GREENVILLE, S.C. – The Furman volleyball team is at Alley Gymnasium for the first time this weekend when it hosts the Alabama State Hornets, North Florida Osprey, and Winthrop Eagles in the Furman Invite.
The tournament will be held Thursday through Saturday with the Paladins scheduled for one match each day. Furman begins tournament play on Thursday at 6 p.m. against Alabama State before returning to action Friday at 6 p.m. versus North Florida. The Paladins conclude tournament play Saturday afternoon facing Winthrop at 2 p.m.
Fans can follow the action on www.furmanpaladins.com via live stats. The contests Friday and Saturday are being streamed via paid subscription on ESPN+. Updates will be posted on the Furman volleyball Twitter page (@FurmanVB).
Admission to all Paladin home matches this season is free of charge with first-come, first-serve seating. Furman has three promotions scheduled for this week's matches:
Thursday, September 11 | 6:00 p.m. vs. Alabama State
Spin 2 Win
Students in attendance will have a chance to win some great prizes such as official Volleyball gear.
Friday, September 12 | 6:00 p.m. vs. North Florida
Country Night
Students and fans are encouraged to wear their best country attire: boots, hats, etc. The best dressed fan will be recognized with official Volleyball gear and prizes. Students should arrive early and visit the marketing table to pick up purple cowboy hats and bandanas.
Saturday, September 13 | 2:00 p.m. vs. Winthrop
Camper Appreciation Day
All youth in attendance will get to meet and greet the team following the match for an autograph session on the court.
The Paladins (4-2) won two out of three on the road last weekend competing at the Bulldog Invitational in Asheville, N.C. Furman opened the tournament falling in four sets to East Carolina before rallying back with a 3-0 sweep of West Georgia and 3-1 triumph over host UNC Asheville.
Tennyson Gorman paced the Paladins with 10 kills against East Carolina while
Emily Navarro turned in a double-double with 23 assists and 11 digs. Defensively,
Kennedy Seekford led the team with 17 digs and Gorman totaled six assisted blocks. Furman concluded the match hitting .063 and had 46 kills, 42 assists, 61 digs, and seven blocks.
In the win over West Georgia, a total of four players had seven or more kills led by Gorman's nine on .333 hitting. Navarro and
Quinn Morrissey combined for 35 assists, and Seekford and
Ashley Stein both had eight digs. The Paladins finished with a .202 hitting percentage and held West Georgia to .033, the lowest by a Furman opponent this season. The Paladins held a 41-23 advantage in kills, 39-20 in assists, and 36-25 in digs.
Stein and
Lindsay Walch had 11 kills each to lift Furman to a 3-1 victory against UNC Asheville to close out the Bulldog Invitational. Navarro added another double-double, her team leading third of the season, with 16 assists and 13 digs.
Amber Watson contributed her first career double-double on 10 kills and 10 digs. Seekford led all players with 20 digs and Moore had a career best seven assisted blocks. The Paladins concluded the match hitting .200 and held a 50-43 advantage in kills, 46-38 in assists, and 65-58 in digs. Furman finished with a season high 12 blocks.
Alabama State enters the weekend with an 0-6 overall record while North Florida is 3-4 and Winthrop 2-3. The Paladins lead the all-time series 1-0 over Alabama State, 3-0 against North Florida, and 21-19 versus Winthrop.
Furman hosts Charlotte at Alley Gymnasium next Thursday, September 18, before traveling to Charlotte, N.C., September 19-20, to take on Maryland Eastern Shore and Ohio at Charlotte's Halton Arena.
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