The Chattanooga beach volleyball team heard its name called for the very first time in program history during the 2024 NCAA Selection Show on Sunday, with the Mocs earning the No. 17 seed in the bracket pitting UTC against North Florida in the tournament’s play-in match.
The Mocs captured the program’s first-ever Ohio Valley Conference regular season and tournament titles earlier this season in dominant fashion, with Chattanooga only having dropped one in-conference match all season including a perfect 3-0 trip to Morehead this past season in the OVC Tournament.
“I’ve said it all week, I just want the girls to take in each of these moments and memories as they happen,” head coach Darin Van Horn said.
“You’ll want to remember this forever. We saw our name come up and it’s just starting to get more and more real. I just know that being at the tournament is going to be such a special experience for these players and I’m just looking forward to experiencing the whole weekend.”
UTC’s match against North Florida is set to take place on Friday, May 3 at 9 a.m. ET in Gulf Shores, Alabama, at the Gulf Shores Public Beach. With a win over the Ospreys, Chattanooga would then face off with No. 1 overall seed USC later that day at 12 p.m. ET in the tournament’s official first round.
“In some ways it’s a benefit to us (being an underdog),” Coach Van Horn said. “North Florida is a team that we haven’t seen this year but we know of. They play in the same region as us and we have some common opponents, so I think going into it we get to play freely and give them all that we’ve got.”
“Our players are gonna play hard. They’ve dreamed of playing on this stage since they were playing club so I know they want to show out and compete hard. We’re gonna take it point-by-point and play-by-play; that’s been our motto all year long.”
Both the tournament play-in as well as the opening round will be available to watch nationally via ESPNU.