CHATTANOOGA --- After a successful preseason and intra-squad scrimmage, the Chattanooga Mocs volleyball team is finally set to begin the 2017 season in Oxford, Miss., as part of the Ole Miss Invitational on Friday and Saturday.

The Mocs are coming off a 19-13 season in 2016 and appeared in the Southern Conference Championship match for the second-straight season. After finishing 26-6 in 2015, the two-year stretch is the most successful in program history since the 1997-98 seasons. UTC is a combined 18-8 in non-conference matches during that span and have knocked off the likes of Virginia Tech, Xavier and Ole Miss. They'll look to keep that trend going in 2017.

"Just like every program in America right now, the excitement level to get the season is off the charts," head coach Travis Filar said. "It'll be awesome to see how we compete against real opponents instead of ourselves."

"I believe our team is prepared and that we will see a very together, focused, determined and confident group this weekend at Ole Miss."

In addition to Chattanooga, the tournament field consists of North Dakota, Florida A&M, Ole Miss and Louisiana Tech. You can visit the tournament central page, courtesy of Ole Miss, by clicking HERE.

"It's definitely not an easy weekend, but I would rather it be this way right from the start so we know where we are and what we have to do to continue to build and improve. We will be challenged by four opponents, yet I know we are prepared in coming off a great training camp, and that we will compete the right way this weekend," added Filar.

Below you'll find scouting reports and coverage information for each of the Mocs' four matches this weekend. Follow @GoMocsVB on Twitter for the most up-to-date news this weekend.

Scouting - North Dakota (0-0, 0-0 Big Sky)
Match Time: Friday, 2:00 p.m. ET
Live Stats: Click Here

The Fighting Hawks finished 2016 with a 22-10 overall record and earned a trip to the NCAA Tournament after running through the Big Sky Conference with a 14-2 regular season mark and a perfect 3-0 record in the conference tournament. After capturing that automatic bid, UND fell to top-seeded Minnesota, 3-0, in the First Round. They were selected as the preseason favorite to repeat as the Big Sky Champion in 2017.

North Dakota returns six starters from last season's squad while returning nine letter winners as a whole and welcoming five newcomers. Senior outside hitter Tamara Merseli returns as the leader on offense after leading the team with 366 kills and a 2.86 kills per set average in 2016. Fellow classmate Sydney Griffin returns as the setter after earning Most Valuable Player honors in the Big Sky last season. She totaled 1,316 assists and a 10.21 assists per set average. Sophomore libero Alivia Fraase racked up 583 digs and ranked fourth in the Big Sky with a 4.82 digs per set average.

Scouting - Florida A&M (0-0, 0-0 MEAC)
Match Time: Friday, 9:00 p.m. ET
Live Stats: Click Here

An International flavor takes over Florida A&M in 2017 as the roster features only one student-athlete from the United States. The Rattlers went 17-12 last season and captured the Southern Division title of the MEAC (Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference) after going a perfect 10-0 during the regular season and conceding only three sets. They have won 13 league titles since 1988 and appeared in five championship matches since its last title back in 2009. FAMU fell to Howard 3-1 in last year's MEAC Tournament Championship match.

The Lady Rattlers boast three members of the 2017 Preseason All-MEAC team including the reigning MEAC Co-Rookie of the Year Nicole Abreu, as well as sophomore outside hitter Maria Yvette Garcia and junior libero Valentina Carrasco. Garcia was a 2016 First Team All-MEAC selection, averaging 3.37 kills, 0.38 blocks and 1.81 digs per set. She was second in kills (313) and digs (168), and fourth in blocks (35). Abreu was named the MEAC Co-Rookie of the Year and Second Team All-MEAC in 2016 after leading the team in kills (315), averaging 3.18 kills per set, and digs (273), averaging 2.76 per set.

Scouting - Ole Miss (0-0, 0-0 SEC)
Match Time: Saturday, 2:00 p.m. ET
Watch: SEC Network+, WatchESPN App
Live Stats: Click Here

Ole Miss finished 2016 with a 17-14 overall record and a 6-12 mark in the SEC. The Rebels return nine letter winners and three starters plus the starting libero for the 2017 season. Chattanooga defeated Ole Miss, 3-2, last season in Maclellan Gym for the Mocs first win over an SEC institution in program history.

Dominant senior outside hitter Lexi Thompson comes back for Ole Miss this season after setting a new school single-season record with 437 kills. Other senior outside hitter Kate Gibson also returns in '17 after concluding last season just ten kills shy of Thompson with 427. The pair achieved their 1,000^th career kill last year and could both become the first 1,000/1,000 members in the rally scoring era at Ole Miss. Gibson needs 37 digs to get there and Thompson needs 82 to accomplish the feat.

Scouting - Louisiana Tech (0-0, 0-0 C-USA)
Match Time: Saturday, 6:30 p.m. ET
Live Stats: Click Here

The Bulldogs concluded last season 13-17 overall and 4-10 in Conference USA. What will be a young team in '17, La-Tech returns nine letter winners and welcomes seven newcomers. This season's roster features six freshmen and five sophomores while only one junior and three seniors round out the team. 

Louisiana Tech's Marta Monne returns in 2017 after totaling a team second-best 309 kills while averaging 3.03 kills per set at a .201 hitting percentage. Jacie McClure ranked second on the team with 345 digs as she also returns for the Bulldogs. La-Tech was slotted 12th in the preseason Conference-USA poll.