Oct. 21, 2009
Box Score
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. ---- The Samford University volleyball team came back from a nine-point deficit in the second set to win by four and go on to win the third set to sweep the Chattanooga Mocs Wednesday in a Southern Conference brawl. The 3-0 (25-22, 25-21, 25-22) match was the first win for the Bulldogs on the road in three matches. Samford improves to 13-10, 7-2 SoCon while the Mocs fall to 11-10, 3-6 SoCon.
"This was a big match for Sheriden Stangohr tonight which helped our outside hitter," Samford head coach Derek Schroeder said. "We played Samford volleyball tonight and in a very hostile environment. I am proud that we are realizing growth on the road and playing more mature!"
Samford dominated Chattanooga in every statistical category except for blocks. Stangohr led the Bulldogs for the eighth match in a row 15 kills, hitting .333. She also tallied three block assists, four digs and two aces for the Bulldogs. Allie Bettinger was right behind with 14 kills, hitting a team-high .385 while also grabbing nine digs. Hillary Fountain dished out 36 assists while grabbing four kills, seven digs, two aces and two block assists. Alexis Bauer led the team in digs with 13, also grabbing one kill and three assists.
Rachel Gadberry added seven kills, one dig, one block solo and one block assist while Elizabeth Neisler had give kills two block assists and one dig. Katie Luckman posted two digs and one block solo while Casey Garvey added three assists, three digs and one ace and Samantha Bland had two assists and four digs.
The Bulldogs will continue their road swing with a trip to South Carolina this weekend. Samford will meet Wofford on Saturday at 1 p.m. CT and Furman at noon on Sunday.
Samford 3, Chattanooga 0
The Bulldogs got on the board first with a quick 2-0 lead on block by Stangohr, Neisler and Luckman but the Mocs responded with a kill to catch up. A 5-1 run by Samford soon had the Bulldogs up by five. Chattanooga got within four on a Samford service error, but then returned the favor, putting the Bulldogs back up by five. Another 4-3 run stretched the Bulldog lead to six before UTC called a timeout.
Three straight points out of the break by Chattanooga cut Samford's lead to three, 11-8, but Gadberry answered back with a big kill to move Samford back out ahead by four. With the score at 12-8, Chattanooga went on a 4-1 run to get within one point. Samford managed to keep a lead, but soon Chattanooga evened the score on a kill and a Samford service error.
After a timeout, Samford took over the lead again and stretched it out to four points forcing Chattanooga to take a time out with the score at 23-19. A service error by Samford got the Mocs back within three but a kill by Stangohr put the Bulldogs back ahead by four, 24-20. The Mocs held Samford at set point twice, but a kill by Bettinger wrapped up the first set with the Bulldogs winning, 25-22.
Chattanooga came out with three consecutive points in the start of the second set to force Samford take an early timeout. After the break, the Mocs put together a 10-3 run to go ahead by nine. However, Samford answered back with four straight points on kills by Fountain and Gadberry, a block by Gadberry and an ace by Fountain to cut the lead to five. After UTC timeout, Samford went on a 6-1 run to get within one and on back-to-back kills by Stangohr, the Bulldogs took the lead, 15-14. After a 4-1 run, Samford led 19-15, forcing the Mocs to take another timeout.
The Mocs made one last run of 7-4 to cut the Bulldog lead to two but Samford took its final timeout just two points away from a win. Out of the break, Fountain knocked down a kill to get set point and Stangohr served up and ace to win the second set, 25-21.
Chattanooga jumped out to a 2-0 lead to start the third set, but Stangohr responded with a kill to get the Bulldogs on the board. It was a back-and-forth game with each team trading two-point leads. With the score tied at nine, the Mocs went on a 4-3 run to take a 15-12 lead. However, Samford responded win a run of its own, 7-4, to take a 20-19 lead and force Chattanooga to take a timeout. The Mocs came out of the break with a kill to tie the score at 20. Bettinger answered back with a kill of her own to get the Bulldogs ahead by one, but a Samford error tied the score at 21.
Samford called a timeout and came back out with a kill by Bettinger to go ahead by one again, but a service error by Stangohr tied the score at 21. Nevertheless, Gadberry responded with back-to-back kills to get the Bulldogs to match-point and after a Chattanooga timeout, Bettinger knocked down a big kill to seal the deal, 25-22.
