By: Marese Hudson, Lloy Hudson 

The Valdosta State volleyball team picked up its first win of the tournament but could not carry that momentum throughout the weekend, finishing 1-2 at the VSU Fall Tournament held Friday and Saturday at The Complex. 

The Blazers opened Friday morning with a dominant sweep of Shorter University (25-21, 25-17, 25-10). Behind strong serving and improved defensive play, VSU controlled the tempo after a slow start in the first set. 

Senior middle blocker Katie Callenberger and setter Avery Mullins highlighted the balanced offensive attack, while libero Eimy Negrón Domenech anchored the back row. 

Head coach Kaleigh Zoucha said the turning point came midway through the match when the Blazers began serving tougher and forcing Shorter “out of system.” 

“I think especially in that second and third set, our team served a lot tougher, which made it harder for them to run their offense,” the coach said. “That allowed us to control the speed of the game better.” 

Callenberger, who delivered several key kills and blocks in the win, credited the team’s transition play for sparking runs. 

“A lot of our out-of-system balls caught their blockers off guard,” Callenberger said. “Once we got in rhythm, our mindset was just to keep pushing. We had nothing to lose.” 

Mullins, who spread the ball effectively, said VSU’s ability to run the middle opened up the offense. 

“I think definitely running our middles in transition kept their blockers from setting up,” Mullins said. “It all starts with serve and pass. Once we started winning that battle, we were able to get in rhythm.” 

Later that afternoon, however, the Blazers could not maintain their momentum, falling in five sets to Georgia College (25-16, 25-22, 15-22, 25-10, 15-13). The loss dropped VSU’s overall record to 1-6. 

Despite out-hitting Georgia College with 54 kills to 39, the Blazers committed a series of costly attack errors that undercut their offensive advantage. Callenberger again led the offense with 15 kills and a .333 hitting percentage, while Madison Kilmer added 12 kills. 

“We’re still trying to put everything together consistently,” the coach said. “I thought we did a better job spreading the offense and involving our middles, but we struggled with serve receive at times. That made it feel like we were chasing the game instead of controlling it.” 

Negrón Domenech, who stood out defensively, said communication and trust remain keys for the back row. 

“We’d rather two people go for the ball than no one go,” she said. “Communication is everything. Overcommunicating is always better than staying quiet.” 

While the results were mixed, the Blazers said they are taking positives from the weekend as Gulf South Conference play approaches. 

“Defense is the most important part of the game,” Callenberger said. “If we can keep building on that and stay aggressive, we’ll be in a good place.” 

Valdosta State returns to action Friday against the University of Tampa in Tampa, Fl.