BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The Samford University volleyball team will open play in the NCAA Tournament against Wright State Wednesday at 6 p.m. in Omaha, Neb.
 
Samford enters the tournament with a mark of 15-3. The Bulldogs earned their bid to the NCAA Tournament by winning a third-straight SoCon Tournament title with a 3-0 win over Mercer.

THE RUN DOWN
Opponent: vs. Wright State (16-1, 14-0 Horizon)
Dates: April 14, 2021
Site: Omaha, Neb.
Time: 6 p.m. (CT)
Live Stats: Find Links Here
Broadcast: Find Links Here

SERIES HISTORY

• Samford and Wright State have met just once previously. In Samford's season opener for the 1994 season, Wright State defeated Samford, 3-0 at the Billiken Invitational in St. Louis, Mo.

 
FOCAL POINT

• Samford will be playing in its third-straight NCAA Tournament, and the fourth in the last five years. The Bulldogs will be looking for their first-ever NCAA Tournament victory.  

 
BULLDOGS TO WATCH

• Outside hitter Lauren Deaton was recently named AVCA All-Region honorable mention.
• Deaton leads the Southern Conference and currently ranks 13th in the nation in kills per set at 4.56. She also leads the league and ranks 15th in the nation in total kills at 328.
• Deaton was named the Most Outstanding Player of the SoCon Tournament. She was joined by Emily Naubert and Sinclaire Green on the All-Tournament team.

 
NEWS & NOTES

• Samford will be making its sixth appearance in the NCAA Volleyball Tournament. The Bulldogs also made appearances in 2011, 2014, 2016, 2018 and 2019. The team has earned a bid in four of the five seasons under head coach Keylor Chan.
• The Samford volleyball team had a pull through several tight, five-set matches down the stretch to earn its second-straight SoCon regular season championship, and third-straight SoCon Tournament title. Four of Samford's last five regular-season matches went to five sets, and the team's SoCon Tournament semifinal win over Wofford was also a 3-2 decision.
• Now in his fifth season at Samford, head coach Keylor Chan is taking the Bulldogs to their fourth NCAA Tournament appearance in that span. Prior to this season, the Bulldogs reached the event in 2016, 2018 and 2019. He also led the team to the SoCon regular-season titles in each of the last two seasons. He has coached his Samford teams to an impressive 92-56 record. Additionally, his Samford teams have a mark of 11-1 in SoCon Tournament matches.

 
FOLLOW THE BULLDOGS:
For the latest news and information on Samford volleyball, visit the official website for Samford Athletics at SamfordSports.com. Fans can also follow the Bulldogs on social media at /SamfordVolleyball (Facebook), @SamfordVB (Instagram) and @SamfordVB (Twitter).