By: Austin Sellars – Spectator Staff Writer 

VALDOSTA, Ga – The Valdosta State Lady Blazers volleyball team came up short against Christian Brothers University in the first round of the playoffs at the Complex on Tuesday night, falling 3-0 in just three sets.  

The Lady Buccaneers won the first set 25-22, the second set 28-26, and the final set 25-17. They will now travel to Pensacola, Fla., to face the University of Alabama in Huntsville on Friday, Nov. 21, for the second round of the Gulf South Conference tournament.  

CBU appeared to dominate most of this matchup, showcasing excellent net play. Addison Waggoner of the Lady Buccaneers recorded an impressive 24 kills in the match, with Ella Schumacher closely behind her with 15.  

VSU redshirt sophomore setter Avery Mullins was very vocal in rallying her team, demonstrating outstanding leadership and keeping her players in check.  

Junior libero Eimy Negron Domenech of the Lady Blazers finished with 24 digs, with Mullins dishing out 22 assists, in their efforts to keep this match alive.  

The first two sets were very back-and-forth, with VSU showing flashes of good net play and great offense.  

In the final set, VSU made a good scoring run, leaving the two teams tied 10-10. Ultimately, the momentum shifted towards the Lady Bucs, and they ran away with the final set.  

VSU head coach Kaleigh Zoucha expressed how proud she is to be the coach of this team: 

 “You know, I think the thing that makes me the proudest is the kind of people that they are,” Zoucha said. “I think that they are a phenomenally hard-working group, and they are great teammates to each other.” 

“I got choked up at practice yesterday because they are such an enjoyable group to coach, and that’s not always the case,” Zoucha said. “I’m just proud of the people they have become through this program.” 

As far as adjustments go for next season: 

“I think we’ve got to improve on blocking,” Zoucha said. “We’ve got to recruit some different blockers on the front, because we have a lot of young players that are going to do a good job for us from a defensive standpoint on the back row.” 

A notable return for next season is Negron Domenech, who won GSC defensive player of the week five times this year, while also making the all-GSC second team. The Lady Blazers will lean on her leadership as they grow as a team this offseason.  

This loss will end the season for the Lady Blazers, who finished 12-18 overall and 11-9 in conference play. 

They will now turn their attention to the offseason, where they will focus on the growth ahead.