CHATTANOOGA --- Chattanooga volleyball was able to close out their preseason in a big way Saturday night in Maclellan Gymnasium, as the Mocs dug deep to snag a 3-1 exhibition victory over Tennessee Tech.
Carried by reliable returners and some fresh new faces, the Mocs saw resilient comebacks in both the third and fourth sets to ultimately secure the 3-1 result over the Golden Eagles.
"It's great to play somebody other than yourself, so an exhibition like this one is really important for us to have the opportunity to compete together against someone else," head coach Julie Torbett said. "They're a quality opponent. They were picked first in the preseason poll for the Ohio Valley Conference so that was a big win for us."
The Mocs got off to a hot start, controlling much of the opening set enroute to jumping ahead 1-0 on TTU with a 25-23 first set win. The Golden Eagles were able to respond, however, taking the second set to level the scoreboard at one apiece.
With the score level, set three proved to be a pivotal moment of the match for both teams who were jockeying for the upper hand in the matchup. Behind a strong start, Tennessee Tech was able to capitalize in a big way by amassing a 21-14 lead over Chattanooga.
Despite the deficit, the Mocs rolled up their sleeves and began to chip away at the TTU lead behind the strong offensive play of Gylian Finch, Elaine Redman and Chard'e Vanzandt. It was Finch and Redman who got the ball rolling for UTC, accounting for a flurry of kills and assists to help chip away at the difference.
With the wind at their backs, Vanzandt helped the Mocs slam the door shut on the Golden Eagles with two late-set kills. One last attack error from TTU was the final nail, as UTC ultimately completed an 11-2 run to close out the third set, taking it 25-23 and once again gaining the upper hand in the match.
Despite the end of set three, Tech continued to put pressure on the Mocs by jumping ahead with an early 8-4 lead in the fourth. However, the Mocs once again were able to regain and control the remainder of the match, with the team fighting through the rest of the set to take it 25-22, sealing the UTC win.
New transfer Morgan Romano finished the night with a double-double when all was said and done in Maclellan, with Romano tallying a team-high 14 kills alongside 10 digs.
"Morgan just has so many tricks up her sleeve and so many tools in her tool belt," Torbett said. "She's a crafty player and I'm happy she had such a good performance tonight. I think we're going to see a lot more from her in the future."
Paige Gallentine would end up with a match-high 20 digs on the night alongside her team-leading three aces. Redman led the Mocs in assists (36) while Chard'e Vanzandt and Kate Neill both tied for a team-best three blocks.
UP NEXT
With their preseason finale officially in the books, the Mocs now turn their attention to the team's season-opening tournament, the GSU Invitational. Set to run August 25-26 in Atlanta, UTC will have to navigate the likes of New Orleans, South Carolina State and Georgia State to open the 2023 slate, starting with New Orleans on Friday, August 25 at 11 a.m. ET.
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