BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Senior outside hitter Lauren Deaton became the Samford Volleyball program's leader in career kills in the Bulldog's 3-1 victory over Murray State on Sunday.
 
The win improves the Bulldogs' record to 5-7 on the season.
 
Deaton's eighth kill of the match put her at 1,640 for her career and atop the program as the all-time leader. The Memphis, Tenn. native finished the day with 13 kills, nine digs, and three assists.
 
Gracie Lynn Butler and Kenya McQuirter both tallied 21 kills each, marking a season-best for McQuirter and a career-high for Butler. The duo both hit over .350 for the day, with McQuirter finishing with a .362 hitting percentage and Butler at .357.
 
Kate Morgan led the Bulldog defensive efforts with 16 digs. The sophomore libero also led all players with five service aces, a career-best.
 
Kayla Keshock distributed a game-high 54 assists while Kate Wonus added a team-high three block assists to go along with four kills.
 
Murray State jumped out to a 6-2 lead in set one, but the Bulldogs fought back to tie the score at 13-all after a block by Wonus. The turning point came when the Bulldogs rattled off an 8-0 run to take a 24-16 lead in which Morgan recorded three crucial aces.
 
Set two saw Murray State take advantage of a 5-0 scoring run to go up 9-4, followed by a 3-0 run to take a 16-10 lead. The Bulldogs fought back with a quick 3-0 run to make the score 23-22, but the Racers would ultimately claim the set 25-23.
 
After a 10-10 start in set three, the Bulldogs created separation with a 5-1 run that gave them a 15-11 advantage. Deaton's record-breaking kill gave the Bulldogs a 24-20 lead and would ultimately lead to the Bulldogs clinching the set 25-23.
 
An evenly-match fourth set saw the score read 10-10 and 17-17 before a 3-1 run put the Bulldogs on top 20-18. After the Racers cut their deficit to 23-22, a pair of Deaton kills sealed both the set and the match for the Bulldogs.

Samford finished the day with its second-best hitting percentage of the season, registering 64 kills on 144 total attacks.
 
The Bulldogs will hit the road their first two matches in Southern Conference play next weekend, beginning with a Friday, Sept. 23 contest at Western Carolina at 5:00 p.m. (CST).






 
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