Mocs vollyeball team get together after winning a point Saturday in the Chattanooga Classic.
photo by Dale Rutemeyer/GoMocs.com
The Chattanooga Mocs volleyball team captured 3-0 sweeps against Presbyterian College and Mississippi Valley State on Saturday, their third sweep in as many matches as part of the Chattanooga Classic – presented by Hampton Inn & Suites (Downtown Chattanooga) – held in Maclellan Gym.
The Mocs won the first two sets by scores of 25-10 and 25-14 before clinching the match win with a 25-21 victory in the third set against Presbyterian. Chattanooga improved to 2-0 while the Blue Hose fell to 2-1 on the season.
"I really challenged the team to respond today and play better," said coach Travis Filar.
"I told them to just get better as the day goes on, and I thought we did that, offensively and defensively."
Senior leaders Allie Davenport (Tyrone, Ga.) and Kristy Wieser (Lincoln, Neb.) paced the Mocs with ten and nine kills, respectively. Wieser finished the match hitting at a team-high .571 percentage as Davenport followed with a .269 hitting percentage. UTC completed the match hitting at a .279 clip as a team while forcing Presbyterian to finish at a .034 percentage.
Junior transfer Kasey Altman (San Diego, Calif.) led the team with 11 digs and marked four assists during the match. Classmate Lauren Greenspoon (Houston, Texas) collected a team-best 29 assists for the second match in a row while chipping in with ten digs on the defensive side.
The Mocs aced the Blue Hose ten times as seven different players' registered at least one ace while Davenport, Greenspoon and sophomore Miranda Elpers (Louisville, Ky.) collected two service aces each.
In game two of the doubleheader, UTC blanked Mississippi Valley State in three sets by scores of 25-9, 25-7 and 25-8. With the win, the Mocs improve to 3-0 on the season while the Devilette's fall to 1-3.
Chattanooga continued to showcase a vicious attack game at the net as they finished the match hitting at a .413 percentage while collecting 38 total kills in the victory. In comparison, the UTC defense limited MVSU to a -.162 hitting percentage. Wieser and freshman Dani Szczepanski (Cincinnati, Ohio) paced the Mocs with seven kills each while hitting a combined .415 percent.
"To hold both of these opponents to low hitting percentages while attacking at a really high rate was great. I thought today was awesome because we could really showcase our depth and we did just that," added Filar.
In addition to Szczepanski, other freshmen made a large impact in UTC's third straight 3-0 sweep victory of the season. Brianna Anderson (Austin, Texas) and Mikaela Gauthreaux (Johns Creek, Ga.) added four kills each to go along with Szczepanski's eight kills, while combining for a .265 hitting percentage between the three of them.
"We're really excited about this (freshman) class, it's a strong class and they've come in with a great mentality, they've worked hard every single day in the gym, and are taking advantage of their opportunities on the court to showcase how talented they are," added Filar.
The Mocs prepare to wrap-up the Chattanooga Classic tomorrow afternoon against a Big West member in Cal State Fullerton.
Filar stated, "It's going to be a great match tomorrow with Fullerton, a team from the West Coast that's very fast and athletic, I'm excited to see how we play against a great team that has a different style, and see how we put together three days in a row."
UTC (3-0) takes on Cal State Fullerton (2-0) tomorrow in Macllelan Gym at 3 p.m. as the final game of the Chattanooga Classic – presented by Hampton Inn & Suites – and a battle of early unbeaten teams. Admission is FREE and LIVE STATS will be available on GoMocs.com.