BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The Samford volleyball team came back from three points down in the fifth set to earn a dramatic, 3-2 (20-25, 25-17, 24-26, 25-19, 16-14) win over UNC Greensboro Friday evening in the Pete Hanna Center.
 
With the win, Samford improved its record to 14-11 overall and 8-7 in Southern Conference play. UNC Greensboro fell to 7-20 overall and 2-13 in league play.
 
"I think this was exactly what we needed," Samford head coach Keylor Chan said. "And we needed to learn to believe in ourselves and trust our training and ourselves and go out and execute and earn it. UNC Greensboro played very well, and we had to go out and earn it. We were on the precipice of a loss and then we went out and we earned points and got something that we really needed. So, overall, I'm very proud of our team and our goal is to make this the start of something amazing."
 
Samford was led in the win by Gracie Lynn Butler with 21 kills and 12 digs. Kaleigh Meritt had 17 kills and 14 digs, while Ally Cordes tallied 15 kills and 19 digs. Kate Morgan had a team-high 27 digs, while Lexi Thatcher had 60 assists and 10 digs.
 
For UNCG, Allie Sweet had 23 kills and 16 digs. Chloe Nussbaum tallied 24 digs for the Spartans.
 
The first set was tight early on, until, with Samford leading, 8-7, UNCG went on a 6-0 run to take a 13-8 lead. The Spartans built their lead to eight points at 19-11. Samford fought back to cut the lead to three points at 21-18, but the Bulldogs could get no closer as UNCG took the first set, 25-20.
 
With UNCG leading the second set, 9-8, Samford went on a 6-0 run to take a 14-9 advantage. Samford built its lead to eight points at 23-15, and the Bulldogs won the second set by a score of 25-17.
 
The Spartans jumped out to a 7-4 lead in the third set. Samford fought back to take a 14-12 lead. With Samford leading, 18-17, UNCG scored three-straight points to take a 20-18 lead. The teams battled into extra points with the Spartans taking the set, 26-24.
 
In the fourth set, UNCG jumped out to a 7-4 lead. Samford answered with a 6-1 run to take a 10-8 lead. The Bulldogs built their lead to six points at 20-14. UNCG could get no closer than five points the rest of the set and Samford won the fourth set, 25-19.
 
Samford took an early 5-3 lead in the fifth set. UNCG came back to take a 7-6 lead. UNCG built a 14-11 lead, but Samford scored the next five points to capture the set on a kill by Butler, 16-14, and the match, 3-2.
 
Samford will wrap up its regular season by playing host to The Citadel on Saturday evening. The match, which will be Senior Night for the Bulldogs, is set for a 5 p.m. start from the Pete Hanna Center.


 
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