CHATTANOOGA – The Chattanooga Mocs volleyball team returns to the friendly confines of Maclellan Gymnasium this weekend and looks to bounce back from last week's loss when it plays host to Southern Conference foes Samford and Mercer on Friday and Saturday.
 
First serve is slated for 6 p.m. ET on Friday against Samford while Saturday's start is set for 4 p.m. ET against Mercer. Saturday's tilt against the Bears will be available LIVE on ESPN+ through the WatchESPN and ESPN App platforms.
 
Chattanooga (12-13, 6-4 SoCon) looks to bounce back after seeing its five-match win streak, the longest since 2015, snapped in a 3-0 loss at Furman last Saturday. The Mocs sit in fourth place in the league standings, three games back of leader ETSU (9-1).
 
Samford (13-9, 8-2 SoCon) has won its last seven matches in dominating fashion as the team has surrendered just four sets during the win streak. The Bulldogs sit one game back of the league lead. Mercer (7-15, 3-7 SoCon) aims to rebound after dropping a pair of home matches to Western Carolina (3-0) and UNCG (3-2) last weekend at home.
 
PROMOTIONS
Friday · Dig Pink · Breast Cancer Awareness match, Maclellan decorated in pink
Sunday · Cancer Awareness/Alumni · Number of UTC volleyball alumni will be on hand to help raise awareness & recognize former Moc Kasey Altman (2016) who recently passed on July 4, 2022, age 26, after a two-year battle with Sarcoma: Alveolar Rhabdomyosarcoma – ARMS
 
ADMISSION
Admission is FREE for all spectators. Fans may enter Maclellan Gym through the Vine Street entrance. Parking is available in the Mocs Alumni Drive Parking Garage (formerly known as E. 5^th Street) across from Maclellan Gym. In an effort to enhance spectator safety and align with national best-practices, the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Athletics Department has a clear bag policy for home games in all of its athletics facilities. For more information and guidelines, please visit the informative page here.
 
MATCH INFO
Friday · 6PM ET · Chattanooga (12-13, 6-4 SoCon) vs. Samford (13-9, 8-2 SoCon)
Saturday · 4PM ET · Chattanooga vs. Mercer (7-15, 3-7 SoCon)
Coverage Link: Live Stats | ESPN+ (Saturday ONLY)
 
SERIES HISTORY
SAM All-Time: 17-35 · Home: 11-12 · Streak: L2 · Last 10: 3-7
MER All-Time: 19-17 · Home: 8-8 · Streak: L1 · Last 10: 2-8
 
INSIDE THE SERIES
Chattanooga trails the all-time series to Samford 35-17 and has lost seven of the last 10 meetings against the Bulldogs. Samford claimed a 3-0 sweep earlier this year on October 1 in Birmingham, Ala.
 
UTC leads the all-time series over Mercer 19-7 despite dropping eight of the last 10 matchups. Mercer earned a straight-set 3-0 win over the Mocs on September 30 in Macon, Ga.
 
WEEKEND RECAP
Chattanooga (12-13, 6-4 SoCon) split a pair of Southern Conference matches this past weekend as its five-match winning streak was snapped in a 3-0 loss at Furman on Saturday. The Mocs extended it to five, the longest win streak since 2015, with a 3-2 comeback win at Wofford on Friday.
 
TYSON NAMED OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Natalie Tyson marked UTC's third weekly award winner this season with the honor on Mondau. Tyson is the first OPOTW for the Mocs since Gylian Finch in the final week of the 2019 season. For the season, Tyson leads the SoCon in total kills (340) and ranks fourth in kills per set (3.47). The 340 total kills ranks 13th in NCAA Division I this season while her 1,134 career kill total is 80th among all active players in NCAA DI.
 
GALLENTINE EARNS HISTORIC HONOR
Third-year sophomore libero Paige Gallentine was named the Southern Conference Defensive Player of the Week last Monday. The weekly honor is the fifth of her career, tying the program record for the most selections in a career (Rachel Evans & Paula Passmore). She was named the DPOTW three times last season to become the third Moc to achieve the feat.
 
HOME COURT ADVANTAGE
Chattanooga is now 7-1 this season inside Maclellan Gymnasium with its lone loss coming in five sets to Miami (OH) in the Chattanooga Classic title match. The seven home wins are the most in a season since eight in 2018.
 
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