BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The Samford Volleyball team will look to capture its fifth Southern Conference Tournament title under Head Coach Keylor Chan when they begin play in the 2022 SoCon Championship on Friday with their first-round matchup against The Citadel.
Friday's contest will begin at 4:00 p.m. (CST) and be streamed live on ESPN+
The Bulldogs earned the No. 2 seed by posting a record of 11-5 against SoCon opponents in 2022.
The Bulldogs defeated The Citadel in both matches this season, tallying a 3-1 road win on Oct. 9 and a 3-0 sweep at home on Nov. 5. Samford holds a 22-4 series advantage over The Citadel.
The Bulldogs hit their stride in the month of October, winning seven of nine matches and ratting off a seven-match win streak from Oct. 1-22.
Samford finished the regular leading the SoCon in four different stat categories. The Bulldogs led the league in hitting percentage (.233), assists per set (12.34), kills per set (13.86), and aces per set (2.01).
The Bulldogs rank 6th nationally with an average of 2.01 service aces per set and are one of just six D-I teams in the country to average two or more aces per set.
On offense, the Bulldogs are led by a three-headed monster in Gracie Lynn Butler, Lauren Deaton, and Kenya McQuirter. All three rank in the top 10 in the SoCon in kills per set, with McQuirter ranking second (3.86), Deaton ranking seventh (3.04), and Butler ranking ninth (2.92).
The Bulldogs have also been dangerous in the middle, with middle blockers Kate Wonus (.304) and Greer Golden (.301) ranking third and fourth in the SoCon in hitting percentage, respectively. Golden has posted the second-best hitting percentage in the SoCon in conference play, with a mark of .358 against league competition.
Sophomore libero Kate Morgan has spearheaded the Bulldogs' defense in 2022. The SoCon Defensive Player of the Month for October leads Samford and ranks second in the SoCon with a rate of 4.54 digs per set.
Junior setter Kayla Keshock ranks fourth in the league with a rate of 8.70 assists per set while freshman Samantha Horn has provided depth at the position and is averaging 4.84 assists per set. Keshock leads the league in both total aces (49) and aces per set (0.49).
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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).
