CHATTANOOGA --- The Chattanooga Mocs volleyball program will conclude its tough non-conference slate this week with three matches over the next five days, two of which are in the state of Kentucky against reigning 'Power Five' conference champions.
 
Chattanooga (4-6) hosts in-state foe MTSU (3-6) on Wednesday evening in Maclellan Gym at 6 p.m. It provided UTC an opportunity to snap its current four-match skid.

"It will be great to be back at home against in-state rival MTSU," said head coach Travis Filar. "It will be important to set the tone with our discipline and energy from the first point to establish a high level of ball control in our gym, and I think we are capable of that."

"We are still trying to find our rhythm and consistency on the court, but in the matches and moments we have found it, we feel we can compete with anyone in the country, as shown by our tough non-conference schedule and the competitiveness we brought to those matches."

U of L and UK captured the ACC and SEC championships, respectively, a season ago while combining for a 53-11 overall record. Kentucky advanced to the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament while Louisville suffered a first round exit.

"We really don't have any easy matches this entire non-conference slate. We do feel like it will test us in areas of the game we need to get better at, and truly prepare us for the ever-improving Southern Conference. We definitely end our non-conference matches with a bang, going on the road and playing the defending ACC and SEC champion in Louisville and Kentucky.

"I know we will take advantage of the opportunities to get better this weekend and I am excited to continue to see our teams response and improvement against some of the best teams in the country."
 
UTC enters Wednesday's match with MTSU on a current four-match skid after claiming three-straight wins in the Chattanooga Classic over Labor Day weekend. The Mocs dropped a weekday match with Tennessee Tech before falling in straight sets at the WKU Invitational to WKU, Miami (OH) and Notre Dame. All three opponents in the Invitational were also NCAA Tournament participants in 2017.
 
Dani Szczepanski has been efficient and productive through the first ten matches of the season for UTC. Szczepanski leads the Southern Conference and ranks 33^rd nationally with a .399 hitting percentage while leading the team with 81 kills this season. She also leads the team with 21.0 total blocks and 11 service aces.
 
Full opponent previews can be found below.
 
MTSU Blue Raiders (3-6, 0-0 C-USA)
MTSU enters Wednesday's match winners of their last two after starting the season 1-6. The Blue Raiders defeated Coppin State and Quinnipiac to close out the Bryant Invitational last weekend. UTC defeated MTSU, 3-1, in Murfreesboro last season.

Bailey Mason leads the Middle Tennessee offense with 96 kills and 10 service aces while sitting second in digs at 63. Sarah Sumida directs the attack with 268 total assists (8.93 per set) while Brienna Tankesley anchors the defense with 130 digs (3.82 per set).
 
Louisville Cardinals (6-3, 0-0 ACC) 
Coming off one of the most successful seasons in program history, Louisville sits at 6-3 on the young season after completing 2017 with a 24-7 overall record and an ACC title. U of L defeated Lipscomb and Xavier last weekend at the Purdue Tournament before eventually falling to the tournament-hosts in the final match.

Jasmine Bennett provides extreme efficiency for the Cards, ranking 5^th in NCAA DI by attacking at a .462 percentage on 145 total attacks. Her 83 kills ranks second on the team behind Melanie McHenry's 111. Wilma Rivera has dished out 10.58 assists per set while Molly Sauer has posted a 4.65 digs per set average this year.
 
#20 Kentucky Wildcats (4-4, 0-0 SEC)
No. 20 Kentucky sits at 4-4 through the first eight matches of the season. They picked up impressive wins over Kansas and College of Charleston over the Labor Day weekend before splitting with Texas (L, 1-3) and Texas State (W, 3-1) last weekend. UK finished 2017 at 29-4 overall and advanced to the Elite Eight before falling to eventual national champion Nebraska, 3-1.

Leah Edmond leads the squad with 147 kills at a 4.32 per set average while hitting at a respectable .278 percentage on 338 total attacks. Madison Lilley has totaled 372 assists (10.94 per set) to aid the offense while Gabby Curry supports the defense with a team-high 129 digs (3.79 per set).
 

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