BLACKSBURG, Va. --- Chattanooga volleyball heads into its final week of the non-conference season with a record of 7-4, and the Mocs will be aiming to regain a surge of momentum prior to the SoCon season getting underway with UTC traveling to Blacksburg, Virginia, to take part in the Virginia Tech Classic.
Following a difficult weekend at the SIUE Cougar Classic, the Mocs will be looking to rebound in the team's final two matches of the non-con season this Thursday, September 19. UTC's day will start at 12 p.m. ET with a neutral site matchup against Rider (1-8) before wrapping up their time in Blacksburg with a 7 p.m. ET night cap against Power 4 opponent Virginia Tech (4-4).
Both matches on Thursday will have live stats available for fans to follow along with, but only Thursday night's match against the Hokies will be available to stream. That match can be found on both ESPN+ as well as the ACC Network.
The Mocs will have their sights set on earning the team's first Power 4 (formerly Power 5) win since 2016, when UTC was able to take down Ole Miss 3-2. A season before their win against the Rebels, the 2015 Chattanooga volleyball team was able to notch another Power 4 win as the Mocs were able to take down, you guessed it, Virginia Tech in a 3-2 upset in Blacksburg.
MATCH CENTRAL
Thursday, September 19 | vs. Rider | 12 p.m. ET | Stats
Thursday, September 19 | at Virginia Tech | 7 p.m. ET | Stats | Stream
SERIES HISTORY
Rider: 1-0 (Last time: September 3, 1999 – 3-0 W)
Virginia Tech: 1-5 (Last time: September 11, 2021 – 2-3 L)
TORBETT THOMAS CLOSES IN ON WIN NO. 50
UTC head coach and Director of Volleyball Julie Torbett Thomas is closing in on a Chattanooga coaching milestone as her third year in the Scenic City is now in full swing, with Torbett Thomas inching closer to the 50-win mark as UTC's head coach. Torbett Thomas actively holds a record of 43-34 with Chattanooga, a win total that currently ranks fourth all-time in program history. Currently coaching in her 31st season of collegiate volleyball, Torbett Thomas' all-time coaching record stands at 511-438.
ONE OF THE NCAA'S FINEST
Senior setter Elaine Redman has been on a war path to open the year for the Mocs, helping to orchestrate UTC's offense to a 7-4 start to the season. As of September 15, Redman actively ranks second in all of Division I when it comes to total assists this season, with the Chattanooga native having notched 445 on the young season. Redman is currently averaging 40.45 per match and 10.11 per set on the year. She also ranks 44th in the nation in terms of assists/set.
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 of eligibility. Setter Elaine Redman and libero Paige Gallentine have quickly become two of UTC's most decorated volleyball players of all time, and the pair currently sit tied with one another for the program record for most SoCon Player of the Week awards in a career. Each has won seven total POTW honors, with Redman having already collected two this season to match Gallentine's total. The Southern Conference'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.
KIRKENDOLL CHASES A RECORD OF HER OWN
Freshman middle blocker Kynli Kirkendoll has already made her presence known on UTC's front row, with the Tulsa, Oklahoma, native having logged a team-high 34 blocks in her first 10 matches of collegiate volleyball (did not play in UTC's season opener). Currently at a 3.40 blocks/match and 0.89 blocks/set pace, Kirkendoll is on track to end her rookie campaign with 102 total blocks on the year. If the Jenks High School product can up her pace over UTC's final 20 matches of the season, Kirkendoll could compete for the program record for most blocks recorded by a freshman in a single season. That record is currently held by Natalie Reiniche, who logged 119 total blocks during her freshman season in 1995. Current UTC senior Marcelle Baez-Carlo is second on the list, with her having tallied 112 blocks during her freshman year in 2021.
ABOUT RIDER
Rider has gotten off to a slow start to the 2024 season, with the Broncs currently holding a 1-8 record heading into their contest with the Mocs. After an 0-2 start to the year, Rider was able to notch and its first and only win of 2024 in a 3-2 victory over FDU. Since then, Rider has gone on a six-match losing skid with the Broncs only having won three total sets in that span. The tough start currently has Rider hanging near the bottom of the MAAC standings, but with so much season left to be played it's difficult to count out a team that has reached the MAAC Tournament Semifinals in each of the last four seasons. Led by junior Kiannisha Santiago, who has logged a team-leading 85 kills (2.93 kills/set) this season, the Broncs will be looking to play spoiler to UTC's final non-conference tournament.
ABOUT VIRGINIA TECH
The Hokies 2024 season has gotten off to a rather confusing start on paper, with the ACC squad currently holding a .500 record of 4-4. While Virginia Tech was able to notch a win in its season-opener against Winthrop, granted in five sets, subsequent losses to UCF and Winthrop in a rematch that same weekend clouded the team's first weekend slate of matches. Further non-conference losses against the likes of Lafayette as well as a three-set sweep loss to Cleveland State only add to VT's early-season woes. The Hokies were able to get back on the right track last Saturday with a 3-0 result over fellow SoCon foe UNCG, and now sitting at .500 Virginia Tech will need strong results against Rider and Chattanooga this Thursday to help build up some momentum as ACC play looms. Tech's offense has primarily relied upon the two-headed attack of Hailey Pearce and Belle Patrick, who are averaging 3.29 and 3.17 kills/set this season, respectively.
CAREER MILESTONE WATCH
- Elaine Redman has officially moved up into seventh all-time in career assists for Chattanooga, having logged 2,319 assists during her time with the Mocs. Redman is now 276 assists off of tying Emily McGinnis (2001-03) for sixth on the program's all-time leaderboard.
- Redman's career assist total currently sits at 3,376 when including her time at Toledo. She ranks 21st on the NCAA Division I active career assists leaderboard.
- Paige Gallentine sits 26 digs away from tying herself for second in program history in career digs. She has 2,289.
- Gallentine also now officially ranks eighth in program history in career aces with 112. She needs just one more to tie Katy Lusetti (1997-00) for seventh all-time. The next highest Moc is Kylie Hunter (1990-93) who logged 118 career aces.
- Marcelle Baez-Carlo needs 54 total blocks to officially enter UTC's Top 10 in career blocks (she currently has 216).
- Baez-Carlo is also 27 block assists from entering that UTC Top 10 list as well.
- Ashley Taylor needs one more solo block to log her 50th at the Division I level.
- Julie Torbett Thomas needs seven more wins to reach 50 head coaching victories while at Chattanooga. She currently sits at 511 head coaching wins all-time.
- Chandler Alter needs just four more digs to tie her previous single-season high of 99 digs, which she initially recorded during the 2021 season.
- Redman is six aces away from her 100th of her career.
- Erin Wyatt needs another 14 kills to hit 800 in her career.
SOCON SEASON LOOMS
Upon the conclusion of Thursday's Virginia Tech Classic, the Mocs will officially enter the start of the team's Southern Conference beginning Thursday, September 26 with a road trip at Wofford. Later that same weekend, UTC will return home for their home SoCon opener on Sunday, September 29 against Samford. Those matches mark the first of what will be a 16-match SoCon schedule for the Mocs, with two additional non-conference matches scattered in (Alabama A&M – October 8, Austin Peay – October 29).
2024 PROMOTIONS SCHEDULE
A variety of marketing and fan promotions are being offered this season for the Chattanooga volleyball team, with several home matches providing unique and fun styling and/or giveaways to fans in attendance. The next marketing promotions coming up at Maclellan Gymnasium include Academic Night for UTC's September 29 contest against Samford, followed by an October 8 matchup with Alabama A&M that will serve as a "Get'cha Head in the Game Night" inspired by High School Musical. A full list and schedule of this season's marketing promotions for UTC volleyball can be found HERE.
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