Box Score BIRMINGHAM, Ala. ---- Samford clinched its second-consecutive SoCon North Division title, defeating Elon 3-1 in the Pete Hanna Center in the team's annual Dig Pink night.  UNCG's loss to Chattanooga tonight gives Samford a four-match lead in the standings with only three remaining in the regular season.
 
With Elizabeth Neisler out with an ankle injury, other players had to come in and fill the void on offense.

“I was glad to see some kids step up today with Neisler out,” said Head Coach Derek Schroeder.  “Tonight was one of our better serving and serve receive matches this season.”
 
It is Samford's fourth North Division title in the past five seasons, winning it every year since joining the SoCon in 2008 with the exception of the 2010 season, which Elon won.
 
Samford (19-8, 11-2 SoCon) was not particularly sharp on offense, hitting .232 as a team, but key runs during the third and fourth sets ultimately made the difference.  Michaela Reesor led the team with 22 kills, hitting a .314 clip behind 51 swings and six errors.  Katie Murphy was also in double-digits, earning 13 kills and a .357 percentage from the middle.  Setter Casey Garvey tied a career-best with seven kills while tallying 48 assists and nine digs.  Reesor added 10 digs for her ninth double-double of the season, her fifth over the last six matches.
 
Elon (14-14, 7-6 SoCon) evened the match in set two, hitting .444 in the frame but struggling in the remaining two hitting .139 and .037 respectively.  Chanelle Smith led their attack with 15 kills while Ali Deatsch and Maggie Reichard anchored the defense with a combined 25 digs.
 
Up 9-6 in the opening frame, Samford stretched the lead to eight points with a 9-4 run as Elon took a timeout trailing 18-10.  Out of the break, the Phoenix narrowed the gap, drawing within four as Samford took a timeout leading 20-16.  Each team would score four, with Samford leading 24-20 at set point, and Lauren Hutchinson would seal the set win with a kill, giving the Bulldogs the early 1-0 match lead.
 
Elon held a narrow lead to open set two, but back-to-back service aces by Chelsi Carter put Samford up 14-13, forcing the Phoenix to take a timeout.  Samford stretched it to a three-point lead before Elon came charging back, eventually tying the match at 20-20 and moving up 22-20 with Samford taking a timeout.  The Phoenix reached set point, up 24-22, and the Bulldogs briefly staved off the end of the set with a kill by Reesor to gain possession down 24-23.  Elon's Smith would provide the final point however, earning a kill to give the Phoenix the 25-23 set win and even the match at 1-1.
 
Tied at 4-4 in set three with Taylor Chao at the service line, the Bulldogs rattled off three in a row to move up 7-4 as Elon took a timeout.  Holding the three-point margin later, up 14-11, Erika Devaughn slammed a kill down to make it 15-11 as the Phoenix were forced to take another timeout.  Samford would reach the 20-point mark with a five-point lead and that would end up as the difference in the set with Samford winning 25-20.
 
The fourth set was Samford's most deciding frame, as the Bulldogs sealed the Division lead with a 25-18 win.  Tied at 9-9, the Bulldogs would take the lead with 7-0 run to move up 16-9 over the Phoenix.  Samford would maintain the seven-point lead for most of the set, though Elon would score three in a row to draw within five, down 23-18, forcing Samford to take a late timeout.  After the break, a kill by Reesor and a block by Carter and Hutchinson would end it with the Bulldogs up 25-18.
 
Samford plays its final home game of the season tomorrow night against UNCG (13-12, 7-6).  The match will be Senior Night, as the team will honor its six graduating seniors in their final career match at the Pete Hana Center.