Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 KENNESAW, Ga. ---- Samford senior Katie Murphy became the 10th player in Samford history to earn 1,000 career kills as the Bulldogs split two Saturday matches at the KSU Owls Invite, sweeping Tennessee Tech before falling to Kennesaw State, 3-1.
 
Samford (7-5) breezed past Tennessee Tech (3-7) in the morning match before falling in a hard-fought contest to tournament hosts Kennesaw State (5-5) in the marquee matchup.  On the day, Samford hit a combined .366 as a team with 104 kills, 68 digs and 23 blocks.
 
Murphy passed the 1,000 career kill mark in the second set of the match against Kennesaw State, finishing the evening in ninth place on Samford's all-time career kills list.  Murphy is the 10th athlete in Samford history to earn 1,000 career kills and the third in the last three years, joining former teammates Elizabeth Neisler (2011) and Lauren Hutchinson (2012) in the prestigious club.
 
Michaela Reesor led the team Saturday with a combined 30 kills between the two matches, with Murphy close behind with 23 and a .500 hitting percentage.  Stephanie Palmer paced the offense with 75 assists, joining Murphy as members of the KSU Owls Invite All-Tournament team.
 
MATCH ONE: SAMFORD 3, TENNESSEE TECH 0
 
Samford made quick work of Tennessee Tech, needing only 60 minutes to sweep the Golden Eagles in Saturday's opener for the Bulldogs.  Samford hit a season-high .442 as a team while limiting Tennessee Tech to a .042 clip, the lowest for any Samford opponent this season.  The Bulldogs' potent pair of outside hitters, Reesor and Bognar, combined for 24 kills, which is more than the entire Tennessee Tech team.  Murphy edged closer to the 1,000 career kill milestone with seven in the match to go along with five blocks.
 
Tied at 2-2 early in the set, a kill and ace by Bognar started a four-point run that extended Samford's lead to 6-2.  Later, up 9-5, the Bulldogs would use a 7-1 run to build a double-digit lead, 16-6.  Samford would hold the double-digit lead for the remainder of the game, as Emily Meitz sealed it with a kill for a 25-12 set one victory.
 
Tennessee Tech started the second game up 4-0 but the momentum didn't last as Samford gained the lead off a 7-1 run to make it 7-5.  A 10-3 run put Samford in position to build yet another double-digit lead, up 17-8, but the Golden Eagles found a bit of a spark, cutting it as close as 19-14.  The Golden Eagles only scored two points in the remainder of the set however, as Samford eventually won 25-16.
 
Up 5-2 in the third frame, five unanswered points by the Bulldogs including a pair of kills by Stephanie Palmer built Samford's lead to eight points, up 10-2.  Samford continued to pull away, building a double-digit lead up 13-3 and holding it for the remainder of the game.  A kill by Kiahna Wicks made it 24-13 and Taylor Palmer and Murphy shut the door with a block to seal the 25-13 win and the match sweep.
 
MATCH TWO: KENNESAW STATE 3, SAMFORD 1
 
Samford fought neck-and-neck with tournament host Kennesaw State in Saturday's finale, playing four sets but falling by only a combined five points in the third and fourth to fall, 3-1.  Reesor and Murphy were a potent pair on offense, earning 16 kills each.  Despite out-hitting the Owls .320 to .230, Samford gave away plenty of chances by committing 13 service errors.
 
The opening frame was a battle for momentum, with neither team able to take more than a one-point lead until Kennesaw State pulled ahead 12-10.  Trailing 17-15, Samford's middles took advantage of some Kennesaw State overpasses as Murphy blasted back-to-back kills with Meitz adding a third as the 3-1 run tied the game at 18-18.  In the closing stages of the game, Kennesaw State took a timeout leading 22-21 as the Bulldogs owned possession.  A pair of kills gave the Owls set point, 24-21, and a kill by Reesor extended the game but Kennesaw State eventually won, 25-22.
 
Game two started just like the first one, with both teams fighting to maintain possession.  Down 7-10, Samford found a rhythm with a 7-1 run, including three kills by Murphy, to pull ahead 14-11 as the Owls took a timeout.  It wouldn't be any easier for Kennesaw State after the break, as the Bulldogs continued to roll with a 4-1 run to move up 18-12 as the home team burned their final timeout.  Samford continued to surge ahead, winning the game 25-16 to even the match at 1-1.
 
Tied at 5-5 in set three, Kennesaw State would pull ahead off a Bulldog service error and hold the lead until a kill by Murphy and an Owl attack error tied it up at 12-12.  Kennesaw State earned three consecutive points to pull ahead 15-12, forcing the Bulldogs to regroup with a timeout.  The Owls would continue to extend the lead, reaching set point with a six-point lead, 24-18.  The last point proved difficult for the Owls to earn, as the Bulldogs would score three in a row, forcing Kennesaw State into a timeout leading 24-22.  After the break, an untimely Samford service error would give the Owls the 25-22 win to pull ahead 2-1 in the match.
 
Faced with a must-win situation, the Bulldogs remained out in front for the majority of the set, leading 13-10 at the halfway point.  A service ace by Carter would give Samford a five-point lead, up 16-11, as Kennesaw State took a timeout.  The Owls regrouped to fight back within one, down 17-16, to force a Samford timeout.  Kennesaw State kept charging to take their first lead of the match, 19-18, and eventually reach match point, 24-22.  Samford would stave off elimination with a kill by Reesor but an ensuing attack error would give Kennesaw State the 25-23 win and the 3-1 match victory.
 
Next weekend, Samford concludes the pre-conference portion of the schedule with three matches at the Mizzou Classic, hosted by Missouri.  Samford will open action against the undefeated Tigers on Friday, Sept. 20 at Noon CT.  On Saturday, Sept. 21, the Bulldogs will face Southeast Missouri (10 a.m.) and Towson (4 p.m.).