BIRMINGHAM, ALA. – The Chattanooga Mocs' indoor volleyball team was unable to continue its three-match win streak on Saturday evening in Birmingham. The Samford Bulldogs took down the Mocs 3-0 (29-27, 25-15, 25-21) en route to their fourth-straight win.
MATCH RECAP
SET 1 ∙ SAM 29, UTC 27
SET 2 ∙ SAM 25, UTC 15
SET 3 ∙ SAM 25, UTC 21
The Bulldogs took the first sizable lead in the set, holding an 11-8 advantage. After the two teams alternated points, UTC used a 3-0 run to tie the set at 16. The squad regained the lead, 19-18 after a Kate Neill kill. The Mocs garnered the set's first set point, up 24-22, but Samford didn't go down as the hosts battled back to hold a set point of their own. The Bulldogs fended off two more Chattanooga set points before Samford took the set 29-27. Paige Gallentine posted 11 digs in the first set. Samford's Keyna McQuirter registered eight kills.
Samford got off to a stronger start in the second set. They held a sizeable lead throughout and didn't allow the Mocs to win more than three points in a row throughout any point in the set. The Bulldogs took a 2-0 lead in the match after a 25-15 victory in the second.
The hosts continued early success, this time in the third set, jumping out to a five-point advantage early in the frame. The Mocs battled back, coming within one point, down 11-10. The hosts were up one, 14-13, when they won three straight to take a 17-13 lead. Maia Rackel's 12th kill of the match tied the set at 19. That was the closest the Mocs would get to retaking the lead after Samford closed the match on a 6-1 run, taking the frame 25-21.
Rackel led the team with 12 kills, she finished with seven digs defensively. Neill was second on the squad with nine kills. Neill also slotted the team's lone ace.
Gallentine led another match in digs, this time with 23.
Chloe Bryan led the team with a .318 hitting percentage, she recorded eight kills on 22 swings.
Samford's McQuirter posted a career-high 24 kills, hitting .315.
The match featured 14 ties and eight lead changes. All eight lead changes came in the first set.
Notes
- Rackel registered double-digit kills for the five straight match.
- Gallentine extended her streak of 10+ digs in a match to all 27 matches this season. It was her 13th match this season with 20 or more digs.
Series history
Samford leads the all-time series 6-20.
Records – CHATTANOOGA (9-18, 5-9 SoCon) | SAMFORD (8-17, 7-7 SoCon)
Up next
The Mocs return home in to begin the final week of the regular season. UTC begins the week hosting ETSU in Maclellan Gym on Tuesday, Nov. 9 at 6 p.m.
MORE ABOUT CHATTANOOGA VOLLEYBALL
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