GREENVILLE, S.C. – Fifth-year
Lauren Haynes posted her second consecutive double-double Friday evening as the Furman volleyball team closed out the regular season with a 3-0 (25-19, 25-21, 25-23) sweep of the Samford Bulldogs on Senior Day at Timmons Arena.
Furman concludes the regular season 14-15 overall and 8-10 in the SoCon. Samford drops to 12-16 overall and 9-9 in conference play. The win was the Paladins' fifth straight three-set triumph against the Bulldogs and seventh victory in the last eight meetings.
Haynes, who was one of six players playing their final home match on Friday, turned in her fourth double-double of the season after finishing with 12 kills, leading all players, and 13 digs.
Ashley Stein provided eight kills and eight digs. Senior
Emily Navarro fell just one dig shy of a double-double, tallying 16 assists and nine digs.
Morgan Baldridge dished out 19 assists. Senior
Kennedy Seekford, who became just the second player in program history to compile 1,900 digs, had a match high 19.
Brianna Hamilton led the Bulldogs with seven kills and 10 digs. Maggie Kalisz compiled 16 assists.
Furman would hit .419 in the opening set leading to a 25-19 win. Eight different players combined for 16 kills led by three apiece from Haynes and senior
Tennyson Gorman. Baldridge added seven assists and Seekford five digs. The Paladins jumped out to a 10-4 lead and saw their advantage increase to 20-13 late off a kill from Haynes. Samford rallied to within three, 21-18, but Furman closed on a 4-1 run. Stein captured the set following her kill.
The Paladins limited the Bulldogs to just .116 hitting during the second set en route to the 25-21 triumph. Haynes and Stein both collected three kills, Baldridge and Navarro six assists each, and Seekford nine digs. The frame featured eight ties with four occurring in the initial eight points. Haynes gave Furman an 11-5 lead when Samford answered by outscoring the Paladins, 12-7, to go in front 17-15 coming out of a timeout. Furman ended the set on a 10-4 run capped by a Bulldog service error.
The Paladins clinched the three-set sweep with a 25-23 victory in the third set. Furman outhit Samford, .227-.079, and saw Haynes post eight kills on .364 hitting and seven digs, and six assists by both Baldridge and Navarro. The Bulldogs led for most of the set, leading by four points twice, before going ahead 20-15 on a Paladin attack error. Furman fought back to trail 22-21, capping a 6-1 run, but committed a service error the following point. The Paladins would secure the match scoring the last four points of the set.
Lindsay Walch's service ace clinched the win.
Furman concluded the contest outhitting Samford, .289-.112, and held a 45-27 advantage in kills, 44-23 in assists, and 68-44 in digs. The Paladins also registered seven blocks led by three apiece from Gorman and
Kacie Moore.
Gorman, Haynes, Navarro, and Seekford were honored prior to first serve along with
Izzy Castelloe and
Brooke Scheffler as part of Furman's Senior Day ceremony.
The 2026 SoCon Volleyball Championship is slated for November 19-22 at Harrah's Cherokee Center in Asheville, N.C. Stay tuned to www.furmanpaladins.com and the Furman volleyball Twitter page (@FurmanVB) for up-to-date postseason information.
Fans can begin purchasing tickets by clicking
here. VIP tickets are $35 and general admission are available for $15. SoCon students can purchase tickets for $10 with their student ID.
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