Sept. 17, 2009
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. ---- The Samford University volleyball team rounds out its preseason tournament schedule this weekend, Sept. 18-19, at the Tiger Invitational hosted by the University of Memphis. The five-team weekend event will feature UAB, UALR, and New Orleans along with Samford and host team Memphis.
The Bulldogs (3-6) are looking to snap a six-match losing streak this weekend against some very familiar and very tough opponents. Samford head coach Derek Schroeder says his team has worked very hard to create a foundation to build from and that includes a lot of key components.
"We had some very specific things we needed to work on in order to build a foundation for our team to grow from," Schroeder said. "That was serving, passing and defense. This week we have transitioned to the things that we do well and make us who we are - fast transition and tempo offense. Working on the things that make you who you are builds confidence. The last few days of practice we have looked very good. Hopefully, that translates to some wins."
Samford went winless last weekend against what proved to be the toughest competition to date and after a trying week off the court. The Bulldogs opened with a loss against a then winless Creighton team followed by a tough loss against one of the best teams Samford has seen so far in Dayton. Schroeder said the Bulldogs played their best match to date against the Flyers but just could not execute enough to get the win. Samford then fell to Connecticut in a 3-1 loss to close out tournament play.
"This season is still very much about us and who we are and who we put on the floor," Schroeder said. "We are still approaching every week keeping in mind our goals of growth and finding our identity."
The Bulldogs have one of the youngest teams the program has seen in a few years yet one of the most talented. Samford is led by two freshmen in several categories. Outside hitter Allie Bettinger leads her team in kills and points, boasting 2.81 kills per set and 103.5 points on the season. Libero Alexis Bauer leads in digs per set with 3.66 while also leading in aces with eight.
Senior middle blocker Sheriden Stangohr is currently ranked 12th in the nation in blocks per set with 1.38 while junior setter Hillary Fountain leads her team in assists with 6.87 per set.
Samford faces four teams this weekend against whom it has won only five of 31 combined meetings. UALR won its only meeting with Samford while the Bulldogs have taken only one of eight from Memphis and three of five from New Orleans. In the sixth longest series in the Samford program, the Bulldogs have only defeated UAB one out of 22 times.
"We open with a big foreign-laden team in UNO," Schroeder said. "They will be tough but the type of team that a scrappy, fast team like us can give fits to. Memphis, on Friday night on their home court, will be tough as well for obvious reasons. UALR and a 2008 second round NCAA team UAB on neutral court on Saturday afternoon will really come down to who wants it more."
Follow Samford's match with Memphis via live stats through links on the schedule pages at www.samfordsports.com and www.gotigersgo.com. Results will be posted upon the completion of each match and a recap will be posted upon the completion of the last match of each day.
Samford vs. New Orleans
The Bulldogs open up with a 2 p.m. meeting with New Orleans (4-5) on Friday. The Privateers, who boast five foreign players, dropped their last three matches to Tulane (3-1), Long Beach State (3-2) and LSU (3-0). The last time Samford met up with UNO was in last season's opening tournament at Auburn. The Privateers handed the Bulldogs their first of only five losses on the season in a 3-1 battle that swung in UNO's favor. Samford has not defeated UNO since 1999 when the Bulldogs won in five sets in its season-opener at the Troy State Tournament.
Senior Lindsey Lloyd leads the Privateers' offense with 111 kills and 0.31 aces per set. Maria Szivos is second on the team in kills (2.72 kps) and third in blocks (0.72 bps) while leading in attack percentage, hitting .273. Defensive specialist Nicky Valenti leads the UNO defense with 174 digs on the season while Kaley Hubbard leads in blocks with 0.84 blocks per set.
Samford vs. Memphis
Memphis (2-8) is Samford's second opponent in the Tiger Invitational this weekend. The two teams will meet in a 7 p.m. match-up on Friday. This will be the ninth meeting of the two teams. Samford captured its first-ever win over the Tigers last season in the Samford Invitational. The series dates back to 1993 when Memphis won the first meeting in a 3-1 decision.
The Tigers snapped a seven-match losing streak last weekend with a sweep of Northern Illinois for its first win of the season followed by a sweep of Tennessee State. Becky Shaffer leads the Tigers and is ranked in the top 50 nationally with 4.71 digs per set. Christine Bach helps out on the back row as she boasts 109 digs so far on the season.
Kaitlin English leads the Tigers with 90 kills while Laura Thompson has knocked down 77. Altrese Hawkins has 67 kills while Emily Underwood has posted 61. Underwood also leads the team in blocks with 32 so far on the year.
Samford vs. UALR
Samford's third opponent in the Tiger Invitational is UALR. The Bulldogs and Trojans will meet at 12 p.m. on Saturday, for the second time in the series history. The first meeting with UALR was in 1993, and the Trojans walked away with a 3-1 win.
UALR enters this weekend with a 5-3 record after dropping its last two, souring its previous 4-1 record. The Trojans are led by its four seniors as Anita Bocur leads off with 3.83 kills per set. She also boasts a .379 hitting percentage and has served up a team-high eight aces. Becky Mann is second on the team with 3.30 kills per set while Giuliana De Francesco leads in assists with 259. Emily Pepperman has posted 113 digs on the season.
Samford vs. UAB
The Bulldogs will wrap up tournament play with a familiar opponent in cross-town rival UAB at 4:30 p.m. on Saturday. The Blazers lead the Bulldogs in the sixth longest series in program history, 22-1. That only win came in 2001 as the Bulldogs swept the Blazers, 3-0. Since then, UAB has won four straight.
UAB has made an appearance in the NCAA Tournament in two of its last three seasons, reaching the second round this past season. However, the Blazers, much like Samford, lost five letterwinners from its 2008 roster leaving a big hole for young players to fill.
Andrea Lalic leads the UAB offense with 116 kills while Sam Serley is second with 89 and leads in hitting with a .333 percentage. Freshman setter Alison Woods has dished out a team-high 351assists and also leads in aces with 12. Patty Paniagua and Heather Thomas lead the defense as Paniagua boasts 38 blocks while Thomas has tallied 165 digs.
