BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The Samford Volleyball team will begin its 2022 season this weekend in Baton, Rouge, La. when they take part in the Tiger Classic. The Bulldogs will clash with LSU and Rice on Friday and wrap up tournament play against Houston on Saturday.
Friday's contest against the Tigers will be broadcasted on SEC Network Plus, with first serve at 10:00 a.m.
Samford Volleyball battled through adversity to finish 11-18 in the fall of 2021. They posted a mark of 9-7 in SoCon play, earning them the no. 3 seed in the conference tournament. The Bulldogs played their best volleyball over the final four weeks of the season, rattling off a seven-match win streak from Oct. 29 through Nov. 19.
The Bulldogs return the bulk of their roster from 2021, including All-SoCon First-Team honoree Kenya McQuirter, second-team honoree Lauren Deaton, and All-Freshman Team selection Kate Wonus.
McQuirter and Deaton, who both also tallied 2022 Preseason All-SoCon honors, each ranked in the top five in the SoCon in kills per set last season, with McQuirter finishing second at 4.29 and Deaton fifth at 3.37. Deaton ranks third in program history with a total of 1,501 career kills and needs just 139 more to become the Bulldogs' all-time leader.
Junior setter Kayla Keshock, who was twice named the SoCon Setter of the Week and the Setter of the Month for October in the fall of 2021, also headlines the group of Bulldog returners in 2022. Keshock ranked second in the conference with an average of 10.40 assists per set last season.
As a team, the Bulldogs led the SoCon in assists per set (12), kills per set (13.20), total service aces (186), and service aces per set (1.82) in 2021. The Bulldogs 1.82 service aces per set last season additionally ranked 17th in the nation.
The Bulldogs were picked to finish second in the 2022 Preseason SoCon Coaches' Poll, finishing just one point behind preseason favorite Wofford.
In six previous seasons under Head Coach Keylor Chan, the Bulldogs have won the SoCon Tournament Championship four times while claiming both the regular season and tournament championship twice.
The Bulldogs trail LSU 0-2, Rice 0-2, and Houston 0-1 in their brief history with the three teams. Last season, the Bulldogs battled LSU tough before ultimately falling 3-1 at the Pete Hanna Center.
Both Rice and Houston notched 20 wins last season, with the Owls receiving votes in the 2022 AVCA Preseason Poll.
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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 @SamfordSports (Facebook), @SamfordVB (Instagram) and @SamfordVB (Twitter).
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