CHATTANOOGA --- Chattanooga indoor volleyball is officially on its final countdown to the 2024 regular season, as UTC's new year is set to kick off on August 30 at the Betty K. White Invitational in Huntsville, Alabama.
We start our preseason preview series by sitting down with and going into depth on the Mocs' setter group, a small but mighty bunch poised for a breakout year in the Southern Conference. The Mocs head into the fall season with a total of three setters on the squad, all of which bring a wide variety of backgrounds and skillsets to the team.
"We really have a lot of flexibility at the setter position this year," head coach Julie Torbett Thomas said. "We could run a 6-2 if we wanted to and I think these girls are really going to push and challenge each other a lot, which we haven't always had the luxury of in the past with only usually having two setters on the team. Having that third setter is just really going to increase the competitiveness there."
Elaine Redman, who is coming off arguably one of the most dominant seasons in program history at the setter position in 2023, spearheads the group as she is set to enter her third season in the Scenic City after transferring in from Toledo.
The local Baylor High School standout is slowly etching her name across UTC's record books, with Redman having tallied the fifth-most assists in a single season a year ago (1,186) alongside ranking just outside the top 10 in program history when it comes to career assists. Not only that, but Redman set a program record in 2023 after raking in a total of five SoCon Player of the Week honors, the most won by a UTC volleyball player in a single season.
"Having a returning 'quarterback' in your setter, that player that kind of runs your offense and makes everyone look better, is just super critical in our success," Torbett Thomas stated. "Not only that, but for her to be able to take on these younger understudies which we've never really had the opportunity to do before, it'll just be fun to see how Elaine takes on that leadership role."
"She did a great job with KiKi (Chiara Napoli) this spring in helping to take her under her wing, and now having a freshman in Mallory to add to that is really exciting."
While Redman is a clear and obvious leader in the setter group, fellow upperclassman and new transfer portal addition Chiara Napoli can expect to be heavily involved in UTC's diverse offensive gameplan in 2024. The French international student spent the previous two seasons as an anchor for North Carolina A&T's offense prior to transferring to Chattanooga, and her left-handed playstyle gives the Mocs another crucial variable that teams will have to prepare for ahead of the season.
Rounding out the position room is freshman setter Mallory Merz, who joins the Mocs from Viera High School in Melbourne, Florida. Merz, while she is the shortest of the three setters at UTC, adds an energy and defensive prowess to the Chattanooga squad. Merz comes to the Mocs with a padded resume that includes multiple all-conference honors alongside being the Viera High School recordholder for most assists in a career (1,917).
While being a very diverse group, the Mocs' setters have the opportunity to come together to serve as the cornerstone for what is looking to be one of Chattanooga's deepest rosters ever, specifically at the pins. For senior leader Elaine Redman, this season isn't just about going out on a high note for her, as she's aiming to help set Chattanooga volleyball up for success for years to come.
"With Elaine being from Chattanooga, I know that she wants to see this program succeed in the future, maybe more so than anybody else," Coach Torbett Thomas added. "Just her having that extra investment in this program is going to push her and the other setters that much more."
We sat down with Redman as she preps for her third and final season with UTC volleyball.
How were you able to really start hitting your stride last season and what's your plan on continuing to carry that momentum into this year?
Redman: "I did have a good season last year, but I think it'll be really important for me in the preseason to make sure I connect with all of our new hitters. Our roster is basically tripling so I think connections are going to be important this year, like how I meet all the new people and bond with them. I think my goal is to just stay confident and use what happened last year to keep me going."
What's it like now being a senior leader for this team rather than a new face that's still learning the ropes?
Redman: "There comes a lot more responsibility, obviously. I know how my transition was when I came in, so it's my goal to make it as easy as possible for these new people. There's also a lot more responsibility for me to get people to workouts and having to be the person that holds others accountable. I think it's great that Paige (Gallentine) and I are more in a leadership role because I think it helps that we both had good seasons last year. It helps show the others that we're doing things the right way and having success so when it comes from us, I would think it's easier for the others to hear. I don't know, I'm just excited with being a senior and it being my last year here. There's a lot of good that comes from being in a higher position like this."
What's your mindset heading into the season when it comes to being successful this year while also looking to set up the other setters for success once you leave?
Redman: "I really just want to lead by example. Kiki (Chiara Napoli) and I got really close in the spring so my hope is that I can take Mallory (Merz) under my wing this fall. That's what my senior setter did for me at my old school. She helped me with classes, she'd take me out to eat, so I'm really just going to try to be their friend and be there for them while also showing them in the gym how things should go. I guess I'm just going to try to be a mom for them and make it a competitive but also a safe and fun environment."
Having grown up in Chattanooga and being local, what's it like now being able to play your last couple seasons of collegiate volleyball so close to your friends and family?
Redman: "It's been awesome. I have people from my neighborhood that I always see coming to my games and it's just really sweet. There are people that you just wouldn't notice that are keeping up with you if you were far away but since I'm here they just decide 'hey let's go to the UTC game, we know Elaine'. It honestly means the world to me that I have people behind me that want to come support us. Plus, I obviously love being able to see my parents and my sister all the time; it's just been the perfect switch."
How would you say you've changed as a volleyball player and as a person between your freshman season to now your senior season?
Redman: "I've just matured a lot. My mindset going into college was just to see how things go. I knew I was going to play volleyball, but I didn't know what my major was going to be or anything, so I think I'm just able to make much better decisions for myself now. Freshman Elaine was like 'oh man I can't handle any of this' but each year I think I've gotten better at finding a balance. I just take a lot better care of myself now than I used to, which is why I think I've matured so much since then."
What would you say are the biggest strengths of this season's setter group and team as whole heading into the new season?
Redman: "For the setters, I think we all just bring something different to the table. I'm taller than Kiki and Mallory, but then Kiki is left-handed which is an amazing asset to have and then Mallory is shorter but is super quick and plays great defense. We all bring something unique to the team which is nice for the hitters to be able to see different things. I think our offense is just going to be really good this year. We have like seven pins coming in, middles that are all super tall; we're just going to be so much more physical and aggressive this season, plus have a ton of options which is always nice."
What personal goals, volleyball related or not, do you have your sights set on going into your final year at Chattanooga?
Redman: "Volleyball-wise, I just want to go out on a good note. I don't want to have a bad taste in my mouth when I leave, I just want to set a great example for the people behind me so they go 'I want to lead like Elaine did' or 'I want my experience to be like Elaine's was'. Since this is my last one, I want to go out on a high note. After all of that, my big goal is to get into PA school which I'll be applying to in the spring."
2024 Setter Group
Letterwinners Returning/Lost (1/1): Elaine Redman | Sophia Bossong
Freshman Additions (1): Mallory Merz (Melbourne, Fla.)
Transfer Portal Additions (1): Chiara Napoli (North Carolina A&T)
NOTABLES
- Last season, the Mocs ranked second in the Southern Conference for total assists (1,442) while ranking fourth in the SoCon in assists/set (11.82).
- Elaine Redman finished her junior season ranked 36th in the entire NCAA in total assists (1,186) and 81st in the NCAA in assists/set (9.72).
- Her total of 1,186 assists marked the fifth-most recorded in a single season by a UTC player in program history.
- Redman set a program record during her 2023 season with the Mocs, earning a total of five SoCon Setter of the Week awards, the most POTW honors won by a UTC player in a single season.
- Redman's five POTW honors last season tied her with 2023 SoCon Player of the Year Ali Ruffin for the most weekly awards won on the season.
- If Redman notches another 69 assists this season, she will hit the 3,000-career assist milestone over her four-year playing career. Additionally, Redman is 22 assists away from entering UTC's Top 10 career assists leaderboard.
- Incoming transfer Chiara Napoli marks the first-ever French born player to play for Chattanooga in the team's 51-year history. She is one of five total international student-athletes on this year's team.
- Napoli brings experience having played and trained as a member of the French National Team for volleyball.
- Freshman Mallory Merz is the first setter to commit to the Mocs out of high school under Julie Torbett Thomas. Torbett Thomas has only added two other setters to the Chattanooga roster since taking over the team ahead of the 2022 season: Redman (transfer portal) and Napoli (transfer portal).
- Merz joins the Mocs after setting the record at Viera High School for most assists in a career with 1,917.
SEASON-OPENING TOURNEY IN HUNTSVILLE
Chattanooga volleyball's regular season is set to get underway August 30-September 1 with the Mocs traveling to Huntsville, Alabama, for the Betty K. White Invitational (hosted by Alabama A&M). The Mocs will open their regular season at 7 p.m. ET on August 30 by taking on Southern Illinois, before playing in a pair of neutral site contests against Oral Roberts and Idaho on August 31. UTC closes out its opening weekend of action on Sunday, September 1 by battling with tournament host Alabama A&M at 1 p.m. ET.
THE MOCS AT HOME
Fans will be able to get their first taste of 2024 Chattanooga volleyball action on August 22 with the playing of the team's annual Blue-Gold Scrimmage, set to start at 5 p.m. ET in Maclellan Gymnasium. The Mocs will then host the team's annual Chattanooga Classic tournament September 6-7 at the Mac with fans having three chances to catch the Mocs in their home-opening weekend. All matches this season are free and open to the public.
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