Box Score BIRMINGHAM, Ala. ---- Samford concluded its weekend facing Gardner-Webb, as the home team earned a convincing 3-0 sweep in the battle of the Bulldogs to cap a second consecutive three-win weekend.
 
Samford (8-6) limited a third straight opponent to a negative hitting percentage, as Gardner-Webb (4-11) hit -.072 to Samford's .363.  Lauren Hutchinson led the team with a .412 clip behind two kills on 17 swings with only two errors.  Michaela Reesor led the Bulldogs in kills again, earning 10 in the match.  She has earned double-digit kills in all but three matches so far this season.  Alexis Bauer led the defense with 18 digs while Casey Garvey paced the offense with 28 assists.
 
For their efforts over the entire weekend, three Bulldogs were named to the Bulldog Invitational All-Tournament Team.  Hutchinson was named the tournament MVP as she hit .462 with 28 kills and led the team with eight blocks.  Reesor was also named to the All-Tournament team as she led Samford with 33 kills as was second on the team with 31 digs.  Bauer rounds out Samford's representatives on the team as she totaled 48 digs, averaging 5.33 per set.
 
The teams traded points in the very beginning of the first set, but Samford began to pull away as the Bulldogs built a 9-4 lead forcing Gardner-Webb to take a timeout.  Out of the break, Samford added five more unanswered points to build a ten-point lead, up 14-4, as the Runnin' Bulldogs were forced to take another timeout.  The visitors would only score four more points for the remainder of the set, as Samford cruised to a 25-8 victory.
 
 The Runnin' Bulldogs again faced an early five-point deficit in set two, as they took a timeout trailing Samford 12-7.  This time, however, the visitors would hang in with the home team as Samford hit the 20-point mark with the same five-point differential, up 20-15.  After a quick timeout, Samford closed out the set with a 5-1 run to win it 25-16 and move up 2-0 in the match.
 
Samford would not allow Gardner-Webb to make set three a close one, as the Bulldogs built an early 9-2 lead.  Up by seven later, 14-7, Samford would rattle off seven unanswered points to gain a substantial 14-point lead, up 21-7.  Samford would win the set on back-to-back attack errors by the visitors as the home Bulldogs defeated the visitors 25-9 to give Samford its third sweep of the weekend.
 
Samford opens SoCon play at home next weekend as they welcome Western Carolina and Appalachian State.  The Bulldogs take on the Catamounts on Friday, Sept. 21 at 7 p.m. and the Mountaineers on Saturday, Sept. 22 at 7 p.m.
 
BULLDOG INVITATIONAL ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM
Lauren Hutchinson (MVP) – Samford
Michaela Reesor – Samford
Alexis Bauer – Samford
Emily Holte – Gardner-Webb
Anna Pashkova – Gardner-Webb
Kelsey Gray – Tennessee Tech
Tiffany Stewart – Alcorn State
 
BULLDOG INVITATIONAL DAY TWO RESULTS
Tennessee Tech 3, Alcorn State 0
Samford 3, Tennessee Tech 0