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VOLLEYBALL OPENS 2013 SEASON WITH HOME TOURNAMENT
Samford Volleyball opens up its 2013 campaign co-hosting the UAB/Samford Volleyball Challenge on Friday, Aug. 30 and Saturday, Aug. 31.  The Bulldogs open play on Friday against Presbyterian (2 p.m.) and Georgia State (7 p.m.) and continue on Saturday against Mercer (Noon) and #6 Minnesota (5 p.m.).

VIDEO STREAMING INFORMATION
All of Samford's matches this weekend will be streamed for free through Samford Sports TV at samfordsports.com/showcase.  Live stats will also be available on the volleyball schedule page at samfordsports.com.

SCOUTING THE COMPETITION
Presbyterian - The Blue Hose are members of the Big South Conference and were chosen to finish fifth in the ten-team league in the preseason poll, though they only trial fourth-place UNC Asheville by two points.  Last season, they finished with a 9-5 conference record to place fourth with an overall record of 13-18.  Presbyterian loses its top two offensive weapons from last season, but a potent pair of middles return as Andrea Barman and Rachel Hall combined for over 450 kills in 2012.

Georgia State - Last season was a rough one for the Panthers, as they went 4-20 overall with a 2-10 conference record in their final season in the CAA.  This season, they make the jump to the Sun Belt Conference, where they were chosen to finish ninth in the preseason poll.  The Panthers lost their top offensive weapon from last season, Jamiee Freeman, to graduation but sophomore DeDe Bohannon will look to build on her debut campaign where she tallied 181 kills.

Mercer - This weekend, the Bears will provide a preview of things to come for the Bulldogs, as Mercer will join the Southern Conference in the 2014-15 season.  For now, Mercer will look to end its run in the Atlantic Sun conference on a positive note after finishing with an 11-18 (7-11) record last season.  Molly Locke returns for her sophomore season after a breakout freshman yeear where she earned a team-leading 343 kills and 26 aces.

#6 Minnesota - The Golden Gophers have been a perennial power in the Big Ten conference, as they finished with a 15-5 conference record last season to tie for second place.  They eventually advanced all the way to the Elite Eight round of the NCAA Tournament, falling to conference foe Penn State in four sets.  They enter this season ranked sixth in the AVCA Preseason poll as former U.S. Olympic coach Hugh McCutcheon enters his second season at the helm.  Tori Dixon returns to lead the offense after earning Second Team All-America and unanimous All-Big Ten honors in 2012.

BIG TIME
Saturday's match against #6 Minnesota is only the second ranked opponent in Samford Volleyball history.  The Bulldogs' only other ranked opponent was #3 UCLA during the 2004 season, when the Bruins swept the Bulldogs 3-0 at the McDonald's/Texas A&M Invitational.

Minnesota is also Samford's first-ever opponent from the Big Ten conference.  Current Big Ten members have accounted for five of the last seven national champions, including a four-year run by Penn State from 2007-10.  Last season was the first time since 2003 that a current Big Ten member was not in the championship match.

'DOGS EARN TOP SPOT IN SOCON PRESEASON POLL
Consistent success in conference play over the past few seasons has earned Samford Volleyball well-deserved respect among its Southern Conference peers, as the Bulldogs were tabbed as the preseason favorite in the 2013 Preseason Coaches' Poll, released Monday.
 
The Bulldogs earned six out of a possible 10 first-place votes, totaling 95 points.  Georgia Southern placed second with 89 points and two first-place votes, Furman placed third with 79 points and one first-place vote while UNCG earned two first-place votes to finish fourth with 67 points.
 
Junior Michaela Reesor and senior Katie Murphy also earned individual accolades on the Preseason All-Conference Team.  A total of nine athletes made the team, with Davidson, Furman and Georgia Southern earning two while UNCG added one other.

RECORD WATCH
The career records at Samford have seen plenty of movement of the last few seasons, and 2013 should be no exception.  There are multiple Bulldogs that are on the cusp of cracking top-ten lists or moving up in the rankings.  With 901 career kills, Katie Murphy is just 77 shy of moving into 10th all-time.  In fact, she is only 99 kills shy of breaking 1,000 career kills, which would make her the 10th player in Samford history to hit that milestone.  She currently owns a .370 career hitting percentage, which ranks second all-time just behind Lauren Hutchinson at .377.  She is poised to move up on both the solo blocks and assisted blocks list as well, as she is fifth (72) and ninth (207) on those lists, respectively.

While not as close as Murphy, junior Michaela Reesor has a good chance to eclipse the 1,000 career kills mark this season as she currently has 697.  Junior Chelsi Carter could crack the top ten digs list, as she is only 235 shy of 10th place.

NEW FACES
Samford will have a number of new faces on the team this season, with five freshman and one transfer joining the Bulldog squad.

Stephanie Palmer transfers to Samford after three seasons at Winthrop.  Last season as their primary setter, she led the nation with eight triple-doubles and led the Big South with 19 double-doubles.

T.J. Russell is Samford's only in-state freshman, hailing from Montgomery, Ala.  At George Washington Carver High School, she helped lead the team to four Area 6-6A Championships and two AHSAA Elite 8 State quarterfinal appearances.

Erin Bognar is a freshman outside hitter from St. Louis, Mo.  She led Westminster Christian Academy to a state championship her senior season and earned First Team All-State honors as well.

Erika Pifer is a talented setter from DeLand, Fla.  She holds single-season and career records for assists and aces at her high school, Father Lopez Catholic, and was named District MVP her senior season after leading her team to a district championship.

Kiahna Wicks played four seasons on the varsity squad at Riverview High School in Riverview, Fla.  There, she helped lead the team to three 7A District 8 Championships and was named the team MVP her senior year.

Gabbi Greenwald comes to Samford from Louisville, Ky., where she played four years at DuPont Manual High School.  There, she helped lead the team to four JCPS Tournament Championships and KHSAA District 25 Championships.

Mattie Newson is a defensive specialist from Charlotte, N.C.  She holds the Charlotte County Day School career record with 1,627 digs and was a two-time NCISAA All-State selection and three-time CISAA All-Conference honoree.

UP NEXT
The co-hosts of this weekend's tournament will meet up on Wednesday, Sept. 4 as the Bulldogs head to Bartow Arena to take on the UAB Blazers at 7 p.m. CT.  The following weekend, Samford heads to Nashville, Tenn., for the Lipscomb Invitational.  Samford will play three matches over two days, starting with South Alabama and Lipscomb on Friday, Sept. 6 and concluding with Jacksonville State on Saturday, Sept. 7.