First Look
The Chattanooga Mocs made it three in a row with a thrilling 5-set win over the Samford Bulldogs in Maclellan Gym Saturday afternoon. The Mocs won sets two, three and five for the win. Both teams were efficient in attack hitting better than .300 on the day.
 
Records/Series
Chattanooga: 10-8, 4-2 SoCon
Samford: 6-11, 1-5 SoCon
Series: Chattanooga trails 20-38
 
Match Notables

• Mocs are winners of three in a row and six of their last eight.
• Back-to-back 5-set triumphs after pulling the reverse sweep Thursday night at Western Carolina.
• Chattanooga was +8 in serving (21/13) with seven aces and 14 Bulldogs service errors.
• Four Mocs scored in double-digit points: Gracie Rose (19), Sydney Jackwin (18.5), Kynli Kirkendoll (16.5) and Kendyl MacAskill (10).
• The Bulldogs duo of Kaleigh Meritt (23) and Ally Cordes (22) combined for 45 of the squad's 65 kills.

 
Quotable
Julie Torbett Thomas, head coach – "I'm really proud of our team after playing five sets on the road (Thursday) and getting the win against a tough Samford team. I thought our outsides had a great match. That's the best we've seen Sydney and Gracie play together. I just thought it was a great offensive battle by both teams, and we ended up on the better side of it in the fifth set."
 
First Set 
- Chattanooga opened with a kill from Gracie Rose, setting the tone for the early exchanges. 
- Samford responded with a series of kills by Ally Cordes, leveling the score at 4-4. 
- Sydney Jackwin's service ace helped Chattanooga regain a one-point advantage at 8-7. 
- Samford secured the first set 25-19, led by Cordes, who contributed multiple kills during a decisive closing stretch. 
 
Second Set 
- The Bulldogs opened with a 6-2 lead, highlighted by Cordes' two kills and a service ace from Kaleigh Meritt. 
- The Mocs responded with a 5-2 run, with Kendyl MacAskill and Jackwin contributing key kills to narrow the score to 8-7. 
- With the set tied at 15-15, UTC gained momentum through a series of kills by Kynli Kirkendoll and Rose, pulling ahead 21-16. 
- Rose secured the set for Chattanooga at 25-20 with multiple kills, including the decisive point. 
 
Third Set 
- Jackwin ignited a run with four consecutive kills, pushing the home team ahead 5-3. 
- Mallory Merz contributed a service ace, extending Chattanooga's lead to 8-4. 
- Kirkendoll and Rose combined for a block, maintaining Chattanooga's momentum at 14-9. 
- Rose sealed the set for Chattanooga with a decisive kill, ending it at 25-16. 
 
Fourth Set 
- Chattanooga started strong with two early points, including a kill by MacAskill assisted by Ashley Reynolds. 
- The Bulldogs' Brooklyn Drumwright contributed significantly with a service ace and a block-assisted point, pushing them ahead 6-3. 
- Kirkendoll kept the Mocs competitive with two crucial kills, tying the score at 7-7. 
- Samford maintained momentum, pulling away in the final stages with a kill from Kaleigh Meritt and a set-closing kill by Janie Stinchcomb, winning the set 25-20. 
 
Fifth Set 
- Chattanooga opened with a 5-1 run, with MacAskill contributing two kills and a block. 
- The Bulldogs responded with a 7-4 run to close the gap, highlighted by Cordes' two consecutive kills and a service ace from Drumwright. 
- The Mocs took control with a Rose kill sandwiched by Bulldogs errors in attach and on the serve.
- Chattanooga sealed the set and the match with a service ace by Jazeli Vandenburgh, finalizing a 15-10 victory. 
 
Chattanooga Top Performers 
Sydney Jackwin 
- 15 kills with a .333 hitting percentage 
- 15 digs 
- 18.5 points total 
 
Kynli Kirkendoll 
- 13 kills with a .600 hitting percentage 
- 4 total blocks (1 solo, 3 assisted) 
- 16.5 points total 
 
Gracie Rose 
- 18 kills with a .333 hitting percentage 
- 19 points total 
 
Ashley Reynolds 
- 26 assists 
- 11 digs 
 
Caiti Barthel 
- 19 digs
 
Up Next
The Mocs hit the road with a South Carolina swing visiting Furman on Friday and The Citadel on Saturday night. The next home match is Thursday, Oct. 23, with a visit from ETSU.
 
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