Box Score DAVIDSON, N.C. ---- Coming off a tough loss Wednesday, Samford Volleyball rebounded in a big way with a solid road win over a tough Davidson squad Saturday night.
 
"That was a great road win for a banged-up Samford volleyball team," said Head Coach Derek Schroeder.  "Even though Michaela Reesor struggled tonight, the rest of the team stepped up."
 
After falling in the opening set, Samford (12-9, 3-3 SoCon) held on to beat Davidson (11-8, 2-3 SoCon) in the following three, earning the win despite a .199 hitting percentage and seven service errors.  Katie Murphy led all players with 16 kills and a .414 hitting percentage, while Gabbi Greenwald provided a spark at the outside with 12 kills and 12 digs for her second double-double of the season while also adding three aces at the service line.  Chelsi Carter led all players with 16 digs while Stephanie Palmer did the same with 50 assists.
 
"Tonight was Taylor Palmer's best match since she changed positions," said Schroeder.  "Gabbi Greenwald stepped up and was a weapon that we really needed.  The little bit of practice that we got this week really showed up in tonight's match."
 
The home team had the early momentum, moving ahead 9-6 before Samford answered with four unanswered, capped by a block by Murphy and Greenwald to take a 10-9 lead.  Davidson immediately tied it back up at 10-10 but a 7-4 Bulldog run including aces by Chelsi Carter and Stephanie Palmer forced a Wildcat timeout as the Bulldog led 17-14.  Samford held onto the three-point, as Murphy and Reesor paired up for a block to make it 22-19 with Davidson burning its last timeout.  Davidson would respond with four unanswered, taking a 23-22 lead as Samford burned both its timeouts in the process.  A kill by Murphy tied it at 23-23 but back-to-back Bulldog errors would give Davidson the 25-23 comeback victory in the opening frame.
 
The teams traded the lead back and forth early in set two, as the largest lead was only two points after Davidson moved up 10-8.  The momentum quickly shifted back in the Bulldogs' favor, as Samford scored five in a row to move up 13-10 as Davidson took its first timeout.  Long rallies made for some hard-earned points in the middle of the match, but the Bulldogs remained resilient, hitting the 20-point mark up 20-14 as the Wildcats took their second timeout.  A 22-15 Samford lead was cut to 22-18 as the Bulldogs took a timeout, looking to halt the Wildcat run.  Three kills in the closing stretch by Greenwald would seal it for Samford as the Bulldogs won, 25-19, to even the match at 1-1.
 
Set three opened much like set two, only it was Samford who held the two-point lead up 10-8 this time.  Samford continued to extend its lead, slowly but surely, hitting the 20-point mark up 20-15.  The five-point lead held as a block by Murphy and Stephanie Palmer gave the Bulldogs set point, 24-19, and Murphy followed with a solo block to secure the 25-19 win and give Samford a 2-1 match lead.
 
Tied at 6-6 in set one, three Wildcat errors put the Bulldogs out in front, 9-6, as Davidson took a frustrated early timeout.  Errors continued to hurt the Wildcats' efforts, as the Bulldogs took advantage with a 4-1 run extending the lead to 13-7 as Davidson burned its last timeout.  Samford continued to roll, moving ahead 20-11 before the Wildcat offense found a spark, charging back with five unanswered points to cut the Bulldogs' lead to 20-16 as Samford took a timeout.  The Wildcats continued to claw back, eventually tying the set at 23-23 as the Bulldogs took their final timeout.  A bad set by Davidson gave Samford possession and match point, 24-23, and an ace by Greenwald sealed it as the Bulldogs held off the late Davidson push to win the set, 25-23, and the match, 3-1.
 
Next weekend, Samford returns home to face Elon on Friday, Oct. 18 at 7 p.m. and UNCG on Saturday, Oct. 19 at 7 p.m.  During Saturday's match, Samford will wear commemorative orange jerseys in honor of their former teammate, Caroline Neisler, who passed away after her battle with Leukemia earlier this year.  All proceed from the match and various fundraising activities throughout the week will be donated to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and local hospitals.