East Tennessee State University

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - East Tennessee State University's volleyball team fell 3-1 in its opening match of Southern Conference play at Samford on Thursday at the Pete Hanna Center.

East Tennessee State (2-10, 0-1 SoCon) and Samford (4-7, 1-0 SoCon) opened the first set trading shots, as a kill by Makayla Bays allowed the Buccaneers to trail just two at 9-7. The Bulldogs extended their lead to 17-12, but a kill by Sophie Davis cut the Bucs' deficit to 17-13. Samford continued to lead, as a 3-0 run ended the first set with the Bulldogs taking the 25-17 win. 

A service ace by Bailey Gohlke tied the second set at 4; however, a 9-0 run by Samford gave them an 18-7 lead. A Kill by Darby Felts and a Bulldog error were the last points by the Bucs, as Samford took the 25-12 second-set win. 

Samford took an early 5-0 lead to open the third set, as the Bucs managed to battle back, with kills by Felts and Karis Chatfield followed by an ace by Melanie Morris allowed them to get within one at 16-15 and force a Bulldog timeout. A kill by Elizabeth Aylward, a block by Gianna Blair and Aylward, and a Samford error allowed the Bucs their first lead of the match at 18-17. The teams traded shots, as a kill by Chatfield gave ETSU the 24-21 set point. The Bulldogs managed to fight off two set points, but a kill by Makayla Bays ended the set with the Bucs taking the 26-24 win. 

A kill by Aylward allowed the Bucs to tie the set at 6, but a 9-1 run by Samford allowed them to lead 15-7 and force an ETSU timeout. An 11-2 run by the Buccaneers allowed them to tie the set and take a lead with consecutive kills by Aylward. A 4-0 run by the Bulldogs gave them a lead at 23-20, as consecutive kills by Chatfield got the Bucs back within one at 23-22. A kill by Samford's Maggie Kalisz and an ace by Brooklyn Drumwright ended the match with Samford taking the 25-22 fourth-set win. 

The Bucs' opening weekend of SoCon action continues tomorrow at Samford at 7:30 p.m. (ET).

For news and updates ahead of the Buccaneers' 2026 season, follow the volleyball team on X and Instagram (@etsuvolleyball) or check back in on etsubucs.com.

Match points

• Karis Chatfield and Elizabeth Aylward combined for 25 kills. 
• Chatfield led the team with a .310 hitting percentage. 
• Chatfield also had a double-double with her 13 kills and 15 digs. 
• Alex Kreutzmann led with 25 assists. She had a double-double with 25 assists and 12 digs. 
• Makayla Bays had two service aces. 
• Aylward, Emma Macferran, and Gianna Blair each had two total blocks.