Samford at Chattanooga  |  Friday, Oct. 6  |  5:00 p.m. (CT)  |  Video  |  Live Stats
Samford at ETSU  |  Saturday, Oct. 7  |  7:00 p.m. (CT)  |  Live Stats

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. -- The Samford University volleyball team will attempt to extend its winning streak to four straight matches Friday at 5 p.m. (CT) as the Bulldogs begin a difficult two-game Southern Conference road trip against the Chattanooga Mocs in a key league contest to be held in Maclellan Gymnasium.
 
Samford (8-10, 3-1 SoCon) will also compete on the road at ETSU on Saturday at 7 p.m. (CT). The Bulldogs have played 12 of their last 15 matches away from home and own a 6-6 record when competing outside of the friendly confines of the Pete Hanna Center.
 
Samford is in the midst of a three-match winning streak. On Saturday, in a back-and-forth contest featuring two of the best teams in the SoCon, the Bulldogs rallied late to defeat the UNCG Spartans, 3-2 (25-23, 23-25, 25-14, 25-27, 16-14), in an epic five-set thriller held on the road in Fleming Gym.
 
Since dropping a 3-0 home loss to The Citadel on Sept. 22, the Bulldogs have reeled off consecutive SoCon triumphs against league-powers Wofford, 3-1, Western Carolina, 3-1, and UNCG.
 
Against the Spartans, junior outside hitter Krista Boesing led four Bulldogs in double-digit kills with 19, while Shayla Phillip and Kendal Strand both added 13 apiece. Sophomore Kelsi Hobbs also reached the double-digit kill plateau with 12 on 41 total attacks. Phillip turned in a blistering .417 hitting percentage in Saturday's victory.
 
Junior setter Taylor Anderton tallied a match-high 52 assists in the contest, while Grace Tiesman, Anderton and Strand registered 25, 23 and 18 digs, respectively.
 
Chattanooga (9-9, 2-2 SoCon) enters Friday's game looking to bounce back from a 3-0 loss at Furman on Saturday. Earlier, the Mocs kicked off their South Carolina road trip with a 3-0 (25-17, 29-27, 25-22) sweep over The Citadel.
 
Currently, five SoCon members, Wofford, UNCG, Chattanooga, Mercer and ETSU, are knotted up with 2-2 records while Furman (4-0) and Samford (3-1) sit atop the league standings.
 
Chattanooga's defensive specialist/libero Megan Kaufman was named the SoCon Defensive Player of the Month for her play during September. The freshman ranks seventh in NCAA DI with 379 digs and a 6.02 digs per set average, both top marks among all freshmen.
 
Offensively, the Mocs' Ally Ford continues her stellar play as she ranks 25th in NCAA DI with 262 kills while sitting 38th with a 4.16 kills per set average. Lauren Greenspoon continues to direct the offense as she leads all SoCon players with a 10.57 assists per set average.
 
ETSU (6-9, 2-2 SoCon) competed on the road last weekend. The Bucs played at Furman and lost a 3-0 match, but then played at The Citadel and earned a 3-0 victory. Despite the loss, freshman Lexie Libs and Kalee Vanderhorst recorded career-highs. Libs had a season and career-high in blocks and aces, while Vanderhorst did the same in digs.
 
During the match against The Citadel, Alyssa Kvarta picked up her sixth double-double of the season. AJ Lux turned in a team-high .444 hitting percentage. Marija Popovic tallied a personal best of seven assists, while Aya Lechin also recorded a new career-high of five digs.
 
Last year, Samford finished the season with a 3-0 record against Chattanooga, including a 3-1 triumph over the Mocs in the championship match of the SoCon Tournament. The Bulldogs also defeated ETSU in the SoCon Tournament, 3-0, in the semifinals, but lost the two matches earlier in the season, 3-0, and 3-2.
 
Following this weekend's road matches at Chattanooga and ETSU, the Samford University volleyball team will next be in action Oct. 11, at 7 p.m. (CT) as the Bulldogs return home to face the Mercer Bears at home in the Pete Hanna Center.
 
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Samford at Chattanooga  |  Friday, Oct. 6  |  5:00 p.m. (CT)  |  Video  |  Live Stats
Samford at ETSU  |  Saturday, Oct. 7  |  7:00 p.m. (CT)  |  Live Stats