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The VSU Lady Blazers volleyball team will tip off their season Sept. 3 in Boca Raton, Fla. for the Lynn Invitational. The team has been hard at work this summer

Volleyball Team Prepares For Upcoming Season

The VSU Lady Blazers volleyball team will tip off their season Sept. 3 in Boca Raton, Fla. for the Lynn Invitational.
The team has been hard at work this summer preparing for what hopes to be a successful year.
After making the Gulf South Conference Tournament for the first time in two years last season, the Lady Blazers fell short to Harding University in a nail-biting affair that resulted in a 25-23 loss in the fifth set. The match however, was one that VSU had a grip on, after taking a 2-1 set lead before crumbling in the final two sets in front of Harding’s home crowd.
“We feel like we need to bounce back after finishing so close in the match against Harding,” Head Coach Sia Poyer said. “It’s one of the things I talked about with the girls when we got back, which was trying to get back on that playing level and energy level and trying to feed off that negative experience.”
With two Lady Blazers, Irene Hannan and Ruthie King, making the preseason All-Conference team, the chances of making it past the first round this year look promising.
“Making the preseason All-Conference team is a major confidence booster and it makes you feel really good,” Hannan said. “I don’t feel under pressure though. I take it as kind of a challenge and I need to rise up to it.”
VSU was one of just two schools to have multiple players to make the squad. With the duo’s combined 651 kills and 662 digs in the 2009, it was a no-brainer for the rest of the coaches in the Gulf South to vote them in.
“They’ve worked hard for that honor and it’s nice to be recognized by the other coaches,” Poyer said. “They’ve been 1-2 as far as leaders, kills, and digs, since they were freshmen. Watching these kids in your program for four years and then seeing them make that progression every year is pretty special.”
Although high hopes are in order, VSU will play many matches on the road this season. Until the Wingate by Wyndham Crossover Classic, which will be held in Valdosta in mid-October, the Lady Blazers only play two matches at home.
“We’re definitely going to be tired going on the road and being at home makes it more fun,” Hannan said. “We don’t have a lot of home games this year, but we’ll definitely make them count.”

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