Chattanooga beach volleyball ended the day undefeated in the team’s first home weekend of the season, with UTC claiming a pair of 5-0 sweep victories over Morehead State and Eastern Illinois on Friday at the OVC Weekend at UTC.
The Mocs opened their day against Morehead State, where Chattanooga was able to easily handle the Eagles across the board in a 5-0 thumping. That’s when the rain started to fall in the Scenic City, and the Mocs were tasked with battling the weather as well as Eastern Illinois. Despite the elements, the Mocs swept their way to another 5-0 victory, collecting the team’s third consecutive win of the season to help move UTC to 4-8 on the year and 2-1 in the Ohio Valley Conference.
“Proud of the way we competed today,” head coach Darin Van Horn said. “I felt we earned our wins. We need to carry that momentum into tomorrow’s duals. We have two more opponents that have gotten better since joining the conference.”
UTC will now close out its weekend slate of matches tomorrow afternoon, as the Mocs will host Lindenwood at 2 p.m. ET followed by Tennessee Tech at 6 p.m. ET to close out the OVC Weekend at UTC at the UTC Sports Complex.
Chattanooga vs. Morehead State – W, 5-0 The Mocs set the tone for the day off right in their morning match against Morehead State, with UTC steamrolling their way to their first 5-0 sweep of the 2024 season. The duo of Paige Gallentine/Kaye Gresham struck first with a speedy 21-9, 21-12 victory on Court 4, and this was then followed up by a convincing 21-16, 21-6 win by Julia Lawrence and Morgan Romano on Court 5. The No. 1’s then went on to clinch the match for the Mocs, with Neva Clark and Corina Vale cruising their way to the win. McKenna Faychak and Gylian Finch followed suit with yet another two-set win for Chattanooga on Court 2. Joy Courtright and Maddie Lecik’s match on Court 3 was the lone match to go to a third set, but once again the Mocs prevailed with the 3’s capturing a 21-15, 21-23, 15-7 result to seal the UTC sweep.
1. Neva Clark/Corina Vale (UTC) def. Irene Wogenstahl/Bella Marita (MSU) 21-10, 21-14
2. Gylian Finch/McKenna Faychak (UTC) def. Sydney Wyman/Peighton Isley (MSU) 21-12, 21-7
3. Joy Courtright/Maddie Lecik (UTC) def. Me Hargan/Shea Hefner (MSU) 21-15, 21-23, 15-7
4. Paige Gallentine/Kaye Gresham (UTC) def. Brenna Bommer/Lily-Kate Carver (MSU) 21-9, 21-12
5. Julia Lawrence/Morgan Romano (UTC) def. Amelia Nott/Landyn Snowden (MSU) 21-16, 21-6
Order of finish: 4, 5, 1, 2, 3
Chattanooga vs. Eastern Illinois – W, 5-0 Paige Gallentine and Kaye Gresham set the tone for the Mocs in the No. 4 spot, quickly grabbing a two-set win to put the Mocs up by one. The 5’s needed a full three sets, but Morgan Romano and Julia Lawrence ultimately prevailed in a reverse sweep win, giving UTC a 2-0 lead as the top three pairings prepared to take the court. Even with rain pouring down in Chattanooga, the Mocs claimed sweep wins across the top three courts to close out the match, securing yet another UTC sweep to cap off the opening day of action at the OVC Weekend at UTC.
1. Neva Clark/Corina Vale (UTC) def. Tori Mohesky/Sylvia Hasz (EIU) 21-15, 21-16
2. Gylian Finch/McKenna Faychak (UTC) def. Christina Martinez Mundo/Kaitlyn Flynn (EIU) 21-17, 21-14
3. Joy Courtright/Maddie Lecik (UTC) def. Laura Paniagua/Lill Amettis (EIU) 21-6, 21-11
4. Paige Gallentine/Kaye Gresham (UTC) def. Layne Witherspoon/Catalina Rochoix (EIU) 21-13, 21-12
5. Julia Lawrence/Morgan Romano (UTC) def. Masyn Navarro/Natalie Mitchem (EIU) 18-21, 21-11, 15-8
Order of finish: 4, 5, 1, 3, 2