Oct. 7, 2011

Box Score

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. ---- The Samford Bulldogs dispatched another conference foe in quick fashion Friday, defeating the UNC-Greensboro Spartans in a three-set match lasting just over an hour. The Bulldogs have now defeated 12 opponents in three-set victories, including all three of their conference wins. Samford is also undefeated at home, 6-0, this season.

Samford (16-3, 3-2 SoCon) shut down the UNCG (10-11, 2-3 SoCon) offense, limiting them to a .043 team hitting percentage while the Bulldogs hit at a .337 clip. Katie Murphy led the team in kills (12) and hitting percentage (.571) with Elizabeth Neisler earning 11 kills of her own. Alexis Bauer was the primary serve receiver, taking 25 with no errors and combined with Chelsi Carter for 22 of the team's 44 digs. Samford held the edge in blocks, 5-2, with Lauren Hutchinson pairing up for two and blocking one solo.

The Spartans scored the first point, which proved to be their only lead in the first set. The Bulldogs answered back quickly with a kill by Neisler, followed by a Hutchinson kill and a Neisler service ace. Samford maintained the small lead into the first UNCG timeout with the Bulldogs up 17-13. Carter served up two in a row afterwards, setting up kills by Murphy and Michaela Reesor which forced another UNCG timeout with Samford now up 19-13. The Bulldogs further widened the gap, setting up set-point, 24-15, thanks to a kill by Neisler. UNCG scored three in a row afterwards, looking for a comeback, but a timely block by Neisler and Hutchinson sealed the 25-18 win in the first set.

The second set started tight, with UNCG taking an early lead, only to relent it to Samford before tying it back up at 10-10, forcing a Bulldog timeout. A UNCG attack error after the break gave Samford possession up 11-10, and Garvey served up an ace and then forced a Spartan attack error, giving the Bulldogs a three-point lead to force the Spartan timeout. UNCG took another break down 17-14, and Samford only allowed them to score consecutive points once after that. Hutchinson, Carter, Bauer and Taylor Chao were all in the service rotation rounding out the set and helped earn the 25-20 win.

The third set was won by the largest margin of the three, and Samford's offense set a hard pace right out of the gate. The Bulldogs doubled up the Spartans twice in the early going, going up 6-3 and later 10-5 before UNCG had to regroup with a timeout. The Bulldogs followed with a 6-3 run with kills by Hutchinson, Neisler and Reesor to go up 16-8, forcing yet another Spartan timeout. Up 17-11, Carter knocked down a kill to give the Bulldogs possession and earned another one two points later extending the lead to 20-11. Each team scored four to set up a sweep victory for the Bulldogs, up 24-15, and Hutchinson provided the final blow with her kill to earn the 25-15 victory.

The Bulldogs round out the weekend tomorrow, welcoming Elon to the Pete Hanna Center for a 2 p.m. match.