ATHENS, Ga. – The Chattanooga Mocs volleyball team dropped a tight 3-0 match to Georgia to begin the Bulldog Invitation in Athens, Ga., Friday evening. UTC came within six points or less in the three sets, competing hard against a Bulldogs team that is coming off one of its best seasons in years.
“Georgia is a tough SEC team” Head Coach Travis Filar said. “They are starting four seniors this season. Even though it goes down as a loss, our team fought hard tonight and I am proud of the way they played.”
The Bulldogs began the match with a 25-19 win in the first set. Chattanooga jumped out to a 2-0 lead, but UGA answered with six consecutive points to take control. The Mocs trailed for the remainder of the frame, but was able to pull within three points to bring the score to 12-9 halfway through. Junior Sarah Batterton (Colbert, Wash.) along with sophomores Kristy Wieser (Lincoln, Neb.) and Allie Davenport (Tyrone, Ga.) attacked for three kills in a row.
The second match ended with Georgia winning 25-21, but a crowd of nearly 1,600 saw the lead change eight times and the score tied 12 times. Tied 20-all going into the final points, the Bulldogs were able to rally to down the Mocs.
Chattanooga fell 25-19 in the third stanza. Despite a few multi-point runs by the Mocs, UGA came out on top with the help of a couple of attacking errors and a service ace from Kaylee Kehoe.
“It was a great atmosphere and a great match,” Filar said. “I am not happy with a loss, but I am pleased with how well we competed. I think it was a great volleyball experience for the team and we are going to grow from it.”
Wieser ended the night with 10 kills to lead the team, while junior libero Catherine Chason (Alpharetta, Ga.) totaled 16 digs. UTC matched Georgia in total blocks with six. Sophomore Nicole Sumida (Hixson, Tenn.) got a hand on five assisted blocks and junior Lauren Gainer (Boca Raton, Fla.) assisted on four blocks.
The Mocs return to action Saturday at 10 p.m. against College of Charleston. They wrap up the tournament later at 4 p.m. against in-state rival Belmont.
