CHATTANOOGA --- After sweeping last weekend's Southern Conference opening weekend, the Chattanooga Mocs volleyball team aims to continue the forward momentum with its first road league matches of the season at Mercer on Friday and Samford on Saturday.
 
Friday's tilt at Mercer is set for a 7 p.m. ET start while Saturday's contest in Birmingham is slated for a 5 p.m. ET start. Only the Saturday match at Samford will broadcast LIVE on ESPN+. Live stats are available for both matches.
 
Chattanooga (7-9, 2-0 SoCon) needed just seven sets last weekend to down South Carolina foes Furman and Wofford to open conference play. The Mocs defeated the Paladins in a 3-1 decision on Friday before sweeping the preseason favorite Terriers 3-0 on Saturday.
 
MATCH INFO
Chattanooga (7-9, 2-0 SoCon) at Mercer (4-10, 0-2 SoCon) – Friday, Sept. 30
Chattanooga (7-9, 2-0 SoCon) at Samford (6-8, 1-1 SoCon) – Saturday, Oct. 1
7:00 p.m. ET on Friday
5:02 p.m. ET on Saturday | ESPN+
Live Stats (Friday) | Watch (Saturday) | Live Stats (Saturday)
 
INSIDE THE SERIES
Chattanooga leads the all-time series over Mercer 19-16 and carries a 7-6 record in matches on the road against the Bears. UTC defeated Mercer in its last meeting, 3-2 on Nov. 5, 2021, in Macon.
 
Samford has doubled up Chattanooga in its long series history, leading the all-time meetings by a 34-17 count. Chattanooga is 4-19 all-time in Birmingham and is in search of their first road win over Samford since 2010.
 
ABOUT MERCER
Mercer enters the weekend looking to snap a six-match skid and holds a 4-10 overall record and an 0-2 mark in league play. The Bears suffered a pair of road sweeps last weekend to open up SoCon play, dropping straight sets to UNCG and Western Carolina. Mercer's .205 attacking percentage ranks fourth among all SoCon teams.
 
ABOUT SAMFORD
Samford bounced back after a 3-1 SoCon-opening loss at Western Carolina with a 3-0 sweep over UNCG in Greensboro to even its league record to 1-1 and move its overall mark to 6-8. The Bulldogs lead the league in kills per set (13.19), assists per set (12.02) and aces per set (1.96). Samford captured the SoCon Tournament crown and advanced to the NCAA Tournament in 2020-21, 2019, 2018 and 2016 under head coach Keylor Chan.
 
WEEKEND RECAP
Chattanooga (7-9, 2-0 SoCon) opened the conference slate in emphatic fashion, taking down Furman 3-1 on Friday and preseason favorite Wofford 3-0 on Saturday inside its own Maclellan Gymnasium. Chattanooga is one of three teams in the SoCon to start the season 2-0.
 
TYSON SURPASSES 1K MARK
East Carolina transfer outside hitter Natalie Tyson surpassed 1,000 career kills with her 22nd kill of the match during Friday's 3-1 win over Furman. Over a four-year career at ECU, Tyson recorded 786 kills with the Pirates before topping the 1,000 mark in a UTC uniform. Tyson leads the SoCon in total kills (223) this season and has posted 12 matches with 10 or more kills including three with 20+.

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