FULL MATCH NOTES (PDF)

'DOGS RETURN HOME FOR CROSS-DIVISION MATCHUPS
Samford volleyball returns home this weekend to face a pair of South Division opponents.  The Bulldogs open the weekend against the Georgia Southern Eagles on Saturday, Oct. 20 at 2 p.m. CT.  On Sunday, Oct. 21, Samford faces off against the Davidson Wildcats at 2 p.m. CT.

FREE STREAMING VIDEO ON SAMFORD SPORTS TV
Samford's matches this weekend will be live streamed for FREE through Samford Sports TV, as will the rest of the Bulldogs' home matches this season.  Head to samfordsports.com/showcase and click on the event.  Live stats are also available by heading to samfordsports.com/volleyball and clicking the link on the schedule page.

SCOUTING THE COMPETITION
Georgia Southern (16-6, 7-1 SoCon) - The Eagles are two seasons removed from a SoCon Championship and they are currently in the hunt for a top seed in the South Division, boasting a 7-1 conference record.  The College of Charleston handed Georgia Southern its only conference loss so far this season, but the Eagles have rebounded winning the past four matches.  They have two players with over 200 kills, led by SoCon Offensive Player of the Week Meredith Paskert with 275.  Freshman Alexandra Beecher has made an immediate impact on the defense, leading the team with 389 digs.  2011 First Team All-Conference honoree Kate Van Dyke is the team's primary setter with 907 assists.

Davidson (8-10, 4-4 SoCon) - The Wildcats have gone 4-4 to open the conference season, recently snapping  back-to-back losses with a 3-2 win against UNCG on Sunday.  2012 Preseason All-Conference honoree Caroline Brown leads the offense with 244 kills on 786 swings.  Tindall Sewell finished last season ranked No. 1 nationally in hitting percentage and is hitting .318 so far this season 180 kills.  The Wildcats' two seniors are contributing a lot as well, with Molly Crenshaw leading the team with 341 digs and Ariel Lay leading the team with 706 assists.

HISTORY LESSON
Samford is 9-4 all-time against Georgia Southern, 3-2 since joining the SoCon in 2008.  The Bulldogs won two contests in 2008 and then dropped consecutive meetings in 2009 and 2010.  Samford won back some momentum last season, defeating Georgia Southern 3-1 on the road.

Samford is 6-1 all-time against Davidson.  The Bulldogs won the first four meetings of the teams, including a 3-0 win in the 2008 SoCon Tournament quarterfinals.  Davidson earned an upset victory in 2010 with a five-set win in Davidson, N.C.  The Bulldogs' return trip in 2011 wasn't as kind for the Wildcats as Samford earned a 3-0 sweep and then defeated them again in Birmingham in the quarterfinals of the 2011 SoCon Tournament, 3-1.

SAMFORD IN THE SOCON RANKS
Team Stats
Hitting Percentage - 2nd - .254
Opponent Hitting Percentage - 1st - .164
Kills - 4th - 1,061 (13.78/set)
Assists - 3rd - 987 (12.82/set)
Aces - 4th - 94 (1.22/set)

Individual Stats
Hitting Percentage
Lauren Hutchinson - 2nd - .366
Katie Murphy - 3rd - .338
Kills
Michaela Reesor - 5th - 261 (3.39/set)
Lauren Hutchinson - 10th - 229 (2.97/set)
Assists
Casey Garvey - 3rd - 827 (11.18/set)
Service Aces
Alexis Bauer - 4th - 26 (0.34/set)
Chelsi Carter - 7th - 23 (0.30/set)
Digs
Alexis Bauer - 6th - 381 (4.95/set)

SAMFORD SUFFERS FIRST SOCON LOSS, REBOUNDS WITH SWEEP OVER CITADEL
The Bulldogs split their two contests this past weekend, suffering their first conference loss at the College of Charleston before rebounding with a 3-0 win at The Citadel the following night.  In front of a packed house at the TD Arena, the College of Charleston avenged its loss to Samford in last year's SoCon Championship by downing the Bulldogs 3-0.  Samford's high-powered offense could not find a rhythm as the Cougars beat them by scores of 25-18, 25-18 and 25-16.  Samford didn't let the loss linger too long, as Samford regrouped with a 3-0 win at The Citadel the following night.  Samford dominated the battle of the Bulldogs, defeating The Citadel in straight sets as Lauren Hutchinson led the offense with 13 kills while Michaela Reesor earned 11 along with 11 digs for her fifth double-double of the season.

BAUER DIGGING FOR FOUR
Samford senior Alexis Bauer is well on her way to cracking the single-season top ten digs list for the fourth time in her Samford career.  She is only 11 shy of 392, which would put her at 10th all-time.  She has made the list every season so far at Samford.  Her 2009 freshman total of 403 ranks seventh, her 2010 sophomore total of 442 ranks third and her total of 532 from last season is second all-time.  At her current pace, she is set to finish the regular season with 520, which would surpass her freshman and sophomore totals to rank third, not including any potential postseason performances.

DIG PINK
This season, Samford is again partnering with the Side-Out Foundation for its Dig Pink campaign, which helps raise funds and awareness in the fight against breast cancer!
Last season's campaign was a great success, with our fans and supporters helping Samford donate over $3,000 towards this great cause! Take a minute to visit our page and spread the word so we can make this year a success as well!

This season's Dig Pink game will be on Friday, Nov. 2 vs. Elon.

UP NEXT
Samford will make a brief road trip to Spartanburg, S.C., for a match at Wofford on Sunday, Oct. 28 at 2 p.m. ET before turning around and heading home for a match against Chattanooga on Tuesday, Oct. 30 at 6 p.m. CT.