Career Accolades
- Two-time Pac-12 champion (2022, 2023)
- AVCA All-America second team (2024)
- VolleyballMag.com All-America first team (2024)
- Two-time AVCA All-Region (2023, 2024)
- All-ACC first team (2024)
- All-Pac-12 Conference (2023)
- All-Pac-12 Freshman Team (2021)
- NCAA Louisville Regional All-Tournament Team (2024)
- Three-time ACC Defensive Player of the Week (Sept. 16, 2024; Nov. 25, 2024; Dec. 2, 2024)
- Preseason All-ACC (2024)
- Preseason All-Pac-12 Conference (2023)
- All-ACC Academic Team (2024)
As a Senior (2024)
- AVCA All-America second team
- VolleyballMag.com All-America first team
- AVCA All-Pacific Region
- All-ACC first team
- NCAA Louisville Regional All-Tournament Team
- Three-time Defensive Player of the Week (Sept. 16, Nov. 25, Dec. 2)
- Preseason All-ACC
- All-ACC Academic Team
- Second in the ACC and sixth nationally with 1.53 blocks per set
- Third in the ACC and 20th nationally with a .401 hitting percentage
- Career-best 12 blocks in a sweep at North Carolina (Nov. 24)
- Hit a career-high .778 (7-0-9) against Virginia (Nov. 14)
- Matched her career-high with two aces versus NC State (Oct. 4)
- Season-high 17 kills against No. 22 Florida (Dec. 12) in the NCAA regional sefinal
As a Junior (2023) • Pac-12 Champions
- AVCA All-Pacific North Region
- All-Pac-12 Conference
- Preseason All-Pac-12 Conference
- Played in 30 matches, making 28 starts at middle blocker
- Ranked sixth in the Pac-12 with a .368 hitting percentage and 10th with 1.10 blocks per set
- Hit .400 or better in 15 matches
- Career-best two aces in the season opener at Northern Colorado (Aug. 25)
- Hit a season-high .667 (9-1-12) versus Oregon State (Nov. 11)
As a Sophomore (2022) • Pac-12 Champions
- Played in 17 matches, appearing in 63 sets at middle blocker
- Averaged 1.98 kills on .375 hitting, 1.46 blocks and 2.76 points per set
- Ranked second in the Pac-12 in blocks per set and fourth in hitting percentage
- Hit a season-best .667 (11-1-15) at Lipscomb (Aug. 26)
- Season-high 12 kills on .500 hitting at No. 13 Florida (Aug. 30)
- Twice registered season-best nine blocks
- at No. 13 Florida (Aug. 30) and versus No. 3 San Diego (Dec. 10)
As a Freshman (2021)
- All-Pac-12 Freshman Team
- Played in 24 matches, appearing in 91 sets as an outside hitter
- Averaged 2.76 kills, 0.55 blocks and 3.08 points per set
- Notched double-digit kills 13 times
- Registered a kill on match-point against No. 6 Nebraska (Sept. 14) in her collegiate debut
- Career-high 19 kills versus Cal (Sept. 22) in her Pac-12 debut
- Hit a season-high .467 against Arizona (Oct. 3)
- Career-best six digs at No. 22 Washington State (Oct. 21)
- Posted 10 kills, five digs and two blocks in her NCAA Tournament debut versus Iowa State (Dec. 3)
USA Volleyball
- Invited to train in the 2021 National Team Development Program Summer Training Series
- Spent time at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs for a Winter Invitational Camp (2018)
Prior to Stanford
- A 2021 graduate of La Jolla Country Day School in San Diego
- Four-year letterwinner, captained the team for three years
- Won the La Jolla Coastal Classic (2019) and September Classic Tournament (2017)
- Named MVP of both tournaments
- No. 2 ranked recruit by VolleyballMag.com
- Named to Fab 50 List
- No. 5 ranked recruit by PrepVolleyball (Top 150)
- Three-time PrepVolleyball All-American (2017, 2018, 2019)
- Fab 50 Juniors
- Soph 79
- Frosh 59
- Under Armour All-American preselect
- VolleyballMag.com Girls 25 Underclassmen to Watch List (2020)
- MaxPreps Underclassmen All-American Team (2017)
- Three-time Max Preps Preseason All-American (2018, 2019, 2020)
- FloVolleyball Rising Star (2021)
- CalHi Sports All-State Girls Second Team (2019)
- Two-time All-CIF
- First team in 2020, second team in 2019
- Four-time all-league first team (2017, 2018, 2019, 2020)
- Also played beach volleyball in 2017
- Played for Coast Volleyball Club
- VolleyballMag.com Club All-American (2019)
- Girls Junior National Championships All-Tournament Team (2019)
Personal
- Daughter of Sean and Victoria Francis
- Has two older sisters, Marissa and Avianna, an older brother, Stephen, and a younger brother, Shane
- Full name is Samantha Alicia Francis
Career Highs
| Statistic | Career High | Opponent | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kills | 19 | vs. California | Sept. 22, 2021 |
| Attempts | 51 | at Oregon | Oct. 10, 2021 |
| Hitting Percentage | .778 (7-0-9) | vs. Virginia | Nov. 14, 2024 |
| Assists | 2 (2X) | last at Notre Dame | Sept. 27, 2024 |
| Service Aces | 2 (2X) | last vs. NC State | Oct. 4, 2024 |
| Digs | 6 | at Washington State | Oct. 22, 2021 |
| Blocks | 12.0 | at North Carolina | Nov. 24, 2024 |