CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. – The Samford volleyball team earned a 3-2 (27-25, 24-26, 19-25, 26-24, 15-9) Southern Conference win at Chattanooga Sunday afternoon.
 
With the win, Samford improved its season record to 7-5 overall and 1-1 in Southern Conference play. Chattanooga fell to 8-7 overall and 0-2 in league play.
 
Samford was led in the win by Kaleigh Meritt with 24 kills and seven digs. Gracie Lynn Butler tallied 16 kills and 19 digs, while Greer Golden also had 16 kills in the win. Kate Morgan had a team-high 26 digs, while Lexi Thatcher finished with 67 assists.
 
For Chattanooga, Sydney Jackwin had 19 kills and 16 digs.
 
In the first set, Samford jumped out to an early 4-1 lead on a kill by Meritt. Chattanooga fought back to take a 12-10 lead. The Bulldogs came back to knot the score again at 22-22 on a kill by Butler. The teams went into extra points. With the score tied at 25-25, Samford's Morgan delivered a kill followed by a service ace to give Samford the 27-25 set win.
 
Samford built an early 11-7 lead on a kill by Golden to start the second set. With Samford leading, 14-10, Chattanooga went on a 7-1 run to take a 17-15 advantage. The Mocs pushed their lead to 20-16. Samford came back to tie the score at 24-24, but the Mocs won the next two points to take the set by a score of 26-24.
 
In the third set, Chattanooga jumped out to a 6-1 lead. The Mocs pushed their lead to nine points at 16-7. Samford fought back to cut the lead to four points at 18-14 on a Chattanooga attack error. The Bulldogs, however, could get no closer in the set as Chattanooga took the 25-19 set victory.
 
Samford took an early 6-3 lead in the fourth set. Chattanooga fought back to tie the score at 10-10. With the score tied at 16-16, the teams traded the next few points until Chattanooga was able to take a 23-21 lead. Samford, however, scored five of the next six points to take the set, 26-24, and force a fifth set.
 
In the fifth and deciding set, the teams traded points through most of the set. Samford was able to separate for an 11-8 lead on an attack error by Chattanooga. After Chattanooga cut the lead to 11-9, Samford scored the next four points to win the set, 15-9 and the match, 3-2.
 
The Bulldogs will return home for the first time in over a month when they play host to Western Carolina Friday at 6:30 p.m. and ETSU Saturday at 7 p.m., both in the Pete Hanna Center.
 
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