BLACKSBURG, Va. --- The Chattanooga Mocs volleyball team saw its three-match winning streak snapped with a tough 3-2 (25-22, 19-25, 25-23, 23-25, 15-7) loss to ACC-member Virginia Tech before dropping the nightcap, 3-0 (25-22, 25-23, 25-17) to Charlotte on the opening day of the Hokie Invitational in Blacksburg, Va.
 
Following the pair of losses, Chattanooga drops to 5-7 on the young season. Virginia Tech improved to 7-5 while Charlotte saw its 2019 record up to 8-6.
 
BOX SCORE » Virginia Tech 3, Chattanooga 2
Chattanooga took the match's first three points and continued to lead by a trio over the next few rallies, 8-5, before three-straight VT points tied things 8-8. The teams traded the next eight points to deadlock 12-12 ahead of a kill and back-to-back aces from Gylian Finch to give UTC a 15-12 lead.
 
The Hokies fought back from a 20-17 deficit with a pair of kills and a service ace to tie the set 20-20. Dani Szczepanski broke the tie with her second kill of the set, but a 5-1 closing run allowed the tournament hosts to claim the opener, 25-22.
 
After VT opened the second with six of the first nine points, Chattanooga answered with a 9-1 run to build a sizable 12-7 advantage and forcing a timeout from the opposition. The lead would grow to as much as seven, 22-15, before eventually settling at six, 25-19, to tie the match at 1-1.
 
Virginia Tech jumped out to an 8-4 lead to force an early timeout from UTC in the third before seven of the next ten fell to the trailing team, knotting the set up 11-11. After trading rallies, a Brianna Anderson kill created a slight two-point separation for the Mocs, 17-15, but an answer from the home team saw the lead flip, 21-20.
 
Finch laid down a kill to put Chattanooga in front 22-21 ahead of a VT timeout. Following the timeout, Tech forced four errors down the stretch on its way to claiming a 25-23 set decision and a 2-1 lead in the match.
 
In a must-win fourth set, UTC flew out to an 11-4 lead in the first 15 points. Maia Rackel recorded three-straight kills during that span. The seven-point lead was completely erased after VT out-scored UTC 18-11 to tie the set at 22-22. A pair of Anderson kills and a Hokie attack error allowed Chattanooga to claim a 25-23 set win, forcing a winner-take-all fifth set.
 
Virginia Tech used its home-court advantage to take a 5-2 lead in the fifth before closing out the deciding set with 10 of the final 15 points to earn a 15-7 set win and a 3-2 win in the match.
 
BOX SCORE » Charlotte 3, Chattanooga 0
A back-and-forth opening set saw seven ties and four lead changes within the first 20 points, locking the teams into a 10-10 tie. Charlotte grabbed a two-point lead, 12-10, and held onto the advantage the rest of the way. UTC crept within one on eight different occasions, but the 49ers ultimately claimed a tight 25-22 set win.
 
Another side-to-side start in the first 20 points saw three lead changes and five ties to bring the teams even, 10-10. Chattanooga used a small spark to build a three-point edge at 18-15, forcing a timeout from the 49ers bench.
 
Charlotte responded with six of the next nine to bring things to a lock, 21-21. After another tie at 22-22, a service error and a pair of attacking errors from the UTC side allowed the 49ers to earn a 25-23 set win and a 2-0 lead in the match.
 
In a repeating format, the two teams traded the third set's first 12 points before Charlotte scored six of the next seven to take a 12-7 lead and forcing Chattanooga into its first timeout. The 49ers run would continue on its way to a match-clinching 25-17 set victory.
 
UP NEXT
Chattanooga (5-7) closes out play in the Hokie Invitational tomorrow with a 1 p.m. ET matchup against Arkansas State. Live stats are available on the schedule page. Southern Conference action kicks off Wednesday, Sept. 25, at Samford with first serve slated for 8 p.m. ET on ESPN+.

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