Press Release courtesy of Samford Athletics
The Samford University volleyball team will compete in a pair of key Southern Conference road matches this weekend as the Bulldogs are scheduled to face the Wofford Terriers on Friday at 4 p.m. (CT) and The Citadel Bulldogs on Saturday at 1 p.m.
Friday’s match against Wofford will be held in the brand-new Richardson Indoor Stadium, while Saturday’s contest at The Citadel is scheduled to be held at the McAlister Field House.
Samford (9-13, 4-4 SoCon) heads into this week’s road trip with a 3-5 record in true away matches this season. So far this year, the Bulldogs’ road victories have come against Indiana, 3-2, Western Carolina, 3-1, and UNCG, 3-2.
Last week, Samford played a pair of SoCon matches at home and finished with a 1-1 record. The Bulldogs rallied for a key 3-1 triumph over Mercer on Wednesday before falling to first-place Furman on Saturday, 3-0.
Against the Paladins, Samford received double-digit kill performances from Shayla Phillip, Krista Boesing and Kelsi Hobbs, but the Bulldogs’ late third-set comeback attempt was thwarted by the first-place Furman Paladins, who earned a 3-0 (25-22, 25-16, 26-24) SoCon win held at the Pete Hanna Center.
Boesing led with 11 kills Saturday, while Phillip and Hobbs both followed with 10 apiece. Phillip, the Bulldogs’ talented sophomore from Columbus, turned in a brilliant .389 hitting percentage to lead the team.
For the second straight match, Samford true freshman Corinne Meglic played in the team’s primary setter role and finished with a game-high 35 assists. Hobbs posted the squad’s lone double-double with 10 kills and 10 digs, while sophomore Grace Tiesman registered a team-high 13 digs as senior Morgan St. Germain added 10.
Samford’s Boesing heads into Friday’s match ranked No. 7 in the nation in total kills with 355. The Bulldogs’ junior outside hitter is also ranked No. 11 in the country in points (386.5).
Wofford (15-8, 5-4 SoCon) enters the weekend as the third-place team in the conference standings. The Terriers have been victorious in five of their last seven matches, but are coming off a tough 3-0 road loss at Furman on Wednesday. Wofford owns a 5-2 record at home this season and is tied for first place in the conference with 15 overall wins.
The Terriers’ Catie Cronister leads the team with 365 kills this year, while Lorissa King has already compiled 802 assists this season.
The Citadel (7-18, 1-7 SoCon) heads into the weekend with aspirations of snapping a two-match losing streak. Since defeating South Carolina State on Oct. 10, 3-0, the Bulldogs have dropped back-to-back road matches at UNCG, 3-0, and Western Carolina, 3-1.
In Saturday’s match against the Catamounts, sophomore Jen Barbot led The Citadel in attacks with 10 kills and freshman Sharlissa De Jesus earned three service aces and nine digs. Moriah Smith currently leads the Bulldogs with 231 kills this season, while Megan Fuhr has tallied a team-high 446 assists.
Earlier this season, Samford earned a 3-1 home victory against Wofford on Sept. 23, but lost at home versus The Citadel, 3-0, for the first time in school history on Sept. 22.
Following this weekend’s pair of SoCon road matches at Wofford and The Citadel, the Samford University volleyball team will next be in action Oct. 27 at 7 p.m. (CT)as the Bulldogs return home to face the UNCG Spartans in a key conference matchup to be held at the Pete Hanna Center.
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