After what was a historic 2024 regular season that culminated in Chattanooga beach volleyball capturing the team’s first-ever Ohio Valley Conference regular season title, the Mocs raked in a haul of honors at the league’s awards banquet on Wednesday evening prior to the OVC Tournament.
In total, the Mocs came away with 14 honors and awards from the league this year, including the Mocs sweeping the conference’s four major awards in Player of the Year, Pair of the Year, Freshman of the Year and Staff of the Year.
This award total marks a new OVC record for honors won by a single team in a season, with the previous best mark belonging to UT Martin’s 2022 total of 11. It also marks the first time in OVC history that one team has swept all four major awards in a single season.
For reference, over the other four seasons that Chattanooga beach volleyball has existed, the team has received a total of 20 different regular season honors and awards from the OVC.
"We are grateful to receive such recognition from the OVC," head coach Darin Van Horn said. "Our student-athletes are seen by their coaches and teammates daily, and we know how hard they work, but for the league to recognize it as well is an honor. I'm especially proud of our pairs not just for their skill but for the attention to communication, body language and belief that they've built together this year."
"No individual, pair or staff award is received without the team. All five pairs for us this year have been reliable, and even our alternates have helped push the level of play on a daily basis. We will celebrate these recognitions tonight and then turn our focus back to the team and competing for the championship."
Van Horn alongside his wife and assistant coach, Juliana, received the distinction of Staff of the Year for the second time of their careers following a regular season in which the Mocs finished 16-9 overall and 9-1 in conference play enroute to helping the team capture its first-ever OVC regular season title in program history. Over UTC’s last 16 matches of the 2024 season, the Mocs went 15-1 including winning its last nine consecutive Ohio Valley Conference matchups.
"Juliana and I are humbled to receive the Staff of the Year award while being surrounded by an incredible group of coaches who give so much to their programs," Van Horn said.
Neva Clark once again heard her name called as the conference’s Player of the Year, becoming the first player in league history to win the honor twice after capturing the award a season ago for the Mocs. Clark currently sits 14-11 on the year, dropping just one OVC match on the year with a conference record of 9-1.
Corina Vale also made history for UTC on Wednesday night, becoming the first player in program history to earn the distinction of OVC Freshman of the Year. Playing alongside UTC’s two-time Player of the Year, Vale was also able to cap off her rookie campaign with a 14-11 record and 9-1 OVC slate.
Together, Clark and Vale dominated from the No. 1 position for the Mocs, ultimately securing the title of OVC Pair of the Year in the process. This is also Clark’s second instance of earning the honor, having been one half of the OVC’s 2023 Pair of the Year alongside teammate Joy Courtright.
A total of four Mocs found themselves earning First Team All-OVC nods, with UTC’s No. 1 duo of Clark and Vale being accompanied by the pairing of Gylian Finch and McKenna Faychak. Finch and Faychak wrapped up the 2024 season with a record of 13-6 (9-1 OVC) on the year playing primarily in the team’s No. 2 position, including bringing home the pair’s first OVC Pair of the Week honor earlier this week.
Four Mocs also found their way onto the league’s Second Team All-OVC list, with the Court 3 duo of Joy Courtright and Maddie Lecik and Court 4 pairing of Paige Gallentine and Kaye Gresham all receiving spots. Courtright and Lecik, both All-OVC competitors a year ago for UTC, ended the season 13-7 (8-2 OVC) for the Mocs, while Gallentine and Gresham finished 16-7 (9-1 OVC). This also marks Gallentine’s second OVC honor of her career, while Gresham has now earned her first from the conference.
Finally, Chattanooga found itself well-represented on the league’s OVC All-Freshman Team with two Mocs earning praise for their rookie campaigns. Outside of Corina Vale’s Freshman of the Year season, fellow newcomer Julia Lawrence was honored by the conference after the Merrick, New York, native completed her first year of collegiate action with an impressive 14-1 record, including going 8-1 in conference play.
While a record-setting night of awards is fun to marvel at, the Mocs aren’t ready to celebrate quite yet with UTC’s eyes currently fixating on the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament, set to kick off Thursday, April 25 in Morehead, Kentucky. The No. 2 seeded Mocs will be aiming to punch their ticket into the program’s first-ever NCAA Tournament and will open their weekend tomorrow at 4 p.m. ET. All matches this weekend in Morehead can be streamed on ESPN+.