JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. – The Samford volleyball team dropped a 3-2 (19-25, 25-21, 24-26, 25-18, 7-15) decision Friday night at ETSU.
 
With the loss, Samford fell to 13-9 overall and 7-5 in Southern Conference play. ETSU fell to 15-8 overall and 7-4 in league play.
 
Ally Cordes had 16 kills and 14 digs to lead Samford in the match. Gracie Lynn Butler also had 16 kills, while Kaleigh Meritt tallied 13 kills and a team-high 17 digs.
 
For ETSU, Makayla Bays had 14 kills and 11 digs. Abbey Thomas added 12 kills for the Bucs.
 
In the first set, Samford took an early 8-6 lead after a kill by Butler. ETSU came back to take a 13-9 lead. The Bucs led by as many as six points down the stretch and they took the set, 25-19.
 
ETSU took a 14-10 lead in the second set. Samford roared back to take a 22-19 lead after a kill by Butler. The Bulldogs won the second set, 25-21.
 
In the third set, Samford raced out to a 7-3 lead on block assists by Kate Wonus and Cordes. ETSU stormed back to take a 13-11 lead. Samford fought back to tie the score at 20-20 after block assists by Meritt and Ashley Evans. The teams went into extra points, but ETSU took the set, 26-24.
 
Samford jumped out to a 5-1 lead in the fourth set after another kill by Butler. The Bulldogs extended their lead to six at 11-5. ETSU came back to tie the set at 17-17, but Samford scored eight of the next nine points to take the fourth set, 25-18.
 
In the fifth and deciding set, ETSU took an early 5-3 lead. The Bucs extended the lead to 12-5 and eventually took the fifth set, 15-7 and the match, 3-2.
 
Samford will next play at Furman on Friday, Nov. 8. The match is set for a 5 p.m. (CT) start from Greenville, S.C.
 
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