Box Score STATESBORO, Ga. ---- In a battle between two of the SoCon's top teams, Georgia Southern came back from a 1-0 match deficit to beat the Bulldogs in four sets, 3-1, Saturday afternoon in Hanner Fieldhouse.
 
Samford (15-10, 6-4 SoCon) struggled offensively, hitting under .200 for just the second time in conference play this season.  Michaela Reesor led the team with 15 kills while Katie Murphy was close behind with 14 and a .444 hitting percentage.  Stephanie Palmer was one dig shy of a double-double, finishing with nine digs and 48 assists, while Chelsi Carter led the defense with 19 digs.
 
Georgia Southern (21-3, 9-1 SoCon) did more with less chances than the Bulldogs, finishing with 18 less attacks but five more kills.  The Eagles hit .331 as a team, the highest percentage for any Samford conference opponent this season, with three players in double-digits in kills and digs.
 
Samford got off to a hot start in set one, jumping ahead 6-1 thanks to stellar blocking up front as Georgia Southern burned an early timeout.  The lead was short-lived however, as a 10-4 Georgia Southern run gave the Eagles their first lead of the match, 11-10.  The Eagles increased their lead to three, up 14-11, as Samford regrouped with a timeout.  Georgia Southern built a five-point lead, 19-14, but the Bulldogs started to chip away, drawing within two down 19-17 as the Eagles took a timeout.  The Bulldogs tied it at 20-20, but two quick points by the Eagles forced Samford to strategize with a timeout in the closing stages of the set.  Georgia Southern was the first team to reach set point, serving up 24-23, but a service error revitalized the Bulldogs' chances as Samford eventually came back to win the opening frame, 27-25.
 
Georgia Southern held a slim lead to open set two before Samford eventually came back to take its first lead of the set off a kill by Reesor to make it 10-9.  The Eagles would quickly regain the lead, though they couldn't extend it further than two points as the Bulldogs kept it a close contest throughout.  Samford would hit the 20-point mark first, leading 20-19, but three points in a row by Georgia Southern put the Eagles back in front 22-20 as the Bulldogs took a timeout.  Two points by each team would give Georgia Southern set point, 24-22, and an Eagle block error give Samford back possession trailing 24-23 but Georgia Southern's Katie Bange would seal the close set with a kill to win, 25-23, and even the match at 1-1.
 
Samford's offense was uncharacteristically erratic to open set three, giving Georgia Southern an early 9-4 lead as the Bulldogs took a timeout.  Mistakes would continue to plague the Bulldogs throughout the set, as the Eagles stretched their lead to six points, up 14-8, as Samford took its second timeout.  Georgia Southern continued to extend its lead, eventually reaching set point up 24-15 and finishing with a double-digit win, 25-15, to take a 2-1 match lead.
 
In a must-win set for Samford, it was Georgia Southern that held the slim lead early on.  Trailing 11-8, a very long rally had both defenses diving across the court, though the ball would eventually fall on Samford's side, pushing Georgia Southern's lead to 12-8 as the Bulldogs took a timeout.  Georgia Southern continued to build its lead from there, moving ahead 17-11 before Samford had to burn its final timeout.  The Eagles would continue to stretch out their lead, closing out the match with an 8-5 run to win, 25-16.
 
Next weekend, Samford returns home to face Chattanooga on Friday, Nov. 1 at 7 p.m. and Davidson on Saturday, Nov. 2 at 2 p.m.