BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The Samford Volleyball team will welcome UNC Greensboro and Western Carolina to the Pete Hanna Center this weekend for a pair of SoCon matches.
The Bulldogs' 7:00 p.m. contest with UNC Greensboro on Friday and their 5:00 p.m. clash with Western Carolina on Saturday will air on ESPN+. Prior to Saturday's match against the Catamounts, Lauren Deaton, Sarah Hayes Farley, Kenya McQuirter, Emily Naubert, and Andie Salasky will all be recognized as part of "Senior Night."
Samford Volleyball heads into the weekend winners of its last five in a row. The Bulldogs posted a 3-0 sweep over Mercer on Oct. 12 and a 3-1 win over Wofford last week.
Kenya McQuirter was named the Southern Conference Offensive Player of the Week after recording 33 kills over the Bulldogs' two matches. The Mobile, Ala. native posted 17 kills and a .364 hitting percentage against Mercer while smashing 16 kills against Wofford.
The Bulldogs lead the SoCon in four different statistical categories, including hitting percentage (.240), assists per set (12.42), kills per set (13.85), and service aces per set (1.96).
McQuirter currently leads the Bulldogs and sits second in the SoCon with an average of 3.86 kills per set while Lauren Deaton ranks 10th at 3.08.
Junior setter Kayla Keshock, who was named the SoCon setter of the month for September, leads the SoCon with a pace of 9.79 assists per set. Freshman Samantha Horn has come on strong as of late and is averaging 5.43 assists per set.
Kate Morgan currently paces the conference and ranks 11th nationally with 40 service aces. She additionally ranks 16th in the country with an average of 0.55 aces per set.
The Bulldogs lead the SoCon and rank 8th nationally with an average of 1.96 aces per set. Samford additionally ranks 13th in division I with 143 total aces. Keshock ranks second in the conference in aces per set (0.39) and Andie Salasky eighth (0.34) behind leader Morgan.
On the defensive side, Morgan leads the Bulldogs and ranks second in the SoCon in digs per set at 4.36. Greer Golden leads Samford with 54 total blocks.
The Bulldogs lead their series history with UNCG 20-9 and have won seven of their last eight against the Spartans, including a 3-0 sweep in Greensboro on Sept. 24, 2022.
Despite falling 3-1 at Western Carolina earlier in the season, Samford has won 10 of its last 12 against the Catamounts and holds a series advantage of 28-9.
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