BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Erin Bognar tallied a match-high 12 kills, while T.J. Russell and Michaela Reesor added 11 apeice, as Samford remained perfect in Southern Conference action with a 25-22, 25-12, 25-19 victory over The Citadel on at the Pete Hanna Center on Saturday evening.
Samford (9-7, 3-0 SoCon) posted 49 kills and a .422 hitting percentage to extend its season-long winning streak to five matches. The trio of Bognar, Russell and Reesor each finished with better than a .300 hitting percentage in the contest, committing just eight errors in a 61 total attacks. Also instrumental for the offense was Erika Pifer who finished with 44 assists. Samford's defensive standout was Chelsi Carter with 19 digs.
The Citadel (5-13, 0-4) was led offensively by
Bailey Kernodle (11 kills) and
Moriah Smith (eight). It marks the seventh time this season that Kernodle has topped double digits in kills. The Citadel offense, led by 33 assists from
Rachel Keefer, posted a .202 attack percentage. Smith also left her mark on defense with a team-best eight digs.
Samford used the service game of Gabbi Greenwald and two kills by Russell to break an early 3-all tie as it captured the opening set. The Citadel briefly challenged for the lead, drawing within two points following a series of kills by Smith and Kernodle, before seven Samford kills down the stretch made for the three-point triumph.
Samford's offensive dominance carried over into the second set as it streaked out to a 13-7 lead following a strike by Greenwald. A Citadel timeout, followed quickly by a kill by Kernodle, was not enough to derail the Bulldogs who posted seven kills in the final 12 points for the win.
The Citadel responded to the challenge early in the third set, turning three kills by
Dominique Williams into an eventual 7-all deadlock. It was there that the duo of Bognar and Reesor took over for Samford, sparking a 13-6 run, as they combined for eight kills to give the Bulldogs a seven-point advantage.
Samantha Espy's service game forced Samford into two unforced errors, drawing The Citadel within three, but Reesor answered with two kills down the stretch to complete the three-set victory.
The Citadel returns to the court on Tuesday evening when it faces Savannah State in the annual Dig Pink match. Fans can purchase pink Citadel volleyball t-shirts at a price of $10. The proceeds will be donated to the Susan G. Komen foundation as part of the Side-Out Foundation that sponsors the national Dig Pink program.
