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No. 2 Samford, No. 3 Western Carolina advance to the SoCon semifinals
Samford holds off No. 7 The Citadel, Catamounts sweep No. 6 Mercer
No. 2 Samford 3, No. 7 The Citadel 2
GREENVILLE, S.C. – No. 2 Samford outlasted No. 7 The Citadel in a five-set thriller in the third quarterfinal match at the Southern Conference Volleyball Championship on Friday. Samford will take on the winner of No. 3 Western Carolina and No. 6 Mercer in the second semifinal Saturday, Nov. 19, at 7:30 p.m. in Furman’s Timmons Arena.
The match began as a back-and-forth affair as the teams split the opening 20 points. Samford scored three straight points after that to go ahead 13-10 after an attack error by The Citadel. The Citadel then scored three straight of its own, ending with a service ace from Jaelynn Elgert. Samford grabbed the next two points off a kill by Kate Wonus and an ace by Andie Salasky, which led to the media timeout. After the break, Samford got another point to go ahead 16-13, but The Citadel answered that with a 4-0 run to go ahead following a kill by Belle Hogan. Samford would get the lead back when a kill from second-team all-conference selection Gracie Lynn Butler put the team up 20-19, forcing a timeout by The Citadel.
The Citadel scored three in a row after the break to go up 22-20, leading to a timeout by Samford. The two squads split the next two points to make The Citadel’s lead 23-21. Samford would then get four straight points to win the set 25-23 as the frame ended with a kill from Wonus.
In the second set, Samford grabbed an early 6-4 lead after a block from Butler and Wonus. The squads alternated the next six points to make the score 9-7 in favor of Samford before a kill by Kayla Keshock, and a kill followed by a solo block from all-freshman team selection Greer Golden put Samford ahead 12-7, forcing a timeout from The Citadel.
The Citadel would climb back into the set and eventually take a 16-15 lead after a kill by Kathleen Bula. Samford responded by scoring seven of the next eight points to go ahead 22-17 after an ace by Sarah Hayes Farley. Samford would keep The Citadel at bay for the remainder of the frame to win the set 25-19.
Samford opened the third set by scoring the first four points, which was answered by six straight points from The Citadel. Samford would get back in the frame and eventually tie the score at 11 following a kill by Lauren Deaton, a second-team all-conference selection. The Citadel regained control of the set late in the frame following a kill from first-team all-conference performer Ali Ruffin to put them ahead 23-20, forcing a Samford timeout. The two squads alternated points coming out of the break as a service error by Samford ended the set with a 25-22 win for The Citadel.
In the fourth set, The Citadel got out to a 7-3 lead after a block from Hogan and Gina Delancey. Samford gradually got back into the set, tying the score at 12 on a kill by Kenya McQuirter, a first-team all-conference selection, which forced a timeout by The Citadel. After the break, The Citadel regained control and would eventually go up 20-15 following a kill by Ruffin. The set would not get closer than two points again as The Citadel won the frame 25-22 to force a deciding set.
Samford got kills from Golden, Wonus and McQuirter to begin the fifth set and go ahead 3-0. The Citadel scored four of the next five points to tie the score at 4, but Samford answered with a 4-0 run of its own to go ahead 8-4 following an error by The Citadel. Samford saw its lead go down to 8-7, but it would get a kill from Butler to jumpstart a 7-2 run to end the set with a 15-9 victory and secure the win.
Butler led all players with 21 kills and was joined in double figures by McQuirter and Golden with 18 and 11, respectively. The Citadel had four players finish with double-digit kills, led by Ruffin’s 19. Kenzie Kellerman finished with a game-high 24 digs for The Citadel. Samford’s Keshock had 34 assists, while The Citadel’s Hogan had 40.
No. 3 Western Carolina 3, No. 6 Mercer 0
GREENVILLE, S.C. – No. 3 Western Carolina advanced to the Southern Conference Volleyball Championship semifinals with a sweep of sixth-seeded Mercer in the final quarterfinal match on Friday night. The Catamounts will face No. 2 Samford in the second semifinal on Saturday, Nov. 19, at 7:30 p.m. in Furman’s Timmons Arena.
Mercer got the first two points of the opening set following a kill by Jaida Howell and an Abbey Havrilla service ace. The Bears would not relinquish the lead until Western Carolina got a kill from Johnna Robinson that made the score 13-12. Robinson’s kill was in the middle of a 10-1 run that ended with the Catamounts ahead 18-13. Western Carolina continued its strong play into the final part of the set as back-to-back kills from Bailey Hartsough made the score 23-16. Hartsough would get another kill to end the set as the Catamounts took the opening frame 25-18.
In the second set, the two squads were tied 3-3 after six points. The Catamounts scored four straight points after that, punctuated by a service ace from Destinee Dorsey. Annie Karle, a first-team all-conference selection, got a kill for Mercer to end the Western Carolina run and keep the Bears in striking distance. With the score sitting at 14-11 in favor of Western Carolina, the Catamounts scored three straight points to double their lead and force a timeout by Mercer. Karle got a kill after the break, but the Catamount attack was in sync as Western Carolina ended the set on an 8-3 run to win the frame 25-15.
Western Carolina began the third set going up 7-2 following an ace from Dorsey, making the Bears call timeout. Mercer cut into the lead gradually and tied the score at 14 after Howell and Kiera McCarles combined for a block. The Catamounts quickly regained control by scoring five of the next six points to go ahead 19-15, leading to a Mercer timeout. After the timeout, Western Carolina went on a 6-2 spurt to end the set 25-17 and complete the sweep.
Hartsough finished with a double-double, tallying 12 kills and 12 digs. SoCon Player of the Year and first-team all-conference selection Merry Gebel had nine kills and a game-high five blocks for the Catamounts. Karle had a game-high 13 kills, while McCarles finished with a game-high 29 assists.
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. 4 Chattanooga vs. No. 8 Furman, 5 p.m. (ESPN+)
Match 7: No. 2 Samford vs. No. 3 Western Carolina, 7:30 p.m. (ESPN+)
Sunday, Nov. 20
Championship
Match 8: Match 6 winner vs. Match 7 winner, 4 p.m. (ESPN+)
GREENVILLE, S.C. – No. 2 Samford outlasted No. 7 The Citadel in a five-set thriller in the third quarterfinal match at the Southern Conference Volleyball Championship on Friday. Samford will take on the winner of No. 3 Western Carolina and No. 6 Mercer in the second semifinal Saturday, Nov. 19, at 7:30 p.m. in Furman’s Timmons Arena.
The match began as a back-and-forth affair as the teams split the opening 20 points. Samford scored three straight points after that to go ahead 13-10 after an attack error by The Citadel. The Citadel then scored three straight of its own, ending with a service ace from Jaelynn Elgert. Samford grabbed the next two points off a kill by Kate Wonus and an ace by Andie Salasky, which led to the media timeout. After the break, Samford got another point to go ahead 16-13, but The Citadel answered that with a 4-0 run to go ahead following a kill by Belle Hogan. Samford would get the lead back when a kill from second-team all-conference selection Gracie Lynn Butler put the team up 20-19, forcing a timeout by The Citadel.
The Citadel scored three in a row after the break to go up 22-20, leading to a timeout by Samford. The two squads split the next two points to make The Citadel’s lead 23-21. Samford would then get four straight points to win the set 25-23 as the frame ended with a kill from Wonus.
In the second set, Samford grabbed an early 6-4 lead after a block from Butler and Wonus. The squads alternated the next six points to make the score 9-7 in favor of Samford before a kill by Kayla Keshock, and a kill followed by a solo block from all-freshman team selection Greer Golden put Samford ahead 12-7, forcing a timeout from The Citadel.
The Citadel would climb back into the set and eventually take a 16-15 lead after a kill by Kathleen Bula. Samford responded by scoring seven of the next eight points to go ahead 22-17 after an ace by Sarah Hayes Farley. Samford would keep The Citadel at bay for the remainder of the frame to win the set 25-19.
Samford opened the third set by scoring the first four points, which was answered by six straight points from The Citadel. Samford would get back in the frame and eventually tie the score at 11 following a kill by Lauren Deaton, a second-team all-conference selection. The Citadel regained control of the set late in the frame following a kill from first-team all-conference performer Ali Ruffin to put them ahead 23-20, forcing a Samford timeout. The two squads alternated points coming out of the break as a service error by Samford ended the set with a 25-22 win for The Citadel.
In the fourth set, The Citadel got out to a 7-3 lead after a block from Hogan and Gina Delancey. Samford gradually got back into the set, tying the score at 12 on a kill by Kenya McQuirter, a first-team all-conference selection, which forced a timeout by The Citadel. After the break, The Citadel regained control and would eventually go up 20-15 following a kill by Ruffin. The set would not get closer than two points again as The Citadel won the frame 25-22 to force a deciding set.
Samford got kills from Golden, Wonus and McQuirter to begin the fifth set and go ahead 3-0. The Citadel scored four of the next five points to tie the score at 4, but Samford answered with a 4-0 run of its own to go ahead 8-4 following an error by The Citadel. Samford saw its lead go down to 8-7, but it would get a kill from Butler to jumpstart a 7-2 run to end the set with a 15-9 victory and secure the win.
Butler led all players with 21 kills and was joined in double figures by McQuirter and Golden with 18 and 11, respectively. The Citadel had four players finish with double-digit kills, led by Ruffin’s 19. Kenzie Kellerman finished with a game-high 24 digs for The Citadel. Samford’s Keshock had 34 assists, while The Citadel’s Hogan had 40.
No. 3 Western Carolina 3, No. 6 Mercer 0
GREENVILLE, S.C. – No. 3 Western Carolina advanced to the Southern Conference Volleyball Championship semifinals with a sweep of sixth-seeded Mercer in the final quarterfinal match on Friday night. The Catamounts will face No. 2 Samford in the second semifinal on Saturday, Nov. 19, at 7:30 p.m. in Furman’s Timmons Arena.
Mercer got the first two points of the opening set following a kill by Jaida Howell and an Abbey Havrilla service ace. The Bears would not relinquish the lead until Western Carolina got a kill from Johnna Robinson that made the score 13-12. Robinson’s kill was in the middle of a 10-1 run that ended with the Catamounts ahead 18-13. Western Carolina continued its strong play into the final part of the set as back-to-back kills from Bailey Hartsough made the score 23-16. Hartsough would get another kill to end the set as the Catamounts took the opening frame 25-18.
In the second set, the two squads were tied 3-3 after six points. The Catamounts scored four straight points after that, punctuated by a service ace from Destinee Dorsey. Annie Karle, a first-team all-conference selection, got a kill for Mercer to end the Western Carolina run and keep the Bears in striking distance. With the score sitting at 14-11 in favor of Western Carolina, the Catamounts scored three straight points to double their lead and force a timeout by Mercer. Karle got a kill after the break, but the Catamount attack was in sync as Western Carolina ended the set on an 8-3 run to win the frame 25-15.
Western Carolina began the third set going up 7-2 following an ace from Dorsey, making the Bears call timeout. Mercer cut into the lead gradually and tied the score at 14 after Howell and Kiera McCarles combined for a block. The Catamounts quickly regained control by scoring five of the next six points to go ahead 19-15, leading to a Mercer timeout. After the timeout, Western Carolina went on a 6-2 spurt to end the set 25-17 and complete the sweep.
Hartsough finished with a double-double, tallying 12 kills and 12 digs. SoCon Player of the Year and first-team all-conference selection Merry Gebel had nine kills and a game-high five blocks for the Catamounts. Karle had a game-high 13 kills, while McCarles finished with a game-high 29 assists.
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. 4 Chattanooga vs. No. 8 Furman, 5 p.m. (ESPN+)
Match 7: No. 2 Samford vs. No. 3 Western Carolina, 7:30 p.m. (ESPN+)
Sunday, Nov. 20
Championship
Match 8: Match 6 winner vs. Match 7 winner, 4 p.m. (ESPN+)