BIRMINGHAM, Ala. –  For the second-straight season the Samford women's soccer team will play at Florida State in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, the NCAA announced Monday afternoon.
 
The game is set for Friday, Nov. 14, at 4 p.m. (CT) in Tallahassee, Fla.
 
The Bulldogs learned of their opponent during the NCAA Selection Show, held Monday afternoon on NCAA.com. Samford head coach Todd Yelton praised his team for the season they have had to get to this point.
 
"You tell me a lot of teams that are perennially in the top 50 in the RPI, and this group continues that," Yelton said. "We're 47 in the RPI and two championships already in a situation where one publication had us picked to finish ninth in the league. It's been one of the easiest groups I've ever coached. When they really care for and love one another and really want good things for one another, it makes it quite enjoyable to show up every day and work with them."
 
Samford has posted a record of 13-2-5 overall and 7-0-2 in Southern Conference play. The Bulldogs won the program's 11th SoCon regular-season championship and seventh SoCon Tournament championship to earn the league's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.
 
This marks Samford's ninth appearance in the NCAA Tournament, having previously earned bids in 2005, 2007, 2011, 2016, 2019, 2021, 2022 and 2024. Samford advanced past the first round in both 2005 and 2021. 
 
Individually for Samford this season, junior forward Sam De Luca scored a SoCon-best 15 goals, just one shy of the school single-season record. De Luca was named the SoCon Player of the Year and the SoCon Tournament Most Outstanding Player. Goalkeeper Peyton Hull has posted a SoCon-best 11 shutouts, ranking in the top five nationally.
 
"It's super exciting," De Luca said of her team's selection for the NCAA Tournament. "It's a great honor to even be a part of the tournament. To go in there and to be doing it with this group is super exciting so we're ready to go for sure. We know what to expect going back to Tallahassee, so we're excited to start preparing for that."




 
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