Furman To Play Host To 2009 SoCon Volleyball Tournament This Weekend
Nov. 16, 2009
GREENVILLE, S.C. -- Furman will play host to the 2009 Southern Conference Volleyball Tournament this weekend in Alley Gymnasium. On Saturday, the Paladins, ranked #1 in the South Division, will take on Appalachian State, the number two seed in the North Division, at Noon.
The second semifinal match, scheduled for 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, will feature Samford, the number one seed in the North, versus College of Charleston, the number two seed in the South Division. The championship match will be held Sunday at 2 p.m., pitting the winners of the two semifinal matches against each other, with the winner being awarded an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.
Furman (25-3, 16-0 SoCon) defeated The Citadel Sunday to complete the regular season with a perfect 16-0 record in the Southern Conference. This marks the first time in the history of Furman volleyball that the Paladins have gone undefeated in the league. With the win, the Paladins extended their winning streak to 18 matches, the longest in Furman volleyball history.
Appalachian State (14-16, 10-6 SoCon) defeated Elon on Saturday to earn a berth to the league tournament, its first since 2007. The Mountaineers hold a 30-22 series advantage over The Paladins, but Furman defeated Appalachian State 3-2 earlier this season in Boone and won last season's meeting between the two schools 3-2.
At last year's Southern Conference Tournament in Greensboro, N.C., Furman, the South Division's # 2 seed, defeated the South Division's #1 seed, College of Charleston, 3-2, in the championship match. This was the first title for the Paladins since 1990, and ended the four-year streak of College of Charleston's tournament titles. Furman became the first team since 2003 to win each match in the tournament in five sets. The Paladins defeated both No. 1 seeds, Samford and College of Charleston for the conference title.
Admission to the Southern Conference Tournament is $5.00 for an adult single session pass and $3.00 for students for a single session pass.
Saturday, November 21
12:00 p.m. - Semifinal match #1 (Furman University vs. Appalachian State)
2:30 p.m. - Semifinal match #2 (Samford University vs. College of Charleston)
Sunday, November 22
2:00 p.m. - Championship match