CULLOWHEE, N.C. --- Chattanooga volleyball heads into its final weekend of regular season action this Friday and Saturday, as the Mocs wrap up the 2024 campaign by heading to Western Carolina and ETSU to close out the year.
Heading into the final weekend, the Mocs currently sit seventh in the SoCon standings, but a whole lot can change over the next 72 hours. Only two games separate the No. 3 and No. 7 seeds, meaning that with two wins this weekend and some help from their SoCon counterparts, the Mocs could leap as high as the No. 3 position by the end of the day on Saturday.
The Mocs open their weekend in Cullowhee, with UTC set to take on the Catamounts at 6 p.m. ET on ESPN+. Chattanooga will then head to Johnson City for the team's final regular season match of the year on Saturday, taking on the Buccaneers at 6 p.m. ET. Saturday's match will not be available to stream.
MATCH CENTRAL
Friday, November 15 | at Western Carolina | 6 p.m. ET | Stats | Stream
Saturday, November 16 | at ETSU | 6 p.m. ET | Stats
SERIES HISTORY
Western Carolina: 43-49 (Last time: October 18, 2024 – 3-0 W)
ETSU: 39-46 (Last time: October 17, 2024 – 3-0 W)
GALLENTINE MAKES HISTORY
Paige Gallentine officially moved into second all-time on the Mocs' career digs leaderboard in UTC's match at Wofford earlier this season, with Gallentine now sitting at 2,629 career digs during her time at UTC. When taking into consideration that Lara Newberry, who not only sits atop the UTC career digs leaderboard but the entire NCAA's career digs leaderboard, played during both the 30-point set and rally scoring eras, this means that Gallentine is officially the all-time program leader for career digs for the modern era of scoring (25-point set, sideout scoring). Gallentine has also now officially entered the NCAA's Top 25 all-time when it comes to career digs, with Gallentine coming in at 17th in NCAA history.
TORBETT THOMAS REACHES 50TH WIN WITH THE MOCS
UTC head coach and Director of Volleyball Julie Torbett Thomas officially reached yet another coaching milestone in her illustrious, 31-year coaching career earlier this week as Torbett Thomas earned her 50th win as UTC's head coach. Torbett Thomas' coaching record with the Mocs now sits at 52-43, making her the fourth coach in program history to coach the Mocs to 50+ wins. She needs another four victories to surpass Tony Jardin for the third-most head coaching wins in program history. Torbett Thomas' win percentage with the Mocs (.547) actively ranks as the highest win percentage by a UTC head coach in program history. Her career head coaching record now stands at 520-447.
A DYNAMIC FRONT ROW DUO
The front row pairing of Kynli Kirkendoll and Chard'e Vanzandt have taken the Southern Conference by storm this year, not only serving as massive defensive presences for the Mocs but as efficient attackers that can go off at any given moment. Kirkendoll currently leads the SoCon in terms of hitting % (.345) while Vanzandt clocks in at third (.338) in the league.
THE RACE FOR THE SOCON RECORD
This year's Chattanooga team has not one, but two of the program's most decorated players competing in their final seasons. Setter Elaine Redman and libero Paige Gallentine have quickly become two of UTC's most decorated volleyball players ever, and the pair currently sit at eight and seven career SoCon POTW awards won, respectively. Redman, who just recently surpassed Gallentine with a SoCon Setter of the Week honor on October 14, now needs just one more Player of the Week award to officially tie herself for the conference record. The SoCon's record holder for most POTW awards won in a single career is Georgia Southern's Martina Veiglova (2001-03), who wrapped up her time having won nine total Player of the Week honors.
ABOUT WESTERN CAROLINA
The Catamounts enter the final weekend of the regular season sitting 8-18 overall and 2-11 in the SoCon, which currently has WCU sitting as the conference's No. 8 seed. The Catamounts were able to snap an 11-match losing streak in their most recent match last Saturday, sweeping ninth-place UNCG 3-0. Western Carolina's only other league win this season came all the way back on September 25th in WCU's SoCon opener, when they downed The Citadel 3-2 on the road. Despite some tough sledding in 2024, the Catamounts have been very solid defensively with Western Carolina currently ranking second in the SoCon in blocks/set (2.31) as well as third in digs/set (17.68). An individual to look out for would be the Southern Conference's leader in blocks, Janelle Blue, who is averaging 1.13 blocks/set on the year.
ABOUT EAST TENNESSEE STATE
ETSU enters its final weekend of action holding the No. 3 seed in the conference, as the Buccaneers have put together a 16-10 (8-6 SoCon) campaign in 2024 thus far. The Mocs are hoping to have caught the Bucs on a downslope, with ETSU having lost two of their last three matches. East Tennessee State has a brick wall defense upfront that currently leads the Southern Conference in blocks/set (2.32) and in opponent hitting percentage (.161). Not only that, but the Buccaneers have also been dominant on the serve, as their 1.63 aces/set rank second in the league. The blocking duo of Abbey Thomas and Whitley Rammel can be credited with much of ETSU's defensive success, as the pair both actively rank in the SoCon's Top 5 in blocks/set. As for ETSU's success on the serve, that is thanks in large part to Reese Rhodes, who not only ranks second in the SoCon in aces/set (0.40) but ranks 65th in the NCAA in total aces as well (39).
SOCON STANDINGS
An important note regarding Southern Conference standings is that due to Furman and Western Carolina not being able to play all 16 SoCon matches this season, the league standings will first be determined by conference win percentage. If teams are still tied in the standings, the next two tiebreakers are head-to-head record, followed by head-to-head sets won vs. sets lost. Heading into the final weekend of Southern Conference action, the league standings are as follows:
1. Mercer: 22-5 (12-2)
2. Wofford: 19-7 (11-3)
3. ETSU: 16-10 (8-6)
4. The Citadel: 14-11 (8-6)
5. Samford: 13-11 (7-7)
6. Furman: 12-12 (6-7)
7. Chattanooga: 16-13 (6-8)
8. Western Carolina: 8-18 (2-11)
9. UNCG: 7-19 (2-12)
CAREER MILESTONE WATCH
- Elaine Redman has officially moved up into fourth all-time in career assists for Chattanooga, having logged 2,990 assists during her time with the Mocs. Redman is now chasing Lauren Greenspoon (2014-17) for third on the program's all-time leaderboard. Greenspoon sits at 3,316 assists with the Mocs.
- Redman's career assist total currently sits at 4,047 when including her time at Toledo. She ranks 30th on the NCAA Division I active career assists leaderboard.
- Paige Gallentine actively ranks 17th in NCAA history when it comes to career digs, sitting at 2,629. Another 27 digs from Gallentine would see her jump into 16th all-time.
- Gallentine also now officially ranks tied for fourth in program history in career aces with 132. She needs another 10 to tie Allie Davenport (2013-16), who had 142, for third all-time.
- Marcelle Baez-Carlo needs 13 total blocks to officially enter UTC's Top 10 in career blocks (she currently has 257).
- Baez-Carlo has entered the program's Top 10 all-time in career block assists, with her total of 224 ranking ninth in program history. 12 more and she would tie Dani Szczepanski (2016-19) for eighth all-time.
- With three more wins, Julie Torbett Thomas would tie herself with Tony Jardin as the third-winningest head coach in program history (55 wins).
- Baez-Carlo is also two appearances away from playing in her 100th career match for the Mocs.
- Redman has recorded 1,116 assists for the Mocs this season, which ranks as the ninth-most in a single season in program history. Another 17 and she will move into eighth all-time.
- If the season were to end today, Kynli Kirkendoll's season hitting % of .345 would rank fourth in program history.
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