Arnold Finishes Fourth In Fred Marx Invitational, Bulldogs Fourth Overall

--- Samford women’s golf looks at a promising year ---

Sept. 26, 2006

MONROE, La. ---- The Samford University women’s golf team saw an impressive performance from freshman Heather Arnold as she finished fourth overall in the Louisiana-Monroe Fred Marx Invitational while helping lead Samford to a fourth overall finish as well.

The Bulldogs shot 317 in the third round of the tournament, bringing their total for the two-day event to 933. Arnold shot 225 overall, with 79 in the third round, only four shots behind the number one golfer of the day.

“Overall, we didn’t do as well today as we did yesterday, but we still had a great tournament,” said Head Coach Ian Thompson. “We had a great second round, and a steady first and third rounds.”

Freshman Bulldog Katelyn Stanier and junior Courtney Warr tied for 18th place with two other participants. Stanier shot 83 in today’s third round (80-75-83=238), and Warr shot 82 (81-75-82=238). Sophomore Kellie O’Connell shot 82 in the first two round and 75 in the third round, bringing her total score to 239 and putting her in a tie for 22nd place. Sophomore Maria Troche tied for 24th place, shooting 81 in round three.

“Our best round came from Kellie O’Connell in the third round, shooting 75, which was the best for us today and great for her since her rounds didn’t count in the first two,” said Thompson.

When the Bulldogs finished their first two rounds yesterday, they sat in third place behind host Louisiana-Monroe and McNeese State. Arnold had a great day, sitting in the top five all day, and finally settling in at second place at the end of the day. After today, the Bulldogs dropped a spot to finish fourth and Arnold fell two spots to finish fourth as well. However, the Samford women were very pleased with their performance.

“I think we have the makings of a great team that will do well this year,” said Thompson. “We are going to keep pushing forward. We have a break for a bit, and then we have three tournaments in three weeks.”

The Samford Lady Linksters will take a few weeks off to rest, but will head back out to the greens on Oct. 16 as they begin competition in the Chris Banister Fall Golf Classic in Glencoe, Ala. Then they will wrap up the fall season with tournaments at Austin Peay and Troy University.

*** SAMFORD BULLDOGS ***

No Change For Men’s Golf In Round Three Of Shoal Creek

--- Samford finishes 15th in Birmingham tournament ---

Sept. 26, 2006

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. ---- The Samford University men’s golf team shot 307 today in the third round of the Shoal Creek Intercollegiate, putting them at 15th place as the tournament draws to a close. The Bulldogs sat at 15th place after the first two rounds yesterday.

The Samford men shot 304 in the first round and 307 in the second and third rounds, bringing their total score to 918. Senior Reed Davis held the top position for the Bulldogs again today, shooting a team round-three best 75. Davis finished in an 11-way tie for 23rd place.

Junior Andrew Villarreal shot a steady 77 in all three rounds to put him in a three-way tie for 55th place. Senior Bradley Pate tied with four other participants for 58th place, shooting 76-78-78=232. Sophomore Jeremy Cox placed 70th as he shot 86-76-77=239, and junior John Turnipseed rounded out the Bulldog team at 73rd, shooting 78-84-82=244.

The Samford men will have a few weeks off before getting back into action for the fall season. Next, they will travel to Clarksville, Tenn., to participate in the Farmer’s and Merchant’s Bank APSU Intercollegiate, Monday and Tuesday, Oct. 23 -24.

*** SAMFORD BULLDOGS ***

Women Linksters On Top Of Their Game In First Day Of Fred Marx Invitational

--- Bulldogs sit in a tie for third, Arnold currently at number two ---

Sept. 25, 2006

MONROE, La. ---- It was a great first day at the Fred Marx Invitational for the Samford women’s golf team as they sat at the top of the leaderboard for most of the day. Samford currently sits in a tie with Sam Houston State for third place overall, and freshman Heather Arnold is the number two golfer of the day.

In the first day of the tournament, Samford shot 316 in round one and 300 in round two.

“Three hundred is the best that we’ve ever had since I’ve been here I think,” said Head Coach Ian Thompson. “It’s been a great day for us, and we are pleased to be in the position we are in right now.”

Arnold shot 75-71=146 (-1) to take the number two position on the day. Fellow freshman Bulldog Katelyn Stanier follows behind in a tie at 13, shooting 80-75=155 (+3). Junior Courtney Warr shot 81-75=156 (+3) to put her in a tie for 15th place. Sophomore Maria Troche is currently tied for 20th, shooting 80-79=159, and rounding out the Samford team is Kellie O’Connell shooting 82 in both rounds for a total of 164.

“We started to see the potential in last week’s tri-match,” said Thompson, “and now we are just enjoying the fact that we are in the hunt. Again, I’m pleased that we are in the position that we are in, and we’ll just give it everything we’ve got tomorrow.”

Samford will finish out the tournament tomorrow playing 18 holes with a shotgun start at 9 a.m.

*** SAMFORD BULLDOGS ***

Men’s Golf In Last Place After First Day Of Shoal Creek

--- Bulldogs behind tough competition in Shoal Creek Intercollegiate ---

Sept. 25, 2006

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. ---- The Samford men’s golf team is in 15th place after the first day of the Second Annual Shoal Creek Intercollegiate. The Bulldog linksters played 36 holes today along with teams from all over the country.

The Samford men shot 304-307=61,1 to put them at the bottom of the list of 15 teams after the first day. Reed Davis shot 73-76=149, to put him at a six-way tie for 25th place. Other Bulldogs competing were Andrew Villerreal (77-77=154) and Bradley Pate (76-78=154) who are tied, and Jeremy Cox (86-76=162) and John Turnipseed (78-84=162) who are also tied.

Joining Samford in the tournament are teams from Alabama, Central Florida, Florida State, Tennessee, Michigan State, Auburn, North Carolina, Louisiana State, Baylor, Southern Methodist University, Virginia, Georgia Southern, North Florida, and hosts Alabama-Birmingham.

The Bulldogs will finish the tournament tomorrow with tee times starting at 8:35 a.m., and the last being 9:11 a.m.

*** SAMFORD BULLDOGS ***

Women’s Golf Heads To Monroe To Compete In The Fred Marx Invitational

--- Bulldogs will try their hand on the links at the Bayou Desiard Country Club ---

Sept. 24, 2006

MONROE, La. ---- The Samford women’s golf team will be in Monroe, La., for the next two days as they take part in the Frex Marx Invitational hosted by the University of Louisiana-Monroe.

This is the second time that the Lady Linksters have taken to the green, but this will be the first tournament of this size for the Samford women this year. Last week, Samford competed in the Birmingham Tri-Match with cross-town rivals UAB and Birmingham-Southern. The ladies placed second in that match.

Samford will be competing with nine other team in the tournament including Centenary College, McNeese State, Texas State, Henderson State, Nicholls State, Troy University, Jackson State, Sam Houston State, and host Louisiana-Monroe.

Competing on the Bulldog team are linksters Maria Troche, Katelyn Stanier, Heather Arnold, Courtney Warr, and Kellie O’Connell.

The Fred Marx Invitational is a 54-hole event that beginning at 9 a.m., on Monday, Sept. 25, and will conclude on Tuesday, Sept. 26. Teams will play 36 holes on Monday and 18 on Tuesday. Both rounds will be shotgun starts.

*** SAMFORD BULLDOGS ***

Men’s Golf To Take Part In The Second Annual Shoal Creek Intercollegiate

--- Bulldogs will play two rounds Monday and 18 holes on Tuesday ---

Sept. 24, 2006

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. ---- The Samford men’s golf team will take to the links at Shoal Creek Golf Course on Monday as they open play in the Second Annual Shoal Creek Intercollegiate hosted by University of Alabama-Birmingham. The Bulldogs will play two rounds tomorrow and 18 holes on Saturday.

The Samford linksters look to improve upon their performance last week at the Raines Development Group Intercollegiate hosted by Francis Marion University. The Bulldogs placed 15^th overall, and junior Andrew Villarreal finished at a tie for fifth place.

The event will begin, Monday, Sept. 25, with a shotgun start at 8:15 a.m. Following Monday's two rounds, the final 18 holes will begin on Tuesday at 8:15 a.m., with set tee times beginning on the first and tenth holes.

Before last year, Shoal Creek had been without a major collegiate tournament for nine years. Shoal Creek has played host to the 1984 and 1990 PGA Championship and 1986 U.S. Amateur. It will also be the site of to the 2008 U.S. Junior Amatuer.

*** SAMFORD BULLDOGS ***

Bulldog Netters Reach Finals Of Baras Classic, Good Weekend Overall

--- Two Samford Men’s Tennis duos meet each other in the finals ---


Sept. 24, 2006


CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. ---- The Samford men’s tennis team advanced two netters to the finals of the singles brackets and three pairs to the doubles finals at the UTC Baras Collegiate Fall Classic this weekend.

Bulldog duo Sam Huffman and Renan Silveira made their way to the finals of the Men’s A Doubles draw to meet up with fellow Bulldogs Hank Grant and Stuart Misner. However, the final match was not played. Huffman and Silveira defeated UAB duo Bauer/Spangenberg (8-5) to get to the finals, and Grant and Misner defeated Southern Mississippi pair Frayincheaud/Mezey (8-6) to mark their place in the finals.

In the Men’s B Doubles draw, Brian Dushock and Manuel Miletic defeated UAB’s Despotovski/Weiss (8-3) to advance to the finals. However, Dushock and Miletic could not get past UAB duo Emory/Tollstom, falling to them in the finals, 9-8(8).

Silveira ousted UAB’s Tim Bauer this morning (6-3, 6-1), moving him onto the finals of the Men’s A Singles to take on Chattanooga’s Derek Stephens. However, Silveira would fall, 6-2, 6-1, to Stephens in the finals.

Dushock met Alex Emory of UAB this morning in the Men’s C Singles semifinals, but Dushock would lose, 6-1, 6-2.

The next time the Samford men’s tennis team will be in action for their fall campaign is on Oct. 13-15, when they travel to Columbia, S.C., where they will participate in the USC Fall Invitational.

*** SAMFORD BULLDOGS ***

Women’s Tennis Competes Big In Roberta Alison Classic

--- One Bulldog duo and one Bulldog netter win consolation brackets over tough competitors ---

Sept. 24, 2006

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. ---- The Samford women’s tennis team came home with some big wins over tough competitors after two days of competition in the Roberta Alison Classic host by the University of Alabama.

Anna Jackson lost to Notre Dame’s Colleen Rielley, 2-2, but went on to get a big win over Mississippi State number two player Elna de Villiers (0-6, 6-3, 7-5) in the Single Black Draw finals.

Katie McMiller lost to Alabama’s Andrea Breanes (7-5, 3-6, 1-6) to put her in the Singles Blue Draw consolation bracket. She went on to a hand-fought loss to Deandra Saddler of Mississippi State in three sets, but then beat Birmingham-Southern’s Stephanie Boucher in three sets.

Whitnie Warren won the consolation bracket in the Singles Orange Draw by defeating Courtney Akel of UNC-Greensboro, 6-3, 6-1. Before that she beat another UNC-Greensboro foe in Whitney Miles.

Sarah McKey had an incredible first match against Nicole Briceno of Alabama, but could not pull out a win, falling 6-4, 6-7, 6-1. This moved McKey on to the back draw of the Singles Red Draw, meeting with fellow Bulldog Bethany Benson.

Bulldog duo Jackson/Warren won the consolation bracket of the Doubles Black Draw. The duo lost to Mississippi State’s number two team Saddler/Makarycheva, but went on to win big over Alabama’s Svensson/Tunaru, 8-3, to win the whole bracket.

In the Doubles Blue Draw, Katie McMiller and Sarah McKey had a tough loss to the number three Auburn team Kafferly/Asseff, 9-8(9).

Bulldog Head Coach Teri Sisk was very pleased with the performance of her team this weekend as they faced a number of big competitors.

“Overall, we had a really amazing weekend,” said Sisk. “Every year we go to this tournament, we show improvement. Samford is on the verge of being able to really compete with big teams like those of the SEC. I’m really excited to go to NC State nest week and see what we can do. It’s going to be a great year for us.”

The Lady Netters will travel to Raleigh, N.C., next weekend, Sept. 29 through Oct. 1, to compete in the NC State Invitational.

*** SAMFORD BULLDOGS ***

Men’s Tennis Advances All Three Duos To Baras Classic Semifinals

--- Two Bulldog netters advance to the singles semifinals ---

Sept. 22, 2006

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. ---- The Samford men’s tennis team will see lots of action tomorrow in the last day of the Baras Classic host by Chattanooga as it advances all three doubles teams and two netters to the semifinals.

Bulldog duo Hank Grant and Stuart Misner defeated True-True of Western Kentucky (8-6) last night to advance to the Men’s A Doubles quarterfinals today. In the quarterfinals, Grant-Misner beating Sherman-Jones of Lipscomb (8-1) to advance to the semifinals. The Samford Duo will face of with Frayincheaud-Mezey (Southern Mississippi) to see who will advance to the finals.

Sam Huffman and Renan Silveira defeated Mercer duo Mitchell-Russo, 9-7, to advance to the round of 16 in the Men’s A Doubles. Next, they solidified their spot in the semifinals by ousting Southern Mississippi duo Anic-Wessinghage, 8-6. Huffman and Silveira will play Bauer-Spangenberg of UAB Sunday morning at 8:30 for a spot in the finals.

In the Men’s B Doubles, Brian Dushock and Manuel Miletic beat Western Kentucky’s Miller-Saine (8-3) to get to the second round. They kept on moving to the quarterfinals as they beat Hood-Thames of Southern Mississippi (8-3). Next, they defeated Sosebee-Yanulis of Alabama, 8-4, to move on to the semifinals. Dushock-Miletic will face the Despotovski-Weiss duo of UAB Sunday morning at 8:30.

Silveira topped Mark Fynn of Chattanooga (4-6, 6-3, 6-3) this morning to advance to the semifinals of the Men’s A Singles. Next, he will face off with UAB’s Tim Bauer Sunday morning at 11:30, for a spot in the finals.

Dushock beat Colten Jones of Lipscomb, 6-4, 6-4 this morning to solidify his place in the Men’s C Singles semifinals. Dushock will play Alex Emory of UAB Sunday morning at 11:30 to see who will go on to the finals.

Huffman could not get past North Alabama’s Bruno Zuleta, falling to him in the second round of the Men’s A Singles (6-2, 6-2). Also Grant fell to Andres Amores of Jacksonville State, 6-2, 0-6, 6-2, in the quarterfinals of the Men’s B Singles.

*** SAMFORD BULLDOGS ***

Volleyball Falls To Tennessee State In Three Straight Games

--- Tigers hand Bulldogs their second conference loss ---

Sept. 23, 2006

NASHVILLE, Tenn. ---- The Samford volleyball team falls to 5-11 on the season as they fall to the Tigers of Tennessee State today in three straight games. This is the Bulldogs’ second conference loss of the season.

The Tigers ran away with game one, taking the early lead and not letting up. Samford was behind by as much as 10 at one point, and the Tigers won game one, 30-19.

In the second game, Samford jumped to the get the first lead. However, Tennessee State came back to tie the game at four and would eventually take the lead. The Tigers again lead by as much as 10, winning game two, 30-20.

Game three was a back-and-forth game, each team fighting for the lead every point. Samford led by a margin of five in the middle of the game, but the Tigers would close the gap to two, tie it at 28, and then take the one point lead. The game was tie a few more times before Tennessee State came out on top, 34-32.

Sophomore Libero/setter Courtney Gay led the Bulldogs with a hitting percentage of .500 and 27 assists. Sophomore outside hitter Sara Sears led with 10 kills and 11 points, and sophomore middle blocker followed with seven kills, six block solos, and 10 points. Despite the loss, Samford out-blocked the Tigers, 8-6. Freshman outside hitter Katie Luckman had three kills and a .333 hitting percentage, and sophomore middle blocker Kirstein Sosnowski posted four kills and 15 attacks.

“We had to change our lineup today due to Tennessee State’s size,” said Head Coach Michelle Durban. “I was very please with the way that Katie (Luckman) and Kirstein (Sosnowski) came in off the bench and played hard.”

The Bulldogs will next travel to Jacksonville, Ala., on Wednesday, Sept. 27, to take on the Jacksonville State Gamecocks at 7 p.m. Then Samford will stay on the road for the weekend, traveling to Tennessee Tech on Saturday, Sept. 30.

*** SAMFORD BULLDOGS ***

Cross Country Finishes Fourth In Great American Festival

--- Bulldogs have a bad day ---

Sept. 23, 2006

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. ---- The Samford men’s and women’s cross country teams finished in fourth place today in the Great American Cross Country Festival held today at Spain Park.

For the men’s team, Bo Brawner finished sixth and Drew Anderwald finished seventh. Katherine Herring was the top runner for the women.

“It was not a good day for us,” said Head Coach Glenn McWaters. “We did not run well at all. We didn’t meet our expectations.”

Red-shirt senior Lauren Blankenship ran unattached for the Bulldogs.

“Lauren Blankenship ran well, being that she had surgery a few weeks ago and hasn’t trained in ten days,” said McWaters. “If she had been to her full capacity, I think she would have won the women’s individual race.”

The Bulldogs runner will be back in action next Saturday, Sept. 30, as they travel to Auburn to run in the Auburn Invitational.

*** SAMFORD BULLDOGS ***

Three Bulldog Netters Advance To Second Day Of Baras Classic

--- Samford men’s tennis sees action despite the rain ---

Sept. 22, 2006

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. ---- The Samford men’s tennis team advanced three players to the round of 16 on the first day of the UTC Baras Intercollegiate Fall Classic held at the Championship Club in Hixson, Tenn. Although rain threatened the tournament, teams managed to get through the first round of 32.

In the Men’s A Singles, junior netter Sam Huffman defeated Mauricio Correa of UNC-Asheville 6-4, 2-6, 1-0(8), in the first round of the Baras Collegiate today. Junior Renan Silveira also solidified his spot in the round of 16 of the Men’s A Singles as he defeated Stephan Bruwer of UT-Martin (6-2, 6-2). In the Men’s B Singles, junior Hank Grant shut-out Western Kentucky’s David Bowman (6-0, 6-0), moving him on to the next round. In the Men’s C Singles, sophomore Brian Dushosk put out Mercer’s Doug Stutsman (6-3, 6-2).

Huffman will take on University of North Alabama’s Bruno Zuleta, Silveira will face Dylan Mezey of Southern Mississippi, and Dushock will play Michael Hangstefer of Chattanooga. Grant will face the winner of William Taylor (UT-Martin) and Markus Wessinghage (Southern Mississippi).

Senior Manuel Miletic fell to UAB’s Johannes Spangenberg, 2-6, 6-1, 1-0(6), and senior Stuart Misner fell to Tobias Ohrstrom of Mercer (6-4, 6-2), both in the Men’s A Singles.

In doubles, Grant and Misner will play Chad and Andy True of Western Kentucky at 8:45 in the morning. Huffman and Silveira will face Chapman Mitchell and Patrick Russo of Mercer at 8:00 in the morning. Dushock and Miletic will take on another Western Kentucky foe in Matt Miller and Quinn Saine at 8:30 a.m.

Tournament play will resume tomorrow morning at 8:00 a.m., and will conclude Sunday.

*** SAMFORD BULLDOGS ***

Volleyball Falls To Austin Peay In First Conference Match

--- Bulldogs take Governors to five games but fall short of a win ---

Sept. 22, 2006

CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. ---- The Samford volleyball team (5-10) dropped its first conference match tonight to the Governors of Austin Peay. It took five games, but Austin Peay finally won the match, 3-2.

Samford ruled game one, winning by nine, 30-21.

In game two, the Bulldogs took the early lead, but the Governors tied the game at 9 and soon took the lead. Samford came back to tie the game at 18, but Austin Peay pulled away and took game two, 30-27.

Samford fell behind early in the third game, but soon tied, 11-11, and took over from there. The Bulldogs lead by as much as four before the Governors charged back to tied it 22. However, the Bulldogs would not give up game three. Samford won, 30-27.

The Bulldogs led early in game four, but no for long. Austin Peay took over and lead by as much as eight at one point. Samford shortened the game to five, but could not keep the Governors from winning, 30-25.

In the fifth and final game, Austin Peay took the lead right off. They lead by as much as four, winning 15-11.

Freshman Sheridan Stangohr and sophomore Jen Powers led the team in hitting percentage with .273 and .244, respectively. Stangohr also had 10 kills and Powers had 15 kills. Freshman Alyssa Trimpe also had 15 kills along with 10 digs. Freshman Sarah Gardner led the team in digs with 28, and Courtney Gay followed right behind with 15. Gay also had 55 assists.

The Bulldogs will head to Nashville tomorrow to take on the Tennessee State Tigers tomorrow at 2 p.m. The next time Samford will return home for a game will be Friday, Oct. 6, when they will meet up with the Tigers once more.

*** SAMFORD BULLDOGS ***

Volleyball Falls To Austin Peay In First Conference Match

--- Bulldogs take Governors to five games but fall short of a win ---

Sept. 22, 2006

CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. ---- The Samford volleyball team (5-10) dropped its first conference match tonight to the Governors of Austin Peay. It took five games, but Austin Peay finally won the match, 3-2.

Samford ruled game one, winning by nine, 30-21.

In game two, the Bulldogs took the early lead, but the Governors tied the game at 9 and soon took the lead. Samford came back to tie the game at 18, but Austin Peay pulled away and took game two, 30-27.

Samford fell behind early in the third game, but soon tied, 11-11, and took over from there. The Bulldogs lead by as much as four before the Governors charged back to tied it 22. However, the Bulldogs would not give up game three. Samford won, 30-27.

The Bulldogs led early in game four, but no for long. Austin Peay took over and lead by as much as eight at one point. Samford shortened the game to five, but could not keep the Governors from winning, 30-25.

In the fifth and final game, Austin Peay took the lead right off. They lead by as much as four, winning 15-11.

Freshman Sheridan Stangohr and sophomore Jen Powers led the team in hitting percentage with .273 and .244, respectively. Stangohr also had 10 kills and Powers had 15 kills. Freshman Alyssa Trimpe also had 15 kills along with 10 digs. Freshman Sarah Gardner led the team in digs with 28, and Courtney Gay followed right behind with 15. Gay also had 55 assists.

The Bulldogs will head to Nashville tomorrow to take on the Tennessee State Tigers tomorrow at 2 p.m. The next time Samford will return home for a game will be Friday, Oct. 6, when they will meet up with the Tigers once more.

*** SAMFORD BULLDOGS ***

Cross Country Competes in Great American Cross Country Festival

--- Bulldogs to run at Spain Park ---

Sept. 22, 2006

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. ---- The Samford cross country team will compete in the Great American Cross Country Festival tomorrow at Spain Park in Hoover, Ala. The women’s race will start at 9:55 a.m., and the men will begin running at 10:55 a.m. The festival is open to college and high school runners.

The Great American Cross Country Festival is the second meet of the year for the Bulldogs runners. The Bulldogs last ran at the Chattanooga Opener two weeks ago, where they finished second on the women’s side and fourth on the men’s side.

Freshman Angela Fister led the Bulldogs as she finished fourth overall for the women with a time of 11:54 on the two-mile course. The other Bulldogs female runners were sophomore Katie Almand (10), junior Robyn DeBenedet (11), freshman Jessica Van Ausdall (12), freshman Ina Ables (14), junior Britney Almaguer (15), freshman Jessica Gurley (20), and freshman Lauren Pilcher (28).

For the men, 2005 OVC Freshman Runner of the Year Cameron Bean finished 10^th overall with a time of15:58 on a 5K course. Right behind Bean were red-shirt sophomore Bo Brawner (13), junior Drew Anderwald (18), freshman Blaise Carie (30), and sophomore Joel Shaw (37).

This is the first year that the festival has been held at Spain Park. The festival is operated by the National Scholastic Sports Foundation, who presents the Nike Indoor Nationals and the Nike Outdoor Nationals as well as the Nike Team Nationals cross-country championships.

*** SAMFORD BULLDOGS ***

Men’s Tennis Heads To Chattanooga To Play In Baras Classic

--- Bulldog Netters look to better their performance at SIC ---

Sept. 21, 2006

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. ---- The Samford men’s tennis team will travel to Chattanooga this weekend to participate in the Steve Baras Fall Classic hosted by the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga. The tournament will be held at the Champions Club in Hixson, Tenn.

The Bulldogs will join 23 teams in the Baras Fall Classic including Alabama-Huntsville, Arkansas, Austin Peay, Belmont, Eastern Kentucky, Georgia State, Georgia Southern, Jacksonville State, Kennesaw State, Lipscomb, Louisiana-Monroe, Mercer, Morehead State, Murray State, North Alabama, Southern Mississippi, Tennessee, Tennessee-Martin, UAB, UNC-Asheville, Western Kentucky, and hosts Chattanooga.

Samford men’s tennis returns seniors Stuart Misner, Manual Miletic, and Bradley Weaver. Also returning are juniors Renan Silveira and Hank Grant as well as sophomore Brian Dushock. The Bulldogs welcome junior newcomers Sam Huffman, Jason Thomas, and Sam Rocke.

The tournament is in memory of former Chattanooga tennis player Steve Baras and all monies raised from the tournament go toward scholarships for Chattanooga men’s and women’s teams.

*** SAMFORD BULLDOGS ***

Samford Women’s Tennis Heads To Tuscaloosa

--- Bulldogs prepare for second tournament of fall season ---

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. ---- The Samford University women’s tennis team heads to Tuscaloosa, Ala., on Friday as the Bulldogs enter the 20^th Annual Roberta Alison Fall Classic, hosted by the University of Alabama this weekend.

Samford will play in its second tournament of the fall season, as the Bulldogs last played on September 16-18, at the 2005 Ole Miss Fall Tournament in Oxford, Miss.

A total of 12 teams and 74 players will compete in the three-day event. In addition to host Alabama, in-state schools AUM, Birmingham-Southern and South Alabama will all be represented. Other schools competing will be Mississippi State, Memphis, Florida State, Iowa, USF, Georgia Southern and Louisiana-Monroe.

The Bulldogs field an experienced team this season as they return all but one member of the 2004-05 squad that placed fourth at the Ohio Valley Conference Championships. Additionally, juniors Christie Baker, Bethany Benson, Sarah McKey and Emily White were also members of the 2003-04 team that won the OVC Championship. Sophomores Katie McMiller and Lauren Pitcher return as well and Amber Dyar will compete as a freshman after taking a medical redshirt last season.

The Bulldogs have added two talented freshmen to the mix in Whitney Warren and Whitney Flesher. Sophomore transfer Anna Jackson also joined the team this season.

The tournament will include individual flights of singles and doubles play. The tournament begins at 8 a.m. Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

*** SAMFORD BULLDOGS ***

Volleyball Opens Conference Play At Austin Peay

--- Bulldogs face Austin Peay, Tennessee State looking to extend win streak ---

Sept. 21, 2006

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. ---- The Samford volleyball team opens conference play this weekend with two matches against Tennessee foes, Austin Peay and Tennessee State.

The Bulldogs will travel to Clarksville, Tenn., to face the Governors of Austin Peay on Friday, Sept. 22 at 7 p.m. They will then go down the road a little bit on Saturday to the Music City to play an afternoon match with the Tennessee State Lady Tigers at 2 p.m.

The Bulldogs are on a three-match win streak, with their latest win coming Tuesday night over the Kennesaw State Owls, 3-1. This win improved Samford’s record to 5-9 on the season.

“We’ve won three straight matches,” said Head Coach Michelle Durban, “but we are starting conference now. We’ve got an exciting challenge ahead of us, so we are going to stay positive and focused and in doing that, hopefully we will accomplish the goals that we have set for ourselves.”

Austin Peay (2-9) comes off a 10-day rest period after falling to Belmont in five games. The Governors are looking for their third win on the season and their first win at home.

Tennessee State currently sits at fifth in the conference, and hosts their second home match of the season. Samford leads the series with the Lady Tigers, 8-4, and the Bulldogs look to extend that lead to five games.

After this weekend, Samford will be on the road for a week taking on Jacksonville State on Wednesday, Sept. 27 at 7 p.m., and Tennessee Tech on Saturday, Sept. 30, at 7 p.m. The Bulldogs return home the next week to play host to Tennessee State on Friday, Oct. 6, and then Austin Peay on Saturday, Oct. 7, at 11 a.m.

*** SAMFORD BULLDOGS ***

Samford Volleyball Captures Fifth Win Of Season Over Kennesaw State

--- Bulldogs go into conference play on a three-match win streak ---

Sept. 19, 2006

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. ---- The Samford volleyball team extended their win streak to three tonight over the Owls of Kennesaw State, taking their fifth home match, 3-1. Samford’s record improves to 5-9 after the win.

The Bulldogs dominated game one, jumping out to an early six point lead. The Owls closed the lead to four, but the Bulldogs charged ahead to increase the lead to nine. Samford went on to win game one, 30-21.

Game two was a close game with Samford leading by only two points until Kennesaw State tied the game at 12. From that point on, Kennesaw took over the game leading by as much as four. The Owls took game two, 30-26.

Game three was close at the beginning but Kennesaw State pulled out to lead it by four. Samford tied it at eight and took the lead back, but the Owls would come back to tie it at 14 and take the lead. The Bulldogs came back and tied it a 17 and took over. Kennesaw State took at time out with the score at 26-19, but nothing doing. Samford only allowed the Owls to score four more points, winning the game 30-23.

The fourth game was another close game until Samford took over with a six point lead. The Bulldogs controlled the whole fourth game, leading by as much as 15, and winning it, 30-15.

“It was a good win for us tonight,” said Head Coach Michelle Durban. “It puts us on a three-match win streak heading into conference. That gives us more a little more confidence, and we will progress from here.”

Junior middle blocker Angela Dempski led the team with a .600 hitting percentage. Sophomore outside hitter Sara Sears and freshman outside hitter Alyssa Trimpe led in kills with 18 and 15, respectively, points with 19 and 16, and 8 digs each. Sophomore defensive specialist Sarah Gardner led the Bulldogs in digs with 14, and Courtney Gay had 23 assists

Next the Bulldogs will take a weekend trip to Tennessee where they will take on the Governors of Austin Peay on Friday, Sept. 22, at 7 p.m. On Saturday, they will face Tennessee State at 2 p.m.

*** SAMFORD BULLDOGS ***

Samford Men’s Golf Finishes 15th In Francis Marion Tournament

--- Junior Andrew Villarreal finishes fifth in the tournament ---

FLORENCE, S.C. ---- The Samford University men’s golf team finished 15th in the 22nd Annual Raines Developmental Group Intercollegiate held at the Country Club of South Carolina. The Bulldogs shot 300-298-298 = 896.

Junior Andrew Villarreal tied for fifth, shooting 71-72-72 = 215 (-1). Senior Reed Davis tied for 36th shooting seven over par (79-70-74-223), senior Clint Calvert finished in a four-way tie for 62nd shooting 74-78-77 = 229 (+13), and senior Bradley Pate tied at 66th shooting 76-79-75 = 230 (+14). Junior John Turnipseed, who was playing individually, tied for 84th place shooting 78-82-76 = 236 (+20). Bobby Baird tied with Tommy Jensen from Birmingham-Southern for 93rd place shooting 82-78-81 = 241(+25).

Villarreal shot even on a par four, and David had one eagle on the day.

Samford will be back in action next Monday and Tuesday, Sept. 25-26 as they head across town to play in the Shoal Creek Intercollegiate hosted by UAB.

*** SAMFORD BULLDOGS ***

Volleyball Meets Kennesaw State For First Time Tonight

--- Bulldogs look to extend two-match win streak ---

Sept. 18, 2006

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. ---- The Samford volleyball team will play host to the Owls of Kennesaw State tonight at 7 p.m. This marks the first meeting for the Bulldogs and the Owls.

This is the inaugural season of volleyball for the Kennesaw State Owls. They are coached by Valerie Jones, who comes to Kennesaw State from Joliet Junior College.

The Bulldogs look to extend their two-match win streak that was jump started this past weekend as they swept Louisiana-Monroe and UNC-Asheville in the Samford/Barber’s Classic.

*** SAMFORD BULLDOGS ***

Men’s Golf Finishes First Day Of Francis Marion Tournament At Dark

--- Bulldogs sit at 15^th after day one of FMU Tournament play ---

FLORENCE, S.C. ---- The Samford University men’s golf team sits in a tie with Francis Marion University for 15^th place in the 22^nd Annual Raines Developmental Group Intercollegiate held at the Country Club of South Carolina. Samford is one of 18 teams participating in this two-day tournament.

In day one, Samford shot 300-298-598 which is 22 over par.

Individually, Junior Andrew Villarreal is currently tied for ninth, shooting one under par (71-72-143). Senior Reed Davis is tied for 38^th shooting five over par (79-70-149), senior Clint Calvert shot eight over par with 74-78-152, and senior Bradley Pate shot 11 over par with 76-79-155. Rounding out the Bulldog team is sophomore Bobby Baird with 82-78-160, shooting 16 over par.

Samford is currently behind Troy University and Jacksonville University, who are tied for first place. Behind them at third is Chattanooga, at fourth is Wofford College, and tied for fifth are Furman and Old Dominion. At seventh is Elon University; at eighth is Charleston Southern; and in a tie at ninth is Davidson College and Western Carolina. Georgia College and State University is 11^th, followed by College of Charleston at 12^th, Texas Pan-American at 13^th, and South Carolina-Aiken at 14^th. Behind Samford, tied at 17^th are Appalachian State and Birmingham-Southern.

Samford will continue play at the Country Club of South Carolina tomorrow in the final rounds of the Samford University men’s golf team sits in a tie with Francis Marion University for 15^th place in the 22^nd Annual Raines Developmental Group Intercollegiate.

*** SAMFORD BULLDOGS ***

Samford Women’s Golf Places Second At Birmingham Tri-Match

--- Freshmen finish on top for Bulldogs ---

Sept. 18, 2006

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. ---- The Samford University women’s golf team finished second behind Birmingham-Southern today in the BSC-UAB-Samford Tri-Match at Bent Brook Golf Course in McCalla, Ala. The Bulldogs shot 312 in the first round and 308 in the second round for a final total of 620.

Samford finished 10 shots ahead of University of Alabama-Birmingham, who the Bulldogs have had trouble beating in the past.

“I’m very pleased with our scores today,” said Head Coach Ian Thompson. “We weren’t ecstatic with the scores, but we were pleased, and I think that shows that our program is moving in the right direction. Our team knows that they can do better, and it’s something to work toward.”

Freshmen Katelyn Stanier and Heather Arnold finished first and second for the Bulldogs, respectively. Stanier shot 79 in the first round and 74 in the second round to finish on 153. Arnold finished one shot behind her, shooting 155 with 77 in round one and 78 in round two.

The Samford team for this tournament included Stanier and Arnold along with sophomores Maria Troche (76-80-156) and Kellie O’Connell (82-75-157) as well as junior Courtney Warr (80-85-165).

“I was pleased with our two freshman finishing one and two,” said Thompson. “Maria Troche didn't do as well as she normally does, but I was pleased with Kellie O’Connell’s come back in the second round with a 75 after shooting an 82 in the first.”

The other Bulldogs playing individually were sophomore Stephanie Larson (77-87-164), Caroline Herman (78-86-164), Brooke Barriento (85-84-169), and Ashleigh Hicks (87-90-177).

The Samford women’s golf team will be back in action next Monday and Tuesday, Sept. 25-26, as they travel to Monroe, La., to compete in the Fred Marx Invitational.

*** SAMFORD BULLDOGS ***

Volleyball EarnTwo Wins In Samford/Barber’s Classic

--- Bulldogs sweep ULM, UNC-Asheville ---

Sept. 16, 2006

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. ---- The Samford volleyball team picked up wins three and four on the season today as they swept the Warhawks of Louisiana-Monroe and the Bulldogs of UNC-Asheville in three straight games on day two of the Samford/Barber’s Classic.

Samford first meet up with the Warhawks of Louisiana-Monroe.

Samford came out early with a huge lead in game one, but ULM would come back to close the gap to four. However, Samford took game one 30-26.

The Bulldogs ruled game two. Although the Warhawks closed the final lead to five, Samford kept control of the game and won it, 30-25.

The third and final game was almost a repeat of the second. Samford dominated game three, and although ULM kept the gap to five, the Bulldogs took the game, 30-25, and swept the Warhawks, 3=0.

Sophomore setter Jackie Jaszcz led the team with a hitting percentage of .400 and 26 assists. Freshman outside hitter Alyssa Trimpe led the team in kills with 12 and points with 13. Sophomore outside hitter Sara Sears followed right behind with nine digs and 10.5 points.

The Bulldogs out-blocked the Warhawks, ten to two, and out-hit them in all three games of the match.

In Samford’s second match, they took on the Bulldogs of UNC-Asheville. This was no dogfight as Samford swept UNC-Asheville in three straight games.

In game one, Samford played a close game with UNC-Asheville. The Asheville Bulldogs finally extended the lead to three at 18-15, but Samford came back to take the one-point lead, 21-20. UNC-Asheville tied the game at 25, 26, and 27, then took the lead at 28-27. Samford tied it at 18, then UNC-Asheville tied it at 29. Samford finally put game one away, 31-29.

Samford dominated game two leading by as much as eight and winning, 30-22.

In the third and final game, Samford took the early lead, but UNC-Asheville climbed back to lead it by two 9-7. Samford then took a two-point lead, but UNC-Asheville tied the game at 11. UNC-Asheville took a two-point lead before Samford tied it at 14. From that point on Samford charged ahead, leading by as much as four. The Samford Bulldogs took game three, 30-25, and chalked up their second sweep of the day.

Jaszcz led the team in the second match with a hitting percentage of .750 and 52 assists. Freshman right side hitter Sheridan Stangohr came in right behind with a .459 hitting percentage, 19 kills, and 20 points. Sears had 12 kills, 30 attempts, and 13.5 points. Freshman Sarah Gardner had 20 digs, and Trimpe had 11 kills, 14 digs, and 12 points.

“These were great wins for us,” said Head Coach Michelle Durban. “We played very well and our girls were very confident out there. This is the first building block in our process of being successful. We played well as a team and got things done.”

Samford sophomores Jackie Jaszcz and Sara Sears were named to the Samford/Barber’s Classic All-Tournament team. Joining them were Most Valuable Player Cori Dayton of Charlotte, Jessica Oldenburg of Charlotte, Ilima Sam Fond of Louisiana-Monroe, and Elif Unlu of UNC-Asheville.

In the first match of day two, Charlotte and UNC-Asheville went five games before the Charlotte finally took the match, 3-2. The game scores for that match are 30-22 (UNC-Asheville), 30-26 (Charlotte), 30-23 (Charlotte), 30-28 (UNC-Asheville), and 16-14 (Charlotte).

In the third match, Charlotte defeated Louisiana-Monroe in three straight games with scores of 30-15, 31-29, and 30-18.

Next the Bulldogs will play host Tuesday, Sept. 19, to Kennesaw State in Seibert Hall at 7 p.m.

*** SAMFORD BULLDOGS ***

Samford Volleyball Host Barber’s Classic, Drop First Match to Charlotte

--- Bulldogs go five games with 49ers ---

Sept. 15, 2006

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. ---- In a nail-biting five-game second match of the Samford/Barber’s Classic, Samford (2-9) fell to the 49ers of Charlotte (8-5)by a mere score of 3-2.

Samford played tough for all five games but could not get a win out of the last game. Bulldog Head Coach Michelle Durban was pleased, however, with the progress of her team after the heart-wrenching painful loss to Birmingham-Southern on Tuesday night.

“I think from Tuesday to tonight, we got better,” said Durban, “and with a young team, that’s exactly what we want to do. We keep talking to them about how it’s a process, and we’ve got to continue that process. Tonight I felt like at least we were able to get into a game five. The next step it to be able to win a game five.”

Samford played hard in the first game, but could not keep up with the 49ers of Charlotte. They eventually fell to Charlotte, 30-21.

In game two, Samford came out strong, playing a close game with Charlotte. However, Samford would eventually take the lead and come out on top, 30-25.

Samford came out strong again in the third game, taking the early lead, but Charlotte charged ahead and gained the lead back. Charlotte took game three, 30-25.

The Bulldogs took the early lead in game four, and ran away with it, 30-19.

With Charlotte winning games one and three and Samford winning games two and four, the match was force into a fifth game.

In the tie breaking game five, Samford and Charlotte went back and forth claiming the lead several different times. However, it would be Charlotte that would walk away with the win, 15-11.

Sophomore Sara Sears led the team with 15 kills and 46 attempts. Freshman Sheridan Stangohr and Jackie Jaszcz lead the team in hitting percentage with .500 and .285, respectively. Freshman Sarah Gardner had 15 digs, and Jen Powers six block assists.

“Tonight Sara Sears did a much better job of keeping balls in play and getting kills at key times for us,” said Durban. “I think Alyssa Trimpe, especially since this is the first time she’s actually started a match, felt the intensity of the game and helped the team get off to a good start.

“I think the girls did a good job of following the game plan, in terms of blocking schemes. They were making changes within the game and I think that helped us in the areas of defense, especially blocks.”

In the first match of the Samford/Barber’s Classic, UNC-Asheville defeated Louisiana-Monroe in three straight games, 30-20, 30-23, 30-27.

Match play for the Samford/Barber’s Classic will continue tomorrow at 10:30 p.m., when UNC-Asheville takes on Charlotte. At 1 p.m. and 4:30 p.m., Louisiana-Monroe will play back-to-back matches against Samford and Charlotte, respectively. Samford will then wrap up the Samford/Barber’s Classic as they take on UNC-Asheville at 7 p.m.

*** SAMFORD BULLDOGS ***

Huffman, Misner Advance To Semifinals of Southern Intercollegiate

--- Bulldogs face each other for a place in the SIC finals ---

Sept. 12, 2006

ATHENS, Ga. – The Samford University men’s tennis team advanced two netters to the semifinals of the 2006 Southern Intercollegiate Division III Singles, hosted by the University of Georgia this weekend.

Senior netter Stuart Misner faced off with junior netter Sam Huffman in the Division III semifinals on Sunday, Sept. 10. Huffman defeated Misner, 6-3, 6-2, to advance to the finals to take on East Tennessee’s Travis Sandlant on Monday. Huffman’s hopes of a Division III SI Championship was cut short by Sandlant as he defeated the Bulldog netter, 7-6(2), 6-4.

On his way to the semifinals, Misner defeated Virginia Tech’s Eduardo Pinto (6-1, 6-4), Ricardo Rojas from East Tennessee (6-1, 6-4), and Billy Mulligan of the Florida Gators (7-6, 3-6, 6-0). Huffman defeated Daniel Balug of Georgia State (7-5, 6-2), Florida’s Jeff Barton (6-2, 6-2), Tennessee’s Jeff Thornton (6-1, 6-2), and finally Florida State’s number two netter Drew Bailey (7-6, 6-4).

Senior Manuel Miletic made it to the third round of the Division II singles in Flight I, but was defeated by Aaron Carpenter of Duke University, 6-4, 7-5.

In doubles action, Renan Silveira and Sam Huffman advanced to the third round of the Division II Flight I before being ousted by the Tchervenoachki/Sandgren duo of Tennessee.

The Bulldogs netters will be back in action next weekend, Sept. 22-24, as they travel to Chattanooga to participate in the UTC Fall Invitational.

*** SAMFORD BULLDOGS ***

Samford Volleyball To Host Samford/Barber’s Classic

--- Bulldogs play three this weekend ---

Sept. 14, 2006

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. ---- The Samford volleyball team will host the Samford/Barber’s Classic this weekend, Friday, Sept, 15, and Saturday, Sept. 16. Samford will welcome three teams to Seibert Hall including UNC-Asheville, Charlotte, and Louisiana-Monroe.

The first match will begin at 4:30 p.m., Friday as the Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks take on the Bulldogs of UNC-Asheville. At 7 p.m., Samford will take the floor, facing off with the Charlotte 49ers. Match play will resume on Saturday with a 10 a.m., UNCA/Charlotte match-up and a 1 p.m., match between Samford and Louisiana-Monroe. Charlotte and Louisiana-Monroe will take the floor at 4:30 p.m., and the night will wrap-up with a dog-fight between the Bulldogs of Samford and UNC-Asheville.

For a full schedule of the tournament, visit Samford’s Athletic Website at http://samfordsports.cstv.com/.

*** SAMFORD BULLDOGS ***

Samford Volleyball Fall To Cross-Town Rival Birmingham-Southern

--- Panthers get the best of Bulldogs ---

Sept. 12, 2006

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. ---- The Samford volleyball team dropped its eighth match on the road tonight as they were defeat by the Panthers of Birmingham-Southern College. The Bulldogs fall to 2-8 on the season.

Birmingham-Southern took an early five-point lead in game one, and soon extended it to nine. However the Bulldogs could not keep up, and the Panthers went on to win it, 30-21.

Game two started out close until Samford pulled away with a 12-7 lead. BSC would soon close the gap to tie it and then take the lead, 15-14. The Bulldogs and the Panthers would exchange a couple of times and the game was tied at 16. Samford took the five-point lead, and BSC would cut the lead to two. However, Samford walked away with the second game, 30-27.

In game three, Samford fell behind BSC early, 13-5. The Bulldogs closed the lead to four (20-16), then tied the game at 21. From that point on, the game was close until the Panthers pulled away to win it 30-24.

The Panthers scored the first point in game four but Samford never let them run away with the game, tying it at three and them taking the two point lead. BSC tied the game at 5 and then Samford at six. The game was tied at each point after that, until the Panthers took the four-point lead at 12-8. The Bulldogs tied the game at 16 and took the lead, 20-17. Samford took a four-point lead, but the Panthers came back to tie it at 23 and take control of the game, 26-23, but not for long. Samford tied the game at 26, then took the 27-26 lead, but the Panthers went on a 4-1 run to take game four, 30-28.

Sophomore setter Jackie Jaszcz lead the Bulldogs with a .200 hitting percentage. Sophomore outside hitter Sara Sears and freshman outside hitter Katie Luckman followed right behind with 13 digs and 7 kills each. Freshman defensive specialist Sheridan Stangohr led the team in kills with 10 and sophomore middle blocker Jen Powers led the team in points with 12.

Samford will be back in action this weekend, Sept. 15 and 16, as they host the Samford Barber’s Classic. They will take on the 49ers of Charlotte Friday at 7 p.m. On Saturday, the Bulldogs will take on Louisiana-Monroe at 1:30 p.m., and then UNC-Asheville at 7 p.m.

*** SAMFORD BULLDOGS ***

Samford Volleyball Takes On Birmingham-Southern

--- Bulldogs look for third win on the season ---

Sept. 12, 2006

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. --- The Samford volleyball team will travel across town tonight to take on Birmingham-Southern College at Bill Battle Coliseum at 7 p.m. Samford is ahead in the series with BSC five matches to two, and hopes to extend that lead to six matches as they look for their third win.

When Bulldogs last met the Panthers, Birmingham-Southern swept Samford in three straight games. This season, Samford looks for revenge and hopes to come out with a victory tonight.

Samford will be back in action this weekend as they host the Samford Barber’s Classic. They will take on the 49ers of Charlotte at 7 p.m., on Friday. Match play will resume on Saturday as the Bulldogs meet up with the Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks at 1 p.m., and UNC-Asheville Bulldogs at 7 p.m.

*** SAMFORD BULLDOGS ***

Troche Makes First Career Hole-In-One In Qualifying

--- Bulldogs prepare for BSC-UAB-Samford Tri-Match

Sept. 11, 2006

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. --- Sophomore Maria Troche, the OVC’s 2006 Freshman of the Year, made a hole-in-one in qualifying on Saturday afternoon at Bent Brook Golf Course.

Troche made the hole-in-one from 170 yards with a 4-iron at number three on the Graveyard nine. She was playing with fellow teammates Courtney Warr and Heather Arnold. This was Troche’s first career hole-in-one.

Troche is a native of Asuncion, Paraguay, majoring in pre-nursing. She and the Bulldogs are preparing for their first match next Monday, Sept. 18, the BSC-UAB-Samford Tri-Match.

*** SAMFORD BULLDOGS ***

Women's Cross Country Finishes Second, Men Fourth At UTC Opener

Samford opened the 2006 season at the UTC Opener

Sept. 8, 2006


CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. - The Samford women's cross country team finished second and the men's team finished fourth as both teams opened the 2006 season at the UTC Opener hosted by the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga on Friday.

The Samford women were led individually by Angela Fister, finishing fourth with a time of 11:54. Katie Almand came in 10th with a time of 12:11. Robyn DeBenedet and Jessica Van Ausdall finished just behind Almand, each finishing the race in 12:12.

On the men's side, the Bulldogs were led by Cameron Bean, finishing 10th with a time of 15:58. Bo Brawner came in 13th, running the race in 16:01.

The host school, UTC, won the event on the women's side with 20 points, while Samford was second with 51. The Samford men scored 86 points for a fourth-place finish, while Alabama won the men's race with 22 points.

Samford will return to action on Sept. 23 at the Great American Invitational in Birmingham.

(by Joey Mullins, Samford Sports Information Director)

Samford Splits Games On Day Two Of Jaguar Classic

--- Bulldogs fall to South Alabama, defeat Southeastern Louisiana ---

Sept. 9, 2006

USA Box Score
SLU Box Score

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. ---- The Samford volleyball team wrapped up play at the Jaguar Classic today dropping their first match to host team South Alabama, 3-1, but taking third place by defeating the Lady Lions of Southeastern Louisiana University, 3-1.

In their first match against South Alabama, Samford fought through four hard games to take away a win, but came up short.

The Bulldogs came out strong, keeping the first game close before pulling out to a five point lead. The Jaguars tied the game at 14 and then pulled ahead. Samford never let South Alabama get ahead by more than two points, until later in the game when the Jaguars took a four point lead, 26-22. Samford fought hard, but could not take the lead and dropped game one, 24-30.

In game two, the Bulldogs took an early four point lead. The Jaguars tried to close the gap, but Samford would not give it up. South Alabama finally closed the gap and tied the game at 20, but Samford kept it a close game, before taking the lead 24-22. The Jaguars tied it twice more at 24 and 27, before taking a one point lead. Samford tied the game at 30, but could not put it away. The Bulldogs dropped game two, 32-30.

Samford took and early 2-0 lead in game three, but the Jaguars fought back to take the lead back by four. After getting down by as much as six, the Bulldogs roared back to keep the game within two. With Samford at 23 and South Alabama at 26, the Bulldogs charged back on a 7-2 run to win the game, 30-28.

The Bulldogs dominated the fourth game with an eight point lead most of the game. The Jaguars battled back to close the Samford lead within one, and soon took the lead at 29-26. South Alabama took the final game, 30-27, and the match 3-1.

Sophomore middle blocker Kirstein Sosnowski led the Bulldogs with 17 kills and a .389 hitting percentage, and red-shirt freshman defensive specialist Sarah Gardner led the team in digs with 29, just nine shy of an individual Samford record. Sophomore Jackie Jaszcz followed right behind with 59 assists and 18 digs. Freshman outside hitter Alyssa Trimpe chalked up 12 kills and 13 digs.

In their second match, the Bulldogs took on the Lady Lions of Southeastern Louisana University.

Samford came out to a seven point lead in the first game. SLU tried to close the gap but their efforts did not work. The Bulldogs led by as much as 14, and put this one away, 30-21.

The Bulldogs jump out with another big lead in game two, but the Lady Lions soon closed the lead to two and then tied the game at 18. Samford took bad control of the game and won it, 30-27.

Game three was close, one team getting a point, and then the other. SLU took a three point lead late in the game, 22-19, but Samford came back to tie it at 26. However, they would not be able to keep the Lady Lions from taking game three, 30-26.

The fourth game was close early, but Samford soon climbed to a seven point lead with a score of 12-5. The Bulldogs extended that lead to 11 at 25-14, and went on to win it, 30-19.

Stangohr was named to the Jaguar Classic All-Tournament Team, her second all-tournament team honor in a row. She led the team in the second game with a hitting percentage of .346 and the 13 kills. Sosnowski had 12 kills and a percentage of .292, and Trimpe posted eight kills and 15 digs. Jaszcz had 40 assists. Sarah Gardner led the team again in digs with 25.

Samford will be back in action Tuesday, Sept. 12, as they take on cross-town rival Birmingham-Southern in Bill Battle Coliseum on the BSC campus. Samford will be back at home on Sept. 15 as they host the Samford Barber’s Classic where they will welcome Louisiana-Monroe, Charlotte, and UNC-Asheville to campus.

*** SAMFORD BULLDOGS ***

Samford Drops First Match Of Jaguar Classic

--- Bulldogs fall to Auburn, 3-1 ---

Sept. 8, 2006

Box Score

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. ---- The Samford volleyball team dropped their first match of the Jaguar Classic to Auburn, 3-1.

The Bulldogs came out competitive and fought hard. Even though they could not take away the win, the Samford coaching staff was satisfied with the performance of this very young Bulldog squad.

“We were pleased,” said Head Coach Michelle Durban. “I think people look at our record and say we shouldn’t be out there on the court with an SEC team, but I think it showed that we are getting better. We were able compete with Auburn.”

Samford came out tough in game one, but slowly let the lead slip away as Auburn took an eight point lead. The Bulldogs could not catch up to close the gap, and dropped the first game 20-30.

In the second game, Samford took an early five point lead. The Tigers came back to close the lead to two, but the Bulldogs would hold on to this one, 30-27.

In game three the Bulldogs fell behind early, but came roaring back on a 7-1 run to take the lead after a crucial timeout. Auburn tied it up at 13, and then took at two point lead. Samford tied it up at 23, but could not put it away. The Bulldogs dropped game three, 29-31.

Samford fell behind early again in game four, but quickly tied it up, 8-8. However, they could not keep the Tigers from taking a four point lead. Auburn quickly extended the lead to ten, and Samford could not keep up. Auburn took the forth and final game, 30-14.

“If you look at the stats for game three,” said Durban, “we actually out hit Auburn. It’s the key errors, once again, from a young team, but I felt very confident. I think if we play like that the rest of the year, we will win a lot of matches.”

Freshman defensive specialist Sheridan Stangohr led the Bulldogs with 13 kills and a .276 hitting percentage. Sophomore outside hitter Sara Sears doubled up with 10 kills and 11 digs, and sophomore defensive specialist Sarah Gardner led the team in digs with 15.

Samford will wrap up tournament action tomorrow, beginning with host South Alabama at 1 p.m., and finally Southeastern Louisiana at 4:30 p.m.

*** SAMFORD BULLDOGS ***

Samford Nabs First Win Of The Season At Home

--- Bulldogs defeat Chattanooga, 3-1---

Sept. 6, 2006

Box Score

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. ---- The Samford volleyball team chalked up their first win of the season tonight in front of a home crowd as they defeated Chattanooga, 3-1.

The Bulldogs (1-5) came out with a bang, winning the first two games. In game one, Samford fell behind early but soon jumped out to a 12-8 lead. Chattanooga (0-4) kept it a close game, but Samford came out on top, 30-27.

In game two, Samford took the early lead and never looked back, leading by as much nine and winning the game, 30-19.

Game three was a back-and-forth game until the Lady Mocs of Chattanooga pulled away with a lead of three points. Samford fought back to tie it up at 16 and then 18, but could not put the win away. Chattanooga won 30-24.

Samford came back fighting hard in the fourth game. They took the early lead, but the Lady Mocs tied the game at 15. Samford then went on a 15 to 5 run, and wrapped the match up, winning the final game, 30-20.

“I think we definitely stepped up our game tonight,” Head Coach Michelle Durban said. “Tonight was a total team effort. We did a lot of different things. Jen (Powers) went down with leg cramps in the third game, so Kirstein (Sosnowski) came in. It was Sarah Gardner’s first time to play Libero. Courtney Gay had to come in at a different position.”

Freshmen hitters Katie Luckman and Sheridan Stangohr lead the Bulldogs to their first victory of the season. Luckman posted a double-double as she tallied 10 kills and 16 digs. Stangohr lead the team in hitting percentage at .379 and also posted a team high 14 kills.

Sophomore middle blocker Jen Powers went out in the third game with leg cramps, but still managed to hit .281 and post 10 kills. Sophomore setter Jackie Jaszcz also doubled up in three categories with 45 attack assists, 12 attack attempts, and 15 digs. Sophomore outside hitter Sara Sears had 8 kills and 19 digs, and senior defensive specialist Callaway Logan posted 17 digs.

“I think Sheridan (Stangohr) really stepped up for us. She played well this weekend and once again tonight, hitting over .300 and having 14 kills. Of course, Jen (Powers) hitting almost .300 and having 13 kills while having leg cramps, and Katie Luckman is doing exactly what we asked her to do.”

The Bulldogs out-blocked Chattanooga 11 to six, and out-hit the Lady Mocs every game except the third one.

“Tonight was about maintaining our focus,” said Durban. “Maybe that might help us get over that hump that we’ve been talking about. I think this win definitely will give our girls some confidence, and that is the biggest thing for us to have right now going into this weekend.”

Next, Samford will in action this weekend, as they travel to Mobile, Ala., to play in the South Alabama Tournament. There they will take on the Auburn Tigers on Friday at 4 p.m. Match play will continue on Saturday as the Bulldogs face hosts South Alabama at 1p.m., and Southeastern Louisiana at 4:30 p.m.

*** SAMFORD BULLDOGS ***

Samford Volleyball Host Chattanooga For First Home Match

--- The Bulldogs look for their first win of the season ---

Sept. 6, 2006

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. ---- The Samford volleyball team will hold its first match at home this Wednesday against the Lady Mocs of Chattanooga. Match play will start at 6 p.m.

The Bulldogs last met the Lady Mocs in Chattanooga in 2004, when they defeated Chattanooga, 3-2. This will be the nineteenth time the Bulldogs and Lady Mocs have faced off overall. Friday will mark Head Coach Michelle Durban’s second meeting with Lisa Rhodes’ Lady Mocs in her time here at Samford. Durban and her Bulldogs are excited about finally playing at home after playing the last two weekends on the road.

“I think our players are excited to finally be able to play in front of their friends,” Durban said. “They’ve been playing in front of their families the past two weekends, so I think there’s always more excitement around when fellow students and other athletes are able to come and watch.”

The Bulldogs look for their first win of the season. They have not faired well in the first two weekends of the season. Samford dropped to 0-5 this weekend at the University of Central Florida Tournament, losing to host team UCF, the Wolverines of Utah Valley State, and the Furman Paladins.

“We’ve been trying to show the girls what we are talking about when we are trying to make corrections from the bench, said Durban. “We are trying to make the girls understand in certain situations what they need to be doing as well as trying to lessen the amount of mistakes that we have been making by showing them what they are doing and then correcting them in practice as well.”

“I know we’ve talked to a few of them and they feel like they’ve got something to prove to show that we aren’t just off to another 0-5 start. We are better and we need to be able to show that especially at home.”

Samford will be back in action Sept. 8, as they travel to Mobile to play in the South Alabama Tournament. The Bulldogs will take on the Auburn Tigers on Friday at 4 p.m. Match play will continue on Saturday as Samford takes on host South Alabama at 1:30 p.m., and then Southeastern Louisiana at 4 p.m.

*** SAMFORD BULLDOGS ***