JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (Oct 3, 2024) – East Tennessee State University volleyball leaves Tennessee after playing one of the two initially scheduled opening weekend matches as a result of travel conditions due to Hurricane Helene.
The Bucs (9-4, 1-0 SoCon) open the conference road slate at 6 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 4 at Mercer, and then head to Alabama to face Samford at 8 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. CT on Saturday, Oct. 5.
ETSU notched a win in its home opener, defeating UNC Greensboro 3-1, and is now primed to continue its road-heavy schedule, with five of the next eight contests away from the friendly confines of Brooks Gymnasium.
Graduate setter
Reese Rhodes has been instrumental in the Bucs' early season success, leading the squad in assists (438) and aces (18). Senior outside hitter
Amanda Lowe has tallied 148 kills, sophomore libero
Melanie Morris has 159 digs and senior middle blocker
Abbey Thomas has 55 blocks, all of which lead the team.
Mercer enters the conference contest at 11-3 (1-0 SoCon) and tied for second with ETSU in the conference standings after both squads only played one match the opening weekend. The Bears and Bucs both went 2-0 against their nonconference common opponents, Elon and Kennesaw State. Mercer dropped matches to High Point, FAU and Illinois State, and boasts wins over Southern Miss, Ohio and The Citadel.
The Bears are led by Brooks Phillips, who has totaled 42 aces and 498 assists. Skye Ekes has posted 196 kills, MeMe Davis has 237 digs and Skyler Bumpers and Lou Johnson each have 39 blocks.
The Bucs are 27-11 all time vs. the Bears. Devine went 20-5 against Mercer from 2005-2018, including an 8-3 mark in Macon. Mercer won the most recent contest 3-1 in 2023.
Samford will enter the match 7-5 (1-1 SoCon) pending the results of their Friday match vs. Western Carolina. The Bulldogs have played four Power 4 opponents, including a win over Mississippi State. The Bucs and Bulldogs have not yet played a common opponent.
The Bulldogs are led by Kate Morgan, who leads the team with 19 aces and 182 digs, Kaleigh Merritt, who has 170 kills, Lexi Thatcher, who has tallied 505 assists, and Kate Wonus, who has posted 30 blocks.
ETSU is 12-13 all-time vs. Samford, and Devine is 8-5 against the Jaguars, including a 4-2 record in Homewood. The Bulldogs won the most recent contest 3-2 in 2023.
The Mercer contest will be available on ESPN+. The match vs. Samford will not be broadcast. For more information on Buccaneer volleyball, follow @ETSUVolleyball on X (Twitter) and Instagram, and visit ETSUBucs.com.
