BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The Samford Volleyball team will play host to UNC Greensboro on Friday and The Citadel on Saturday as part of the opening weekend of Southern Conference play.
 
Both contests will take place at 7:00 p.m. (CST) inside the Pete Hanna Center.
 
Friday's contest will feature a Championship Celebration, honoring and recognizing the 11 championships won by Samford Athletic programs during the 2022-23 academic year. A pregame signing session with student-athletes from the 2022-23 championship teams will take place, as well as a post-game signing session with Bulldog volleyball players. 
 
Samford posted a record of 1-2 over three matches last week, besting UAB 3-1 at home on Sept. 13 and falling to South Alabama and Auburn at the Alabama Challenge in Mobile this past weekend.
 
The Bulldogs took No. 24 ranked Auburn to the brink, winning the second set and leading 22-18 in the third before eventually dropping the contest. 
 
Junior outside hitter Gracie Lynn Butler earned SoCon Offensive Player of the Week after posting 50 kills and 28 digs over three matches, including a career-high 23 kills against the Blazers.
 
Butler and Kaleigh Meritt both rank in the top five in the SoCon in total kills, with Butler ranking second (198) and Meritt sitting fifth (116). Together, the duo has combined for 314 of Samford's 526 kills (60 percent).
 
The Bulldogs hold a 21-9 advantage over UNCG, having won the last three matches and eight of the last ten. Samford is 23-4 against The Citadel all time and has also won its last three against them, including a five-set thriller in the opening round of the SoCon Tournament last time out on Nov. 18 of the 2022 campaign.
 
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