Four tournaments and 14 home matches, including eight Southern Conference contests and six non-conference games, highlight the 2015 Chattanooga Mocs volleyball schedule, as announced by head coach Travis Filar on Tuesday.
“I am truly excited about our 2015 team and the schedule that they will be competing through,” Filar said.
“I felt that there were two important factors when putting this year’s schedule together with how our team is built for this coming season: a competitive non-conference season and bringing great volleyball to Chattanooga.”
The 2015 season begins at home with the Chattanooga Classic, where the Mocs welcome Valparaiso, Troy and Eastern Kentucky, August 28-29. UTC is also set to host Austin Peay, Gardner-Webb and UAB in the Scenic City Showdown, Sept. 11-12.
Both tournaments are also sponsored by Hampton Inn & Suites of Downtown Chattanooga.
“With the talent and depth of our team next year, and the fact that I think we will play an exciting style of volleyball, I want our great fans to have as many opportunities as possible to watch this outstanding group of student-athletes compete,” Filar said. “We are hosting two tournaments for the second year in a row, plus our eight conference matches.”
In between its home tournaments, Chattanooga travels south to compete in Mississippi State’s Maroon Classic, Sept. 4-5. In Mississippi, UTC matches up against Stetson, Mississippi Valley State and host Mississippi State.
UTC closes out the pre-conference season on the road with a midweek match against Kennesaw State, Sept. 15, and Virginia Tech’s Hokie Invitational, Sept. 18-19. While in Virginia the Mocs take on Liberty, Middle Tennessee State and Virginia Tech.
“We always want to play a competitive non-conference schedule that will prepare us for Southern Conference play,” Filar said “. I wanted us to be playing teams during our first four weekends that I believe will either be in the top half of their respective leagues, or fighting for a conference championship and a NCAA bid, as those are the caliber of teams we will have to beat in the SoCon.”
The Mocs set off SoCon action at home as they welcome UNCG and Western Carolina with 6 p.m. matches on Sept. 25 and 26, respectively. Playing each team twice, Chattanooga will also host its remaining six conference foes with four more home matches in October and two in November.
UTC will close its home schedule on Nov. 7, when defending SoCon regular season champion Furman visits Maclellan Gym. Chattanooga’s regular season finale comes on Nov. 14, at Western Carolina.
A week later, the Mocs return to Cullowhee, N.C. for the 2015 Southern Conference Tournament, slated for Nov. 21-23.
“We look forward to getting this group together in August to continue to build upon the level of play and confidence that we developed this past spring,” Filar said. “It’s going to be an exciting year for Chattanooga volleyball.”