FULL MATCH NOTES (PDF)

BULLDODGS HEAD TO TUSCALOOSA FOR MIDWEEK MATCHUP
Samford plays its 11th game of the season on Tuesday, Sept. 11 in Tuscalooa as they face the Alabama Crimson Tide at 7 p.m. CT.  Doors to Foster Auditorium open at 6:00 p.m. and costs $5 for a general admission ticket.

SCOUTING THE COMPETITION
Alabama (10-1, 0-0 SEC) - The Crimson Tide went 1-1 to start the season but have since won their last nine consecutive matches, only dropping two sets during that span.  Pricilla Duke-Ezeji, a sophomore transfer from 2011 national champion UCLA, leads Alabama with 119 kills in 32 sets, averaging 3.72 per set.  Freshman Kryssi Daniels leads the team and the SEC with 21 service aces while Yukie Futami and Cristina Arenas are their leaders in the back row with 118 and 116 digs, respectively.

ALL-TIME SERIES VS. ALABAMA
Samford and Alabama have met 17 times in school history, with the Crimson Tide winning every match except the 2011 meeting.  Last year, for the first time in school history, Samford defeated Alabma in a thrilling five set match, 3-2, in Birmingham, Ala.

BAUER NAMED SOCON DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Samford senior Alexis Bauer was named the SoCon Defensive Player of the Week, announced by the conference office Monday.  It is her first weekly honor of the season and also the first for any Bulldog so far.
 
Bauer helped the team to a 4-0 record this past week thanks to 68 digs, averaging 5.23 per set.  She had double-digit digs in every match, including 20 in the 3-0 win over Georgia State Friday, her second-highest total of the season in any three-set match.  The Floyd Knobs, Ind., native also helped the offense thanks to eight service aces, two in each match, and 11 assists.

This season, Bauer became Samford's all-time career leader in digs.  She has 172 so far this season which brings her career total to 1,549, already 133 more than second place.  She owns the second and third highest single-season dig totals in school history with her 532 digs in 2011 and 442 in 2010.

SAMFORD GOES 3-0 IN ATLANTA, NAMED TOURNAMENT CHAMPS
Samford continued its winning ways this past weekend in Atlanta as they went undefeated, only dropping one set over three matches, en route to winning the Georgia State Tournament.  Individually, Michaela Reesor and Casey Garvey were recognized for their efforts as they were named to the All-Tournament team.

Samford opened competition at the Georgia State Tournament in a close contest with the host team, Georgia State, but timely scoring helped the Bulldogs to earn the 3-0 sweep over the Panthers.  Samford won the first two sets by a score of 25-22 and then capped the sweep with a 25-21 tilt in the third frame.  The following day, Samford got off to a 2-0 start against South Alabama, but the Jaguars fought back to take set three.  Samford closed it out in the next set however, taking the 3-1 win.  In the weekend's closing match, Samford swept Mercer in a match that was capped by a long third set, which Samford eventually won 33-31.  It was Samford's longest set under Head Coach Derek Schroeder, the program's longest since 2007.

UP NEXT
Samford hosts the Bulldog Invitational and welcomes Alcorn State, Tennessee Tech and Gardner-Webb to Birmingham for two days of matches.  Samford starts against Alcorn State on Friday, Sept. 14 at noon followed by Tennessee Tech at 7 p.m.  The following day, the Bulldogs play Gardner-Webb at 2 p.m.