With preseason work in full swing and the regular season opener at the Tennessee Invitational in Knoxville just under two weeks away, GoMocs.com gives a preview of the 2018 Chattanooga Mocs volleyball program. The final installment will focus on the setter position.
Only two setters sit on this year’s roster, freshman Jaquelyn Langhaim and sophomore Maddie Halsey, but head coach Travis Filar believes this could be the most talented setting group in quite some time.
“In my eight years here at Chattanooga, the two setters that we will have running the offense this fall, sophomore Maddie Halsey and freshman Jaquelyn Langhaim, are the two most athletic and dynamic setters we have had,” added Filar.
“They are working on consistency of tempo and location, but athletically they can do it all, and because of that, even when we are out of system, it will not feel as much because of their ability to cover the court and better the ball for our attackers.”
Halsey, Rochester Hills, Mich., returns after a freshmen season where she saw limited time on the court behind a pair of seniors in Lauren Greenspoon and Madison Bergren.
In that limited time, she impressed with a 31-assist performance against Washington State after notching 25 against Illinois in the previous match. Showing her athleticism, Halsey finished with four kills each in both of those matches while finishing the WSU match with a .429 attacking percentage.
Langhaim, Alpine, Utah, joins the Mocs for her freshman season after completing a stellar high school career at Lone Peak High School in Utah. She helped lead her team to back-to-back 6A state championship titles while earning first team All-Utah honors in the process. Langhaim enrolled early at UTC in the winter of 2018 and had the opportunity to compete with the Mocs during the spring season.
“Both setters are capable of running our offensive system at a high level so I think our offense will show steady growth throughout the fall, in addition to both being able to be physical at the net as blockers and attackers if needed, and to defend their position when in the backcourt,” Filar stated.
Chattanooga opens up the new season against Belmont at 4 p.m. on Friday, August 24, in Knoxville, Tenn., as part of the Tennessee Invitational. UTC will then face No. 22 Michigan State and Tennessee on Saturday to close out tournament play. All ticket, match coverage and more information can be found on the schedule page.