CHARLESTON, S.C. – The Citadel volleyball team begins SoCon conference play with a two-day homestand against Mercer Friday, Sept. 27 at 6 p.m. and Samford Saturday, Sept. 28 at 4 p.m.
 
#BATTLEREADY (ABOUT THE CITADEL)
The Bulldogs are 4-7 heading into this weekend after falling to NCCU on the road earlier in the week.
 
Speaking on the early season, head coach Dave Zelenock said, "We got to play a good variety of playing styles in preseason. We also got to play around with a lot of lineups and shifting players around. It may have not added up to wins, but we learned a lot, especially with 10 underclass players."
 
"Now that we get to play SoCon teams, we know a little better and expect our upperclass to lead the way and really show the younger players how to be successful during conference competition," said coach Zelnock. "The level goes up every year in the SoCon and I expect to see a lot of movement in the rankings week to week."
 
Currently leading the offense is Mellanie King and Sharlissa De Jesus, with 131 and 92 kills on the season, respectively. King ranks among the top 10 in the SoCon for kills per set.
 
Megan Fuhr has recorded almost 2,000 career (1,905), putting up 315 so far this season. She ranks seventh in the SoCon for assists per set, dishing out a 8.51 average.
 
THE CITADEL VS OPPONENTS (THE HISTORY)
The Citadel is 1-11 all-time against Mercer, with the 'Dogs capturing their first victory in McAlister Field House, 3-2 in 2017. The last meeting between the two teams went to a full five sets in Macon, GA. De Jesus led the team that match with 14 kills and 13 digs.  The Bears enter Friday's match ranked second in the SoCon preseason poll.
 
The 'Dogs have a 1-15 record against the Bulldogs of Samford. The Citadel's lone victory against Samford also occurred during the 2017 season, with a 3-0 victory on the road. De Jesus was also the top 'Dog in that match, recording 11 kills and 14 digs. Samford was tabbed the preseason favorite in the SoCon.
 
SCOUTING THE BEARS
The Bears of Mercer come into the weekend with a 7-6 overall record. They most recently fell to Evansville, after riding a three-game win streak. Mercer has three players with over 100 kills on the season and averaging over two kills per set. They are led by sophomore Annie Karle with 139 kills and also leads the squad with 22 service aces. Mercer ranks second in the SoCon for hitting percentage and serving aces per set. The Bears are currently last in the conference in digs per set (11.19), while the Bulldogs are second, averaging 15.33 per set.
 
SCOUTING THE BULLDOGS (SAMFORD)
As previously mentioned, the Samford Bulldogs were given the top spot in the SoCon preseason poll. They are 7-4 overall and 1-0 in the conference, topping Chattanooga, 3-0. The Bulldogs are second in the conference in assists per set (11.95), kills per set (12.69), and blocks per set (2.05). Like the Bears, Samford has three players with over 100 kills on the season. They are led by sophomore Lauren Deaton who averages 3.88 kills per set, ranking her first in the conference.

COMING UP
After this weekend's homestand, the Dogs' head out on the road for the next four conference matches. Their next match will be Wednesday, Oct. 2 at 6 p.m. against UNCG.
  
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For more information and score updates on The Citadel volleyball team, please visit CitadelSports.com or follow @CitadelVB on Twitter and @CitadelVolleyball on Instagram.