CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. – The University of Tennessee at
Chattanooga volleyball team took the first two sets before UNCG responded to notch a
3-2 (28-15, 20-25, 25-21, 25-23, 15-8) victory. Sophomore outside Heather
Parman (Ooltewah, Tenn.) registered her third-consecutive double-double with 12
digs and kills, while freshman setter Tess Kosycarz (Temecula, Calif.) had one
as well with 40 assists and 10 digs.
Contributing to the attack was sophomore right side
Christina Teter (Signal Mountain, Tenn.) with 12 kills, while senior middle
blocker Courtney Barnes (Franklin, Tenn.) posted nine kills without an error
for a .360 attacking percentage. Junior middle blocker Ellie Kuhn (San Antonio,
Texas) and freshman outside Jennifer Kuroski (Acworth, Ga.) each registered
five kills.
On the defensive front, sophomore libero Paula Passmore (Merritt Island, Fla.) led
the match with 29 digs. Kuhn paced the match with six blocks, while Parman
blocked down four.
Through the first four sets, Chattanooga (10-19, 5-8) registered
more than 10 kills in each frame, forced at least seven mistakes except for the
third and limited mistakes to less than five. UNCG (19-8, 7-5 SoCon) recorded more kills in
each set minus the second, but was hindered by numerous errors caused by the
Lady Mocs' blocking game.
The Spartans jumped out to a 3-1 lead before the Lady Mocs
rallied to a 15-7 advantage following two kills by Parman and two team blocks. A
kill by Ernd and service ace from Passmore provided Chattanooga with a 20-11
lead. The Lady Mocs closed the set out, 25-18, on a kill by Barnes as the team
recorded 12 kills on a single error for a .306 attack percentage.
In the second set, Chattanooga opened with a 9-4 advantage
following two Spartan mistakes, but it was propelled by Teter (2), Ernd and
Parman kills. UNCG would mount a comeback to tie it at 16-all as the teams
battled point-for-point. Chattanooga would take the set on a 5-1 run capped by
a Parman kill, 25-20.
During the third set, Chattanooga recorded two blocks and a
kill by Kuhn to register an 8-4 lead. UNCG would fight back thanks to stellar
defensive play that it found during the intermission and continued throughout
the match to take a lead of its own, 12-10. The Lady Mocs came within one,
21-20, following a Teter kill, but the Spartans ended the frame with
four-straight points, 25-21.
The teams battled back and forth through the first 26 points
in the fourth set before UNCG scored on four-consecutive rallies to take a
17-13 advantage. The Spartans would take a 24-21 lead, but the Lady Mocs would
come within one point before UNCG finished the set, 25-21. It proved to be the
turning point of the match as nine ties and two lead changes occurred during
the frame.
In the decisive fifth set, UNCG would storm out to an 8-4
lead following three blocks and would not look back in taking the match 15-8.
The Lady Mocs are back in action next weekend at Appalachian
State and Western Carolina. Chattanooga hosts its senior day on Nov. 13 at
Maclellan Gym against Davidson.
