JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. --- UTC volleyball came away victorious in the team's in-state rivalry matchup against ETSU on Friday night, with the Mocs coming away with a 3-1 victory in hostile territory to claim their first conference win of 2023.
The Mocs (12-5, 1-2 SoCon) came across multiple lengthy sets against the Buccaneers (1-14, 1-3 SoCon) in Johnson City on Thursday, along with having to overcome a handful of big deficits to a hungry ETSU squad. However, a resilient Mocs team that was sparked by overpowering offense proved to be the deciding factor, with UTC snapping what was a three-match losing streak to earn their first SoCon win of the season on the road.
"That was a tough battle," head coach Julie Torbett said. "Everyone came up with some big moments for us. Elaine (Redman) had an amazing block to end the marathon third set, Morgan (Romano) was steady the entire match, Sophia (Bossong) and Marcelle (Baez-Carlo) came in and gave us a different look and we had shared responsibilities with Chloe (Bryan) and Halle (Olson). The fight was back in the team to make hustle plays and work together to get it done."
To open the match, both teams came out ready for a war in Brooks Gymnasium as the two sides kept things interesting the entirety of the first set. Powered by team kills leader Morgan Romano, the Mocs hit a red-hot .351 in the opening frame on their way to claiming a 26-24 first set victory to kick things off against the Bucs.
ETSU responded almost immediately, putting together a dominant second set to win it 25-12 and level the scoreboard at one a piece. If the It was a tale of two sets for the Mocs, following up their offensive masterclass in the first with a rough outing that included only hitting .069 in Set No. 2. If the Mocs were going to earn their first conference victory of the year, they would need to put that second set in their rearview.
The third set opened with the Buccaneers still riding their high from a set ago, as ETSU was able to jump ahead 15-9 near the halfway point of the frame. From this point on, Chattanooga rolled up its sleeves and clawed its way back into the match, going on a 9-3 run to eventually tie the third set at 18-18.
Both teams proceeded to exchange blows as the third set carried on, as the Mocs found themselves in what would be their longest set of the 2023 so far. Battling back and forth, it would eventually take a total of six set points between the two teams before the Mocs would finally slam the door shut on set three with a hard-fought 30-28 set victory.
After grinding out a crucial third set, ETSU found their backs against the wall and needed a big momentum shift to get back in the match. The Buccaneers were able to get just that, opening set four on a 10-3 run before Chattanooga took a timeout to regroup. Once again, however, the Mocs were able to claw their way back into the set following their slow start. After a 9-3 run for UTC, the Mocs were now down by just one at the midway point of the fourth.
Starting to sense a shift in the tides, the Mocs took advantage of a dragging ETSU team by turning on the afterburners. With the scoreboard reading 17-15 in favor of the Bucs, UTC would close out the match on an unreal 10-3 run led primarily by the attacking duo of Gylian Finch and Morgano Romano. When all was said and done, the Mocs not only had a 25-20 set win, but a 3-1 Southern Conference victory over their in-state rival.
Both Finch and Romano capped off their nights with a share of the team-high in kills, with both grad students tallying 17 apiece. The offense also relied heavily on setter Elaine Redman, with the junior accounting for 48 assists in the win. Both Finch and Redman finished with double-doubles for the Mocs having each logged double-digit digs for the squad. Redman now has 20 double-doubles in her college career, as well as already having a new season-high of eight double-doubles in 2023.
Defensively for the Mocs, it was another Paige Gallentine showcase with the Fenton, Michigan, native finishing with a team-leading 25 digs. This marks the 40th time of Gallentine's career that she has tallied 20+ digs in a single match. Fellow junior Chard'e Vanzandt would finish as Chattanooga's blocks leader with four.
UP NEXT
The Mocs now continue their SoCon road trip tomorrow with UTC traveling to UNC Greensboro (1-13, 0-3 SoCon) to take on the Spartans at 6 p.m. ET on ESPN+. UTC will then travel to Alabama A&M (1-15, 0-3 SWAC) on Tuesday, October 3 for one last non-conference match this season. The Mocs are set to face off against the Bulldogs at 6 p.m. ET, and will then return home for a pair of SoCon matchups on October 6-7.
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. UTC volleyball will be holding a celebration of the team's 50 seasons of history during the team's pair of home matches October 6 and 7 during Homecoming Weekend.
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