FULL MATCH NOTES (PDF)
VOLLEYBALL HOSTS FINAL HOME MATCHES OF THE SEASON
Samford volleyball hosts its final home games of the season this weekend as they face Elon on Friday, Nov. 2 at 7 p.m. CT., and UNCG on Saturday, Nov. 3, at 7 p.m. Friday's match will be the team's annual Dig Pink night, while Saturday will be Senior Night for six talented Bulldogs.
FREE STREAMING VIDEO ON SAMFORD SPORTS TV
Samford's matches this weekend will be live streamed for FREE through Samford Sports TV. 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.
FRIDAY IS DIG PINK
Friday's match vs. Elon will be Samford's annual Dig Pink game, with the Bulldogs partering with the Side-Out Foundation to help raise funds and awareness in the fight against Breast Cancer. The match is the centerpiece of multiple efforts towards the cause, including a bake sale and a post-game auction, with all proceeds going to the Side-Out Foundation. The team will be wearing pink jerseys and Dig Pink t-shirts for fans will be available for purchase.
STELLAR SENIORS
Saturday will be the final home match for six senior members of the Samford Bulldog team. It is a very accomplished class, with nearly every member of the group present in the Samford single-season and career record books. Congratulations to
Alexis Bauer,
Erika Devaughn,
Casey Garvey,
Lauren Hutchinson,
Elizabeth Neisler and
Alicia Roth for their outstanding contributions to the Samford Volleyball program!
SCOUTING THE COMPETITION
Elon (14-13, 7-5 SoCon) - Samford defeated Elon 3-1 on the road earlier this season and the Phoenix have since gone 5-1, including a big 3-1 win over Furman on Oct. 20. They are currently two games back in the North Division, tied with UNCG at 7-5. They have a youthful offense, with freshman Megan Gravley leading the team with 297 kills and sophomore Kris Harris in second with 219. Senior Celia Eddy is third in the SoCon with 77 blocks this season while fellow senior Ali Deatsch leads the defense with 394 digs.
UNCG (13-11, 7-5 SoCon) - Since their matchup earlier this season, a 3-0 Samford victory in Greensboro, the Spartans have gone 5-3 and are currently riding a three-match win streak. Junior Karrian Chambers leads the team with 319 kills with middle blocker Olivia Humphries trailing just behind with 304 kills. The two have also posted consecutive double-doubles in their last two matches. Defensively, Kellie Orewiler leads the team with 428 digs.
HISTORY LESSON
Samford is 7-3 all-time against Elon, 7-2 in SoCon contests. The Bulldogs won the first three conference matchups, fell in the next two, but have since won the past four. The Phoenix have only won two sets during Samford's current four-match win streak. Both of Elon's victories, one in 2009 and one in 2010, have come in Elon, N.C.
Samford is 7-2 all-time against the Spartans with both of those losses coming on the road. Samford has traditionally struggled against UNCG away from home, as the Bulldogs have been outscored 10-6 in Greensboro. Both losses were 3-0 shutouts, occuring in 2008 and 2010. However, Samford has won the last four meetings between the teams by a combined score of 12-3.
SAMFORD IN THE SOCON RANKS
Team Stats
Hitting Percentage - 2nd - .252
Opponent Hitting Percentage - 1st - .167
Kills - 3rd - 1327 (13.97/set)
Assists - 2nd - 1238 (13.03/set)
Aces - 5th - 111 (1.17/set)
Individual Stats
Hitting Percentage
Katie Murphy - 2nd - .353
Lauren Hutchinson - 3rd - .345
Kills
Michaela Reesor - 4th - 343 (3.61/set)
Assists
Casey Garvey - 2nd - 1057 (11.49/set)
Service Aces
Alexis Bauer - 5th - 28 (0.29/set)
SAMFORD COMES BACK AGAINST TERRIERS, DEFEAT MOCS IN FOUR
Samford added two more SoCon wins, though neither one came easily. On Sunday in Spartanburg, S.C., Samford found itself down 2-0 to the host Wofford Terriers after two hard-fought sets. The Samford offense came alive in the remaining sets, going the distance to eventually pull out a thrilling 3-2 comeback victory. In the match,
Michaela Reesor set a new school record with 33 kills while
Casey Garvey set a new personal best with 71 assists. Two days later in Birmingham, the Bulldogs dropped the opening set to the visiting Chattanooga Mocs. Samford responded and went on to win the next three, defeating Chattanooga 3-1 for Samford's 10th SoCon win of the season.
UP NEXT
Samford finishes the regular season on the road with matchups against Appalachian State and Western Carolina. On Saturday, Nov. 10, the Bulldogs square off with the Catamounts at 6 p.m. ET in Cullowhee, N.C., before facing the Mountaineers the following afternoon in Boone, N.C., at 2 p.m. ET.
