Southern Conference Volleyball Tournament Central
Volleyball Championship Program
SPARTANBURG, S.C. - The 2009 Southern Conference Volleyball Championship gets underway Saturday at Alley Gymnasium on the campus of Furman University in Greenville, S.C.
Furman, the No. 1 seed in the South Division, will face Appalachian State, the No. 2 seed in the North Division in the first match, which is scheduled for 12 p.m. The second match is set for 2:30 p.m. and pits North Division No. 1 Samford against South Division No. 2 College of Charleston.
Sunday's championship match is slated for 2 p.m.
The Paladins finished the regular season 25-3 overall, 16-0 in conference play and are currently riding an 18-match winning streak. It marks the first time in program history that Furman has gone undefeated in league play, and the Paladins are the first team to accomplish the feat since College of Charleston in 2005. The defending tournament champions are seeking their third title.
Appalachian State posted a 14-16 overall record and went 10-6 in the conference. The Mountaineers are making their first tournament appearance since 2007 and are seeking their first tournament title since 1994.
In the one regular season matchup between Furman and Appalachian State the Paladins edged the Mountaineers in five sets.
In only its second year in the league, Samford clinched its second North Division title and makes its second-straight appearance in the conference tournament. The Bulldogs finished the season 17-13 overall and 11-5 in the league. Last season, Samford fell to Furman in the tournament semifinals.
College of Charleston is making its 11th consecutive appearance in the conference tournament and is seeking its sixth title. The Cougars posted a 16-12 overall record and went 12-4 in the SoCon to earn the No. 2 seed. CofC has played in the championship match seven-straight times, but last season fell to Furman in five sets. The Cougars last won the tournament title in 2007.
The Cougars swept Samford in their one regular season meeting.
All of the action will be available LIVE through SoCon.TV. Fans that are unable to attend will have the opportunity to view the semifinals and championship matches by logging on to SoConSports.com and subscribing to SoCon.TV. From the first serve to the final point, every moment of the volleyball action will be available, including exclusive coach and athlete interviews and the final awards presentation. An archived version of the event will also be available so subscribers can go back and relive the exciting moments.