Women's Volleyball 9.12.23

Volleyball Hosts UAB Wednesday, Travels to Mobile for Alabama Showdown this Weekend

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The Samford Volleyball team will host in-city rival UAB on Wednesday evening and then take to the road to play South Alabama on Friday and Auburn on Saturday as part of the Alabama Showdown.

The Bulldogs' home contest against UAB will be played at 7:00 p.m. They will take host institution South Alabama at 6:00 p.m. on Friday and Auburn at noon on Saturday.

Samford dropped two of three contests at the Bulldog Classic last week, falling 3-1 to Army and 3-0 to Georgia while sweeping Jacksonville University 3-0.

The Bulldogs hit .262 as a team in their 3-0 win over Jacksonville, with Gracie Lynn Butler leading the way with 15 kills. The Junior outside hitter also posted her second double-double of the season against Army with a career-high 22 kills and 10 digs in the setback.

Reigning SoCon Libero of the Year Kate Morgan led the Bulldogs on defense last weekend with 54 kills. Morgan comes into the week ranking fifth in the conference with an average of 3.66 digs per set.

Butler comes into the week ranking second in the SoCon with an average of 4.63 kills per set while her 148 total kills also rank second in the league.

Sophomore middle blocker Greer Golden ranks fifth in the SoCon with a .342 hitting percentage while her senior counterpart Kate Wonus ranks eighth in the league with 26 total blocks and has also posted a .358 hitting percentage in 95 total attacks.

Freshmen have played a pivotal role in the Bulldogs' success this season, with Lexi Thatcher leading the team and ranking third in the SoCon with 9.69 assists per set. Kaleigh Meritt (RS) ranks second on the team in kills while Amelia Johnston (RS) and Annabelle Straty have seen significant action on the Samford back row.

Wednesday's meeting with UAB will see Coach Chan square off with a pair of former Samford assistants. Betsy Freeburg, the Blazers' Head Coach, served as an assistant coach under Chan from 2016-19. Associate Head Coach Ryan Freeburg worked as an assistant under Chan during the 2019 campaign.

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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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Players Mentioned

#15 Gracie Lynn Butler: OH; 6' 1"; Junior

#14 Greer Golden: MB; 6' 2"; Sophomore

#19 Amelia Johnston: DS/L; 5' 5"; Sophomore

#4 Kaleigh Meritt: OH; 6' 2"; Redshirt Freshman

#7 Kate Morgan: DS/L; 5' 10"; Junior

#10 Kate Wonus: MB; 6' 0"; Senior

#5 Lexi Thatcher: S; 5' 11"; Freshman

#6 Annabelle Straty: DS/L; 5' 7"; Freshman

Players Mentioned

#15 Gracie Lynn Butler
: 6' 1"; Junior
: OH

#14 Greer Golden
: 6' 2"; Sophomore
: MB

#19 Amelia Johnston
: 5' 5"; Sophomore
: DS/L

#4 Kaleigh Meritt
: 6' 2"; Redshirt Freshman
: OH

#7 Kate Morgan
: 5' 10"; Junior
: DS/L

#10 Kate Wonus
: 6' 0"; Senior
: MB

#5 Lexi Thatcher
: 5' 11"; Freshman
: S

#6 Annabelle Straty
: 5' 7"; Freshman
: DS/L

Samford University Athletics

Players Mentioned

Players Mentioned