The Chattanooga Mocs volleyball team dropped a 3-0 match to Furman in the finals of the Southern Conference Tournament in Cullowhee, N.C. This was UTC's first runner-up finish in the SoCon Championships since 2001.
"This was our first tournament championship in a long time," head coach Travis Filar stated. "The foundation is set because of this season, these 16 student-athletes and very much because of our five seniors."
Following the league tournament, the Mocs are 26-6 and 13-4 in league play for the 2015-16 season.
Chattanooga won the SoCon regular season, which was the program's first since 1998.
In UTC's only three-set loss of the season, the Paladins came out strong offensively with 15 kills and a .306 hitting percentage to take the first 25-16.
"We got attacked right out of the gates. Furman played very free," Filar said. "Once we got settled in, we could never get a big enough lead to keep them at bay."
Throughout the nail biting second, the squads went back and forth, featuring 12 tied scores. The Mocs dropped the second 25-20.
Chattanooga fought back in the third frame, posting a solid offensive performance, including 16 kills and a .250 attack percentage. However, UTC came up just short 27-25 in the third.
During the match, the scored tied 27 times, with 11 lead changes.
"This is a great experience for our student-athletes to learn from," explained Filar. "When we get back to this point, we'll know what it feels like to be there."
Junior Allie Davenport (Tyrone, Ga.) posted a match-best 17 kills, while junior Kristy Wieser (Lincoln, Neb.) led the team with a .364 hitting percentage.
Senior Briana Reid (Houston, Texas) collected 10 kills, five of which came in the third frame.
Senior Lauren Gainer (Boca Raton, Fla.) hit a match-best five blocks.
"What we've done this year will be in the history of Chattanooga volleyball," shared Filar. "This team is special."