Samford University Athletics

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BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- The Samford University volleyball team held its 2016 Senior Night ceremony prior to its match Friday and rolled to a 25-22 victory in set one against the UNCG Spartans, but then suffered defeats in the next three frames, 26-24, 25-23 and 25-22, to drop a 3-1 decision in a Southern Conference contest held at Seibert Hall.
 
With the loss, Samford (18-13, 9-7 SoCon) fell short at home for the first time since Sept. 24, against ETSU, 3-2. The Bulldogs' defeat Friday snapped a five-game winning streak at home, but the matchup was held at historic Seibert Hall and not the Pete Hanna Center due to the campus' 175-year celebration schedule for that evening.
 
Therefore, Samford's winning streak in the Pete Hanna Center still stands at five straight matches. Next weekend, the Bulldogs will host the nine-team SoCon Tournament in the Pete Hanna Center, Saturday through Monday, where Samford owns an 11-2 record this season.
 
Friday's contest marked Samford's first match in the venerable 55-year-old Seibert Hall in over nine years, dating back to a 3-0 victory over Jacksonville State on Oct. 23, 2007.
 
The Bulldogs' talented senior class comprised of T.J. Russell, Erin Bognar, Erika Pifer, Kiahna Wicks, Gabbi Greenwald and Mattie Newson was honored prior to the match with a special Senior Night presentation.
 
Once the match started, Samford then built on the loud momentum of 413 fans in Seibert Hall and earned a 25-22 come-from-behind victory in the first set.
 
Then, in the second frame, the Bulldogs jumped out to an early lead, but UNCG (17-11, 11-4 SoCon) turned the tide in the match and rallied for a late 26-24 victory. The Spartans then extended their momentum and held on to slight 25-23 and 25-22 wins in the third and fourth sets, respectively.
 
Samford's Greenwald led the Bulldogs with 14 kills Friday. She turned in a team-best .355 hitting percentage and added a solo block and three block assists. Fellow senior Bognar added 12 kills against UNCG, while Kate Neisler, Kelsi Hobbs and Russell finished with seven, seven and six, respectively.
 
Pifer, the Bulldogs' senior setter from Deland, Florida, finished with a team-high 24 assists, while sophomore Taylor Anderton added 16 off the bench.
 
Samford's Neisler, Newson and Grace Tiesman all registered double-digit digs Friday. Neisler paced the squad with 14, while Newson and Tiesman followed with 12 and 10, respectively.
 
In a nip-and-tuck match held between two of the top teams in the SoCon, there were 23 ties and nine lead changes in the matchup.
 
The Samford University volleyball team will next be in action Saturday at home in the upcoming 2016 SoCon Tournament. The Bulldogs will be hosting the nine-team postseason competition at the Pete Hanna Center on Nov. 19-21.
 
Samford's seed in the tournament has yet to be determined, as does the Bulldogs' opening-round opponent.
 
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