Volleyball Travels to OVC's Best :: Preseason favorite and defending champs on deck for Bulldogs

Oct. 2, 2003

The Samford volleyball team takes its two-match win streak into two very difficult arenas this week as the Bulldogs face the Ohio Valley Conference's preseason favorite, Murray State, and defending conference champion, Tennessee-Martin, on Friday and Saturday.

The Bulldogs (6-8, 1-1 OVC) put back-to-back wins together for the first time this season after a come from beyond victory over Mercer on Tuesday. Hilary Gary had a season-high 24 kills and Alyssa Whitehead had her eighth-straight double-double to aid the Samford comeback. It was the first match this season the Bulldogs have overcome a 0-2 or a 1-2 deficit to win. The Bulldogs are in the middle of their longest road trip of the season. This weekend marks match three and four of a five-match road swing.

Stefanie Pickett is one block assist from becoming only the second Samford player to reach 300 career block assists. She trails the all-time leader Melissa Karawowski (1992-95) by 30 block assists.

Murray State (8-4, 3-0 OVC) is the preseason conference favorite and enters the match riding an eight-match winning streak. The Racers have lost just one game in their last six matches and have not lost a game in OVC play sweeping UT-Martin, Morehead State and Eastern Kentucky. Paige Sun leads the OVC in kills averaging 4.41 per game. As a team, the Racers are hitting .254.

Tennessee-Martin (2-15, 0-3 OVC) is the defending Ohio Valley champion but is off to a slow start. The Skyhawks are 0-3 in the league falling to Murray, EKU, and Morehead State. Leigh Reiniche and Jamie Fitzwater each have 191 kills to lead UTM. The Skyhawks have dropped three straight matches after falling to St. Louis on Tuesday.

Samford and Murray State are meeting for the first time this weekend. The Bulldogs are 1-5 all-time against UT-Martin. The last meeting in the series came back on Sept. 9, 2000. The Skyhawks won that match 3-1 in Oxford, Miss., The only time Samford defeated UT-Martin was on Oct. 6, 1992 3-2 in Birmingham.