Samford University
Eastern Illinois*
Volleyball Sweeps Eastern Illinois, 3-0
11.2.07 | Women's Volleyball
Nov. 2, 2007
CHARLESTON, Ill. ---- The Samford volleyball team began its final Ohio Valley Conference road weekend successfully as it defeated Eastern Illinois in three straight games (34-32, 31-29, 30-23) at Lantz Arena Friday night. The match was the final time the Bulldogs (14-12, 9-8 OVC) and the Panthers (11-15, 4-13 OVC) will meet each other as members of the Ohio Valley Conference.
The Bulldogs clawed past the Panthers with a huge defensive effort, out-blocking their opponent 10 to 5.5. Sophomore middle blocker Sheriden Stangohr led the charge grabbing five block assists and one block solo. She also led her team in kills (11) and hitting (.579). Junior outside hitter Sara Sears and junior middle blocker Kirstein Sosnowski also posted 11 kills. Sears grabbed her 13th double-double of the season, adding 12 digs to her 11 kills while also having three assists. Sosnowski hit .450 on the night while also have four block assists and one assist.
Senior middle blocker Angela Dempski posted 10 kills and three assists, while also having one ace, one dig, on block solo and three block assists. Freshman outside hitter Samantha Bland grabbed five kills, eight digs, three aces, one assist and one block assist. Freshman setter Hillary Fountain dished out 45 assists while getting four kills, seven digs, one ace, one block solo and one block assist. Junior Libero Courtney Gay had 19 digs and one ace while sophomore defensive specialist Sarah Gardner had eight digs.
Samford will close out the weekend trip as it takes on Southeast Missouri Saturday afternoon at Houck Field House. First serve is at 5 p.m.
Samford 3, Eastern Illinois 0
Eastern Illinois scored the first point of the night but quickly put Samford on the board with a Panther error. With a service ace by Bland, the Bulldogs took a one point lead but the Panthers would score again to tie the game at two. From there, EIU charged ahead and led for most of the game, leading by as much as five. It was not until late in the game that Samford closed the gap and tied it at 28, taking the lead back with a kill by Sosnowski before EIU tied it at 29. The Bulldogs fought through three more ties and with the game tied at 32, the Panthers committed two consecutive errors to give Samford the win in game one, 34-32.
The Panthers to the early two-point lead in game two before Sears scored the first point for the Bulldogs with a kill. Again, EIU led for most of the game but the Samford never let the Panthers go ahead by as much as four. Fighting through four ties, the Bulldogs tied the game at 16 on a block by Stangohr and Sosnowski and took their first two-point lead of the game on consecutive errors by the Panthers. EIU fought back to fie the game at 23 and take over but Samford stayed close and fought back to tie it late in the game and take a 30-29 lead on kills but Sears, Stangohr, and Bland. A kill by Sosnowski gave the Bulldogs the win, 31-29.
Again, EIU grabbed the early two-point lead in game three. Samford jumped right back in, however, tying the game at four and taking over. From that point on, it was all Bulldog action and with a team effort, Samford was ahead by eight points. The Panthers tried to close the gap but could only get within six points, and the Bulldogs would go on to win game three, 30-23.
