CHATTANOOGA --- The Chattanooga Mocs volleyball program returns to its home inside Maclellan Gymnasium this weekend for a pair of crucial Southern Conference matches against The Citadel and Mercer on Friday and Saturday, respectively. Both matches are slated for 6 p.m.
 
Friday's match promotion will be 'Scrappy's Kids Day' where UTC will recognize members of the Scrappy's Kids Club, a club where Mocs fans 8^th grade or younger can join to receive special benefits. For more information and how to join, PLEASE VISIT HERE.
 
Chattanooga enters the weekend with a 6-11 overall mark and an even 2-2 record in SoCon action this season after dropping a pair of matches last weekend at UNCG and ETSU. All nine SoCon volleyball member institutions have recorded at least one league win so far this season.
 
Opponent previews, notes and quotes are provided below. Friday's match will be streamed LIVE on the Southern Conference Digital Network.

SOUND OFF
"We feel the same we did going into last weekend, and that is that we feel very prepared for both Citadel and Mercer after a great week of training. We continue to be a work in progress, a group that is 20 strong and one that will be playing their best volleyball in late October and November, and I think our kids believe that as well. 

"We do have to come out with a better mental focus and toughness than we did last weekend to be successful, and I know we will do just that, and we will need to do just that as both Citadel and Mercer are much improved this fall and playing some really solid volleyball."
 
CHATTANOOGA NOTES
SCZEPANSKI PACES SOCON: Dani Szczepanski leads the Southern Conference with a .379 hitting percentage this season. Szczepanski leads the team in kills (134) and blocks (29) while ranking second in service aces (12) and kills per set (2.23). Her .295 career hitting percentage actively ranks fourth all-time in UTC program history.
 
KAUFMAN RECORDS #800: Megan Kaufman posted her 800th career dig during Friday's loss at UNCG. She has totaled 206 digs in 60 sets (3.43/set) so far this season after leading the Southern Conference with 613 total and a 5.19 per set average during her rookie campaign.

The Citadel Bulldogs (7-8, 2-2 SoCon)
After earning wins over UNCG and Western Carolina to open up the SoCon slate, The Citadel dropped matches to Wofford and Furman last weekend to move to an even 2-2 in league play. The Bulldogs two SoCon wins match last season's total and ties the most for their program since 2004.
 
Sharlissa De Jesus leads the squad with 207 total kills at a 3.83 per set average which ranks second in the SoCon. Maya Elassal ranks tenth in the conference with a .281 hitting percentage on 192 kills while Megan Fuhr directs the offense with an 8.41 assists per set average, good for fifth across the league.
 
Mercer Bears (8-7, 1-3 SoCon)* entering 10/5
Mercer opened up SoCon play with a 3-1 win over Western Carolina before falling in five sets to UNCG and three sets to Furman to drop its record to 1-3 in the conference. The loss to UNCG snapped a six-match winning streak for the Bears.
 
Mercer has held its opponents to a .175 hitting percentage this season which leads all SoCon members. Paige Alsten ranks fourth and fifth, respectively, in the conference in both kills per set (3.52) and hitting percentage (.304). Setter Maddie Nunley sits fourth in the league with a 9.85 assists per set average while libero Emilee Wissmach ranks seventh with 3.76 digs per set.

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