BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The Samford Volleyball team will open Southern Conference play this weekend with a Friday, Sept. 23 contest at Western Carolina and a Saturday, Sept. 24 match at UNC Greensboro.
 
Both weekend matches will be streamed live on ESPN+.
 
Samford Volleyball comes into opening weekend of SoCon play with a record of 5-7. The Bulldogs posted a record of 1-1 in the Samford Invite this past weekend, falling 3-1 against Clemson and knocking off Murray State 3-1.
 
Outside hitters Gracie Lynn Butler and Kenya McQuirter both registered 21 kills in the Bulldogs' win over Murray State on Sunday, marking the first time since the 2019 season that two different Bulldogs recorded 20 or more kills each in a match.
 
Senior outside hitter Lauren Deaton became the Samford Volleyball all-time leader in kills with her 1,640th career kill against Murray State on Sunday. Deaton also ranks fifth in program history with 1,347 career digs.
 
The Bulldogs enter SoCon play as one of just two teams averaging 13-plus kills per set. The Bulldogs currently rank second in the conference with a rate of 13.02 kills per set.
 
McQuirter comes into the weekend leading the Bulldogs with 155 kills and ranking third in the Southern Conference with an average of 3.44 kills per set. Deaton also ranks in the top ten in the league with a rate of 3.18 kills per set
 
Junior setter Kayla Keshock leads the SoCon with an average of 10.49 assists per set. She is currently the lone player averaging double-digit assists per set in the conference.
 
Junior middle blocker Kate Wonus has been the Bulldogs' most efficient attacker, posting a .364 hitting percentage that ranks third in the SoCon.
 
On the defensive side, Kate Morgan leads the Bulldogs and ranks second in the SoCon in digs per set at four.
 
The Bulldogs have posted strong service numbers through 12 matches, ranking second in the league with 88 service Aces.  Morgan leads all SoCon players with 22 aces while Kayla Keshock and Andie Salasky rank fifth with 17.
 
The Bulldogs have won 10 of their last 11 contests against Western Carolina, highlighted by a stretch of nine-straight wins from 2016 through the spring of 2021 and a 3-1 home victory in their last meeting on Oct. 29, 2021. Samford has taken six of its last seven against UNCG, with a 3-1 win in Birmingham on Oct. 30 of 2021 in their most recent matchup.
 
FOLLOW THE BULLDOGS:
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).