SAINT LEO, Fla – The St. Edward's volleyball team opened the first day of the Saint Leo Tournament with a split, falling to Valdosta State in five sets and sweeping the host Saint Leo team in three. 
 
Game 1 St. Edward's 2, Valdosta State 3 (23-25, 25-20, 25-19, 22-25, 11-15)
 
KELLI FORDING and MIA CLAY combined for 29 kills in a back-and-for match against Valdosta State, with the Hilltoppers falling in the fifth set. 
 
After a narrow 25-23 loss in the first set, the Hilltoppers bounced back in the second behind Clay and Fording, who recorded six and five kills in the set. The defense set the tone, limiting Valdosta State to .077 hitting. 
 
The Hilltoppers rode the momentum to take the third set 25-19, with Altha Morris setting a balanced attack, setting five different hitters and at least two kills each for a .265 hitting percentage in the set. 
 
Both teams hit below .200 in the fourth set, and St. Edward's committed four service aces, two set errors, and five attack errors in a close 25-22 set. The Hilltoppers committed six attack errors to four kills in the final set. 
 
Fording had 16 kills on a .216 clip, Morris recorded 42 assists, and JAZZY WILLIAMS led St. Edward's with 17 digs. 
 
Game 2: St. Edward's 3, Saint Leo 0 (25-22, 25-15, 28-16)
 
St. Edward's bounced back in the day's second match, sweeping Saint Leo in three sets behind 11 kills each from KAT NEILLE and Clay. 
 
LANDRY BAUGHMAN and CARRINGTON JAIMES combined for three block assists each in the first set, and the Hilltoppers held Saint Leo to .029 hitting to take the early advantage. Clay was phenomenal, with five kills on ten attacks in the set. 
 
KAYLEN LEMBCKE, CORA YOUNG, Baughman, and Jaimes combined for five team blocks in the second set, and Clay and Neille had four kills each. The latter hit 4-for-4 for a 25-15 victory. 
 
The third and final set went into extra points, but Neille teamed with Carrington on a block and then recorded a kill to end the match. 
 
Neille hit .357 with a block assist. Morris and JORDAN CHAPMAN produced 17 assists each, and JAZZY WILLIAMS led three Hilltoppers with double-digit digs at 14. 
 
St. Edward's improves to 4-2 with the win. The Hilltoppers play UVA-Wise and Saint Michael's tomorrow at 8:00 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.