CULLOWHEE, N.C. --- Chattanooga volleyball was unable to secure the win on Friday night in Cullowhee, as the Mocs fell 3-0 at the hands of Western Carolina.
The Mocs (17-11, 5-8 SoCon) hung with the Catamounts (9-15, 6-7 SoCon) for a solid chunk of the match, but a dominant night serving by Western Carolina proved too much as UTC suffered a road sweep. The Catamounts finished the night with 13 total service aces compared to Chattanooga's zero, marking only the second time this season that the Mocs have failed to record an ace in a match.
WCU was off and rolling right away in front of their home crowd, taking control in set one to ultimately claim the frame 25-16. The Catamounts recorded nearly half of their service aces in the opening set, finishing the first with six.
Now trailing to the Catamounts, the Mocs turned to offensive powerhouse Morgan Romano to help get UTC back into the match. Romano threw everything she had at WCU, finishing the night with a team-high 15 kills. Despite this, Western squeaked out a 25-23 victory in set two, putting UTC in a 2-0 hole.
After the Mocs dropped a tough second set, the Catamounts were able to seal the sweep victory with a convincing 25-18 win in set three.
Besides Romano's 15 kills, both Chard'e Vanzandt (13) and Gylian Finch (10) also notched double-digit kills for the Mocs with Finch ending the night with 10 digs as well to earn the double-double. Elaine Redman's 36 assists led the way for UTC in the category.
On defense Paige Gallentine once again was a star for Chattanooga, leading the team with 17 digs and increasing her streak to 22 consecutive matches with 10+ digs. Vanzandt and Redman finished tied with two blocks each, leading the Mocs.
UP NEXT
The Mocs will now dust themselves off and prepare for their final road match of the regular season tomorrow as Chattanooga travels to Greenville, South Carolina for a clash with Furman (16-7, 7-5 SoCon). The match between the Mocs and the Paladins is set for 4 p.m. ET and will be available to stream on ESPN+.
50 SEASONS OF CHATTANOOGA VOLLEYBALL
The 2023 season for the Chattanooga Mocs volleyball team marks a major landmark for the program and the university, as UTC volleyball officially celebrates its 50th season of competition as a university sponsored athletic program. Following the adoption of the Title IX legislation back in 1972, UTC added women's basketball, tennis, and volleyball programs to its roster of athletic teams, bringing on five decades of history for each of the teams.
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