BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - The Samford volleyball team wrapped up their regular season today with a dominant 3-0 victory over the Citadel at the Pete Hanna Center. The Bulldogs take their season record to 15-11 overall and 9-7 in SoCon play with the victory.

"It was a great match," said head coach Keylor Chan.  "It is what we strive to be for our seniors tonight. To play for them and have them push us off in the right direction was huge for them and what this group has endured. We pride ourselves on being the best we can be this time of year and I think we are trending the right way. Our goal is to peak and play our best volleyball next week and we have to do that three times next week to get to where we want to be."

The opening set was the closest of the night as neither side was able to build a lead of more than two points. The opening set had 14 ties and two lead changes, more than the final two sets combined. Tied at 24, the Bulldogs took advantage of a service error from the Citadel before Ally Cordes put away the final point for the Dogs to capture the set. Gracie Lynn Butler was one of the offensive catalysts throughout the night for Samford as she had six of her team-high 17 kills in the opening set.

After taking a tight opening set, the Dogs cruised in the second, taking it 25-17. Cordes had her best set of the night in the second, finishing with seven of her 17 kills. Two 4-0 runs and two 3-0 runs throughout the set propelled the Dogs as their passing and hitting percentages increased throughout the matchup.  

Samford hit .368 as a team in the final set as they jumped out to an early 8-1 set lead and held off a Citadel comeback that tightened things up in the middle of the set to ultimately take it 25-17 and close out the match. A seven-point streak late behind the service of Kate Morgan after the Dogs only led by two 17-15. Butler and Cordes again led the way offensively as they combined for 12 kills in the set but Kaleigh Meritt chipped in with four of her 10 kills in the closing set. 

On a night where Samford honored four seniors, they wrap up their regular season and look ahead to the conference tournament where they are slated to be the third or fourth seed depending on the ETSU result tonight.
SoCon play kicks off on Nov. 22 in Ashville, North Carolina.



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