VALDOSTA – Valdosta State volleyball freshman Kylie Stroehlein was named Gulf South Conference Freshman of the Week for her performance this past week, the conference office announced Tuesday.

The Tampa, Fla., native, had a solid opening weekend at the Flagler Saints Invitational this past weekend where she notched 36 kills across 16 sets played with a hitting percentage of .102. Against Flagler, she posted a double-double with 12 kills and 19 digs, while also registering five aces. In the following match against No. 6-ranked Lewis, Stroehlein continued her solid pay with ten kills for a .171 average, along with a career-high 18 digs and one service ace.

Stroehlein finished the weekend with 52 digs, five blocks and seven service aces. “Kylie really stepped up when we needed her too,” said VSU head coach Kaleigh Zoucha. “She is good offensively but more importantly is a steady serve receive passer and defender.”

Coach Zoucha went on to say Stroehlein made a huge jump with her performance from the first to the last games of the tournament and having a player that is super flexible with different positions, makes her a valuable part of the team.

Prior to Valdosta State, Stroehlein played four seasons at Sickles High School where she recorded 319 kills and 225 digs in her senior season as a captain. She was named First Team Western Conference from 2019-2021, Player of the Year in Hillsboro County in 2021 and Sickles Volleyball Player of the Year in May of 2021.

Visit vstateathletics.com to follow Stroehlein and the VSU Blazer volleyball team for updates and information throughout the season.