ETSU will play Samford on Friday and Mercer on Saturday

JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (Nov. 2, 2017) – The Bucs will conclude the road portion of their regular season schedule. First they will travel to Samford, for a 7:00 p.m. (CT) matchup on Friday (Nov. 3) and then the next day (Nov. 4), they will take on Mercer at noon.

RELATED LINKS: ETSU at Samford | Friday, Nov. 3 | 7:00 p.m. (CT) | LIVE STATS | SOCON DIGITAL NETWORK

ETSU at Mercer | Saturday, Nov. 4 | Noon | LIVE STATS

LAST TIME OUT: The Bucs are coming off a very successful weekend, as they picked up two conference wins, including one win against Furman, who was undefeated in the conference at the time. Marija Popovic’s (Belgrade, Serbia) defensive efforts helped her earn her second consecutive SoCon Defensive Player of the Week.

SERIES HISTORY:

ETSU vs. Samford: The Bucs and the Bulldogs have only met eight times dating back to 2005. Last season, the Bucs won both regular season matches, but they were swept by Samford in the SoCon Tournament. Earlier in the season, the Bucs defeated Samford 3-1.

ETSU vs. Mercer: ETSU has an all-time record of 17-5 against Mercer. In both matches in 2016, the Bucs swept Mercer and did the same thing earlier this season.

A LOOK AT ETSU: The Bucs are ranked second in the SoCon with a 9-3 record. Throughout the season, they have led the conference in blocks. Middle blocker Braedyn Tutton (Courtice, Ontario) leads the conference in blocks. ETSU’s hitting percentage ranks second in the conference, as Tutton is ranked second individually. The Bucs are ranked third in assists with the help of Alyssa Kvarta (Crown Point, Ind.) and Lexie Libs (Floyds Knobs, Ind.) who have been tremendous in setting up their hitters. Kvarta is also eighth in the conference in assists. ETSU is ranked sixth in service aces, while Rylee Milhorn (Kingsport, Tenn.) is ranked third individually. She is also fourth in the conference in kills. Lastly, the Bucs are fourth in the conference in digs, led by Marija Popovic who is first in the conference.

A LOOK AT SAMFORD: Samford is 6-6 in conference play and tied with Chattanooga for fifth. Samford is coming off a 3-2 loss to UNCG and a 3-1 win over Western Carolina. Junior setter Taylor Anderton, was named the SoCon Offensive Player of the Week, after recording her season-high of 57 assists against Western Carolina. Anderton is sixth in the conference in assists and Samford is fourth as a team overall. Samford ranks third in service aces and second in digs. Shayla Phillip ranks third in her hitting percentage, while Krista Boesing leads the SoCon in kills.

A LOOK AT MERCER: Mercer has a 2-10 conference record and are currently in seventh place. Their two wins came from The Citadel and Western Carolina. Mercer is ranked fourth with their hitting percentage. Paige Alsten is ranked ninth with her hitting percentage and fourth in kills. Claire Walizcek is also fourth in assists.

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