierce made his way to third, and, on a Blackwood ground out, scored. Then, in the ninth, Smith hit his second home run of the game. It was a three-run shot that put the score to 14-2. The Falcons could only muster one run in the ninth to end game one, 14-3. After Pierce scored in the first inning off a Costello single, the Blazers again put up a big inning in the third. Pierce brought in Koenigsfield. Smith followed it up with a grand slam for his third home run of the day. By the time the damage was done, the Blazers had racked up five runs in the inning. In the fourth, after holding Montevallo without a run, Sho Kohata came home off a Pierce triple. Montevallo went on to score their first run of the game in the fourth, but the Blazers came back with three more runs in the fifth inning. Blackwood singled to center field to bring home Costello. After Shawn Keill scored on a Montevallo error, Blackwood made his way home off a sacrifice fly from Kohata. To add to the onslaught, Costello homered in the sixth. The Blazers went on to close out the seventh without allowing a run to complete the second game with a score of 11-1. Game 1 Box Score Game 2 Box Score

Blazers Win GSC, Lady Blazers Take Second

2009-04-18

MONTGOMERY, Ala. - Valdosta State continued the team's strong play from Friday into Saturday. The Blazers swept undefeated Ouachita Baptist, 5-0, to claim the Gulf South Conference championship while the Lady Blazers gave West Florida a match that came down to the last point, eventually losing, 5-4. The Blazers put together a strong start taking all three doubles, 8-5, 8-0, 8-1, to claim an early 3-0 lead. It would only take two wins in singles play to attain the championship, and those came from Leos Jelinek and Otto Lenhart. Jelinek won, 6-3, 6-1 in the fourth position while Lenhart won the fifth spot, 6-1, 6-1. The Lady Blazers also jumped out to an early lead against West Florida with strong play in doubles. Valdosta State earned wins in the first and second spots in doubles, 8-5, 8-3, before dropping the third, 8-6. Natali Gumbrecht and Tina Trautmann both earned victories in singles action. Gumbrecht won in the second spot, 6-2, 6-1. Trautmann also won in two sets in the fourth position, 6-0, 6-3. But the Lady Blazers were not able to tally another win in the other four singles matches. Dominique Rothlaender fell, 4-0, ret. while Raphaelle Durante also did not finish and lost, 6-6, def. Kristel de Groot fell in two sets, 6-2, 6-4. In the deciding match, Karine Redon played two competitive sets, but lost, 6-4, 6-4. Both teams will continue to play in the postseason with each making an NCAA appearance.