Chattanooga volleyball team gets back to action quickly this week as the team travels to Birmingham, Ala., to take on the Samford BulldogsWednesday for a midweek Southern Conference matchup.
The Mocs look to avenge a 3-1 loss to Samford from the first weekend of SoCon play, falling to the Bulldogs at Maclellan Gym.
In total points, Samford out-scored UTC just 70-66 and was out-blocked 13.0-8.0 by Chattanooga. Despite the loss, sophomoreAllie Davenport (Tyrone, Ga.) and junior Lauren gainer (Boca Raton, Fla.) each managed 11 kills and hitting percentages above .350.
Chattanooga is looking to bounce back from a tough 0-2 weekend of league play, falling to UNCG 3-0 and dropping a 3-2 contest to Mercer. Kristy Wieser (Lincoln, Neb.) was UTC’s offensive leader with 27 kills and an outstanding .529 hitting percentage against the Spartans and Bears. The sophomore also leads the roster with 237 kills and is averaging 2.58 kills per set.
The defense is led by Gainer and sophomore Nicole Sumida (Hixson, Tenn.) as the two have combined for 169 blocks of UTC’s 182.5 total blocks. Junior Catherine Chason(Alpharetta, Ga.) leads the defensive lineup with 398 digs while Wieser ranks second with 232.
The Bulldogs sit atop the SoCon standings with a 9-1 record. Samford’s only loss in the league came Saturday as it fell to UNCG 3-0. Its other weekend contest was a 3-2 win over ETSU.
Junior Emily Meitz leads Samford with a .303 hitting percentage and senior Michaela Reesor leads the SoCon with 3.67 kills per set. Reesor has totaled 305 kills on the season. Meitz also ranks among the top 10 in blocking with 0.86 blocks per set.
The match is set to begin at 7 p.m., and can be followed free via live stats and the SoCon Digital Network. Links to both can be found on the GoMocs.com volleyball schedule page.
Chattanooga finishes out the week with a 7 p.m. match against Western Carolina in Cullowhee, S.C., Friday and a 5 p.m. start against ETSU Saturday in Johnson City, Tenn. The Mocs wrap up the season at home Nov. 14-15 against Wofford and Furman.