No. 2 Samford wins 2022 SoCon Volleyball Championship

GREENVILLE, S.C. – The Samford Bulldogs (19-12, 11-5), the No. 2 seed, won the 2022 Southern Conference Volleyball Championship with a 3-0 sweep (25-14, 25-13, 27-25) of No. 8 Furman (11-19, 4-12), earning an automatic bid to the NCAA Division I Volleyball Championship on Sunday afternoon inside Furman’s Timmons Arena.
 
Samford opened the match on a run as the Bulldogs went ahead 5-2 following a kill from Lauren Deaton, a second-team all-conference performer. Furman then scored four straight points to go ahead 6-5 on a kill from Mary Beth Headley. The two teams alternated points until the set was tied 8-8, at which point Samford went on a 5-0 run, forcing a timeout from Furman.
 
After the break, the Bulldogs scored three more points before the Paladins forced a side-out. Samford would keep control of the frame, though, as the Bulldogs’ lead got up to 19-11 after a kill from second-team all-conference and all-tournament team performer Gracie Lynn Butler, leading to the second Furman timeout of the set. Samford outscored Furman 6-3 after the break as a kill from Deaton ended the first set 25-14 to put the Bulldogs ahead one set to none.
 
In the second set, the two squads split the first six points before Kenya McQuirter, a first-team all-conference selection and the tournament’s most outstanding player, got back-to-back kills to put Samford up 5-3. With the Bulldogs clinging to a 9-8 advantage, Samford scored five straight points, punctuated by a kill from Kayla Keshock, to seize control of the frame. A solo block and a kill from Deaton would eventually end the set 25-13 and put the Bulldogs one set away from victory.

Furman began the third set with new energy as the Paladins jumped out to a 4-1 lead after a block by Morgan Cobb, an all-tournament team selection, and Grainne McGrath. Samford slowly chipped away at the lead, eventually tying the score at 10 following an error by the Paladins. The next 16 points were split between the two teams as the score stood tied at 18. The next two points went to Samford on a kill by McQuirter and a block by Greer Golden, an all-freshman team selection, and McQuirter, forcing a Paladin timeout.

The Paladins responded by scoring four of the next five points to go ahead 22-21, leading to a timeout from Bulldog coach Keylor Chan. Furman would get to set point following a kill by Lauren Haynes, an all-freshman team selection and all-tournament team performer, that made the score 24-23. The Bulldogs responded with a kill from Butler and a service ace from Andie Salasky to get to match point, forcing a timeout by the Paladins. Cobb got a kill to make the score 25-25, but the Bulldogs would get the next two points, punctuated by a kill from Golden, to end the set 27-25 and complete the sweep.
 
The match featured 23 ties and 10 lead changes. Samford hit .294 to Furman’s .112. McQuirter led all players with 18 kills, followed by Kate Wonus, an all-tournament team selection and Pinnacle Award winner, who finished with nine kills, along with three blocks. Kate Morgan, the SoCon Libero of the Year and second-team all-conference player, had a match-high 16 digs. Haynes recorded a team-high nine kills, while Andrea Aceveda had a team-high 14 digs.
 
Samford will learn its NCAA tournament opponent during the selection show on Sunday, Nov. 27. The show is set for 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPNU.
 
2022 Southern Conference Volleyball Championship
Greenville, South Carolina

Monday, Nov. 14
First Round
Match 1: No. 8 Furman 3, No. 9 UNCG 1

Friday, Nov. 18
Quarterfinals
Match 2: No. 4 Chattanooga 3, No. 5 Wofford 2
Match 3: No. 8 Furman 3, No. 1 ETSU 1
Match 4: No. 2 Samford 3, No. 7 The Citadel 2
Match 5: No. 3 Western Carolina 3, No. 6 Mercer 0

Saturday, Nov. 19
Semifinals
Match 6: No. 8 Furman 3, No. 4 Chattanooga 2
Match 7: No. 2 Samford 3, No. 3 Western Carolina 2

Sunday, Nov. 20
Championship
Match 8: No. 2 Samford 3, No. 8 Furman 0
 

All-Tournament Team
Morgan Cobb, Furman
Lauren Haynes, Furman
Gracie Lynn Butler, Samford
Kenya McQuirter, Samford
Kate Wonus, Samford
Natalie Tyson, Chattanooga
Merry Gebel, Western Carolina
 
Most Outstanding Player 
Kenya McQuirter, Samford
 
Pinnacle Award Recipient (highest cumulative GPA among championship-eligible student-athletes on winning team)  
Kate Wonus, Samford