BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The Samford Volleyball team picked up its seventh-straight victory with a 3-1 triumph over Western Carolina on Saturday.
The win improves the Bulldogs' record to 13-9 overall and 8-2 in Southern Conference play. Western Carolina falls to 14-8 overall and 7-3 in conference action.
Lauren Deaton logged her sixth double-double of the season with a 19-kill, dig-dig effort. Kenya McQuirter also tallied double-digit kills, finishing the night with 18.
Kate Morgan set a new career high with 37 digs while Kayla Keshock posted 31 a game-high 31 assists. Samantha Horn added 19 assists, to go along with six digs.
Gracie Lynn Butler and Kate Wonus both recorded eight kills, with Wonus totaling six block assists and Butler registering 12 digs.
The Bulldogs created separation in set one with a 3-0 run that put them up 15-10. The Catamounts fought back to tie the score at 17 and would do it again late in the set to make it 22-all. A set-ending kill by McQuirter sealed a 25-23 score to give Samford a 1-0 match advantage.
In set two, the Bulldogs found themselves back into a corner after a 4-1 run by Western Caroline put them up 24-20. Samford responded with a 4-0 run to tie the set, but the Catamounts eventually claimed an intense third set, 28-26.
The third set saw Samford take advantage of a pair of early 3-0 runs to go up 15-10 following an ace from Deaton. The Catamounts pulled back to within one point multiple times and eventually tied the score 22-22, but the Bulldogs grabbed a pair of pivotal points to take a 24-22 lead that led to a 25-23 set-three win.
The Bulldogs fell behind 10-2 to the Catamounts in set four, but slowly worked their way back into the contest. Samford took control of the set's momentum with a 6-0 run that put them up 14-13, followed by a 4-0 run to put them up 19-16 and a 3-0 to take a 23-19 lead. Butler and Deaton were able to put the match away with back-to-back kills that clinched the set, 25-20.
Samford stringed together another solid defensive performance, compiling eight blocks and holding the Catamounts to just a .161 hitting percentage. The Bulldogs additionally got it done on the offensive side, finishing with 60-plus kills for just the fifth time this season at 64.
The Bulldogs will hit the road for a two-match SoCon road trip next week, beginning with a 5:00 p.m. (CST) contest at Chattanooga on Friday, Oct. 28.
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