The Chattanooga Mocs volleyball team opened the 2012 slate with a 3-0 win over Alcorn State Friday night in the second match of the Country Inns & Suites Invitational.
Senior Heather Parman (Ooltewah, Tenn.) headed the assault in the convincing three-set win over the Lady Braves with nine kills on 18 attacks. Senior Christina Teter (Signal Mountain, Tenn.) followed up with 11 attacks and seven kills for a .636 kill percentage, and senior Paula Passmore (Merritt Island, Fla.) was stellar on defense with 12 receptions and a team-high 11 digs.
Junior Bridget Camacho (Cumming, Ga.) added 27 assists from the setter position, and freshmen Sarah Batterton (Colbert, Wash.) and Julimar Alvarado (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.) collected six kills each to begin their collegiate careers.
The Mocs only allowed three Alcorn State scores in the first set with a 25-3 victory to take a 1-0 lead in the match. Trailing 1-0 to begin the set, Chattanooga went on a 10-1 run to jump out in front. Teter recorded four kills in the set and Passmore retrieved six spikes. Sophomore Kasey Talley (Boiling Springs, S.C.) took over the serve with a 12-3 lead and UTC never looked back. Talley finished off the set with 14 attempts and two service aces. Batterton also dropped in her first two college aces during the set.
The Lady Braves picked up the pace in the second set to cut the score closer, but Chattanooga continued to dominate with a 25-12 win in set two. Camacho began the set with back-to-back aces against the Alcorn State defense. Three-straight service errors gave the Lady Braves their first three points, but the Mocs offense totaled a match-high 14 kills in the set to put UTC in front 2-0. Parman tallied four kills while Alvarado and Batterton each collected three kills in the set. Camacho also set a match-best 11 assists for Mocs' hitters in the second set.
Chattanooga took the set-win 3-0 in repeat fashion with a second straight 25-12 win in third frame. With a much tighter score late in the set, Alcorn State trailed by as little as two points halfway through set three, but the Mocs went on a 13-2 run to claim the match. Alvarado and Batterton paced the UTC offense in the set with three kills each and freshman Catherine Chason (Alpharetta, Ga.) contributed with two digs, an assist and a service ace.
"It was finally great to get out and compete against somebody," head coach Travis Filar said. "I think we came out on fire and started out strong. You will always have the jitters, some anxiety and nervousness going into that first match, but the kids played great. It is great to start the year out on such a positive note. I think we were very competitive and we fought for every point."
The Mocs continue in the Country Inns & Suites Invitational tomorrow with a 12:30 p.m. (E.D.T.) match against USC Upstate and will wrap up the home-tournament with a 7 p.m. start against Tennessee Tech's Golden Eagles.
The first Saturday match of the Country Inns & Suites begins at 10 a.m. as Tennessee Tech squares off against Alcorn State. Alcorn State plays again at 5 p.m. with a matchup against USC Upstate.
