CHARLESTON, S.C. --- Chattanooga volleyball was able to cap off its time in Charleston with an important win at the Charleston Southern Tournament on Saturday, with the Mocs taking home a 3-0 victory over North Carolina A&T that helped the Mocs clinch the tournament title.
The Mocs (5-1) controlled the match from the very beginning, claiming convincing first and second set wins over the Aggies (1-4). UTC then slammed the door shut by putting together a five-point comeback in set three to ultimately earn their fifth win and fourth sweep of 2023. After an SIU loss to Charleston Southern, the Mocs took home their second consecutive tournament title having earned two 3-0 sweeps and the team's lone loss being 3-2.
"I was pleased overall with the way the team responded and bounced back today," head coach Julie Torbett said. "We battled back in the final set to get the sweep and finish the weekend on a high note before finally getting to play at home on Wednesday."
To open the match, UTC forced the Aggies into numerous errors that amounted to the Mocs gaining a hefty lead on North Carolina A&T. When all was said and done in the first, the Mocs were able to take it 25-19 while holding A&T to just a .029 hit percentage in the set.
Moving into the second, the Mocs kept their momentum rolling by putting together yet another strong performance, winning the set 25-20. Similar to the first, it was errors by the Aggies compiled with a UTC block party led by Kate Neil, Chard'e Vanzandt and Marcelle Baez-Carlo that fueled the Mocs to take an early 2-0 lead.
Despite the strong start from UTC, the Aggies weren't ready to roll over just yet as North Carolina A&T put together a solid run to find themselves leading the Mocs 22-17. From here, Chattanooga rolled up its sleeves and put together an amazing 10-3 run to close out the set, claiming a 27-25 UTC set win to secure the sweep.
Ultimately it was grad student Gylian Finch that led the Mocs in kills against the Aggies, tallying 12 on the day. Thid marks the first match that Morgan Romano, who ended the match with 10 kills, did not lead the team in the category.
Defensively it was blocks that stood out on the stat sheet for UTC, with the Mocs chalking up seven as a team. Kate Neill led the way for Chattanooga with a new season-high of four, while Gylian Finch, Marcelle Baez-Carlo and Chard'e Vanzandt all were credited with two apiece.
Junior Elaine Redman once again led the Mocs in assists with 29, while Paige Gallentine led the team in total digs with nine.
Both Morgan Romano and Paige Gallentine came away with All-Tournament status for the second consecutive tournament having done so at the season-opening GSU Invitational last weekend. Romano also claimed the MVP award for her efforts, marking the second tournament in a row that she's claimed that honor as well.
"We're hoping everyone will come out and see the team live on Wednesday," Torbett said. "They're a fun group to watch."
2023 CSU ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM
Morgan Romano, Chattanooga (MVP)
Paige Gallentine, Chattanooga
Ilaria Durante, Charleston Southern
Indigo Young, Charleston Southern
Cecilia Bulhamn, Southern Illinois
Kelly Franklin, Southern Illinois
Naiya Sawtelle, North Carolina A&T
UP NEXT
The Mocs will now return to Chattanooga for the team's official home-opener on Wednesday, September 6, against Austin Peay (4-1). The match is set to take place at 6 p.m. ET at Maclellan Gymnasium and will be available to stream for fans on ESPN+.
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