www.samfordsports.com at the conclusion of the match.
Samford 3, Elon 0
With a bad set by Elon, Samford grabbed the first point of the first set but a Samford attack error immediately evened the score at one point a piece. A block and a Samford error gave Elon a two-point lead but Samford tacked on four straight points to take the lead on a kill and two aces by Sears and a block solo by Gadberry. The Bulldogs then led by two, but the Phoenix were soon tied with Samford due to two Bulldog errors.
With the score tied at five, the Bulldogs rattled off four straight points to go ahead 9-5 and force a timeout. Out of the break, Samford's lead was extended to five when Sosnowski and Stangohr came up with a big block. Elon answered back with a kill but Bland knocked down two consecutive kills and Gardner served up and ace to put the Bulldogs ahead by seven. Samford then went on a 5-1 run to take a 10-point lead and force another timeout.
After the second timeout, the Bulldogs continued to dominate and keep a 10-point lead. With the Bulldogs a set-point (24-15), the Phoenix scored three straight points to keep the Bulldogs from taking the set right away. With the score at 24-18, Samford took a timeout and Stangohr came out of the break with a kill to win the first set, 25-18.
The tables were turned in the beginning of set two as a Samford error gave Elon the first point but a Phoenix error immediately tied the score at one. The first six points of the set were scored on errors by either team. Back-to-back errors by the Bulldogs gave Elon a two-point lead but two Phoenix errors tied the score and Sosnowski gave the Bulldogs their first lead of the set with a kill to make the score, 4-3, in Samford's favor. The Bulldogs then went on a 4-1 run to take a four-point lead accompanied by an ace by Gardner and a kill by Bland.
Elon soon caught up and tied the score at 11 took the lead back (15-14) on a Bulldog error. From that point on it was a back-and-forth game. After fight through ties at points 15 and 16, the Bulldogs went ahead by two on back-to-back kills by Stangohr. A Samford error brought the Phoenix within one point, but Bland knocked down a kill to keep the two-point lead. However, with a few errors by the Bulldogs, Elon tied the score at 20 and forced Samford to take a timeout.
After the break, Sosnowski grabbed the first point on a kill but it was followed a Bulldog error, another kill by Sosnowski and another error to tied the score at 22. A kill by Stangohr put the Bulldogs in front by one again and Elon called a timeout, but Stangohr knocked down another kill after the break and a Phoenix error handed the Bulldogs the set two win, 25-22.
Elon scored the first two points of the third set, one for itself and one for Samford. The two teams then traded error to tie the score at two and then the Phoenix committed three straight errors to give Samford a three-point lead, 5-2. Elon went on a 4-1 run to tie the score at six followed by an ace which gave the Phoenix a brief lead. A kill by Bland followed by kills by Stangohr and Sears put Samford ahead by two, then a 6-2 run by the Bulldogs earned them at four-point lead and had the Phoenix thinking about a timeout.
After Elon called for a break, two Phoenix errors earned Samford a six-point lead. Elon fought to cut the lead but it could only get within four as Samford held onto its six-point lead and forced the Phoenix to take another break. Elon scored right away on a kill after the timeout but Sosnowski answered back with a kill of her own to make it match point. However, Elon held off the Bulldogs for three straight points and Samford called a timeout to see what needed to be fixed. After the break, though, Sosnowsk fired off a kill to win the set, 25-21, and earned Samford it's 27 win of the season.
