GREENVILLE, S.C. (October 17, 2025) — In a five-set battle for the ages, the Chattanooga Mocs volleyball team continued its winning ways after erasing a seven-point deficit in the fifth set to eventually earn a dramatic 3-2 (25-21, 25-13, 20-25, 13-25, 16-14) victory over Furman during key Southern Conference action on Friday night inside Alley Gymnasium in Greenville, S.C.
 
After the win, Chattanooga (11-8, 5-2) extended its winning streak to four matches while claiming its third-straight road win over Furman (13-6, 4-3) in the series dating back to 2023. The Mocs four-match SoCon regular season win streak matches the longest for the program (2022) since the start of the 2017 season.

Records/Series
Chattanooga: 11-8, 5-2 SoCon
Furman: 13-6 overall, 4-3 SoCon
Series: 83^rd all-time meetings… Furman now leads the all-time series 51-32.
 
Match Notables
- Chattanooga extended its winning streak to a season-long four matches after Friday's win… all in SoCon play… last three wins all needed five sets.
- The four-match SoCon regular season win streak is the longest for the program since coach Julie Torbett Thomas' first season in 2022… just the second such streak since the start of the 2017 season.
- Chattanooga was now won its last three road contests at Furman… first time in program history winning three-straight in Greenville over the Paladins.
- Chattanooga has posted three-straight, five-set wins for the first time since 2005… first time winning three-straight in five sets during SoCon regular season play since 1997.
 
Quotable
Julie Torbett Thomas, head coach – "Wow. I'm proud of the way the team played tonight. We found ourselves in a tough situation and on the wrong side of a complete momentum shift, but we found a way to dig and refuse to lose. Down 11-4 in the fifth set … on the road … was daunting, but we got some great serves from Jazeli Vandenburgh and key kills from Gracie Rose. The team started to work for each point, and we saw we could do it [pull off the comeback] and it made Furman tighten a bit. I am so proud of the fight in this team when their backs are against the wall."

Set 1 – Chattanooga 25, Furman 21 (UTC leads 1-0)
- Chattanooga took an early lead with a kill by Gracie Rose and a block from Kynli Kirkendoll and Chiara Napoli. 
- Furman's Tennyson Gorman delivered back-to-back kills to narrow the gap to 8-6. 
- Chattanooga extended their advantage to 13-9 with a service ace by Mallory Merz and a kill from Kirkendoll. 
- Gracie Rose secured the set for Chattanooga with a decisive kill, ending the first set 25-21.
 
Set 2 – Chattanooga 25, Furman 13 (UTC leads 2-0)
- Chattanooga started strong with an early service ace by Mallory Merz, setting the tone for the visitors. 
- Gracie Rose contributed three kills in quick succession, helping Chattanooga build an early lead. 
- Sydney Jackwin and Kendyl MacAskill added crucial kills, maintaining Chattanooga's momentum. 
- Chattanooga sealed the set with a decisive 9-0 run, including two service aces from Elena Vukmanov, closing at 25-13. 
 
Set 3 – Furman 25, Chattanooga 20 (UTC leads 2-1)
- Furman took an early lead with a service ace by Caiti Barthel, pushing the score to 3-1. 
- Lindsay Walch contributed significantly with three consecutive kills, extending Furman's advantage to 8-3. 
- Chattanooga responded with a series of blocks by Kendyl MacAskill and Jordin Glass, narrowing the gap to 9-8. 
- Furman maintained its edge, closing the set with a kill from Kacie Moore, ending 25-20. 
 
Set 4 – Furman 25, Chattanooga 13 (Tied 2-2)
- Furman surged to a 6-0 lead, featuring two service aces from Elena Vukmanov. 
- Chattanooga responded with a kill from Sydney Jackwin, but Furman maintained their advantage at 9-3. 
- Izzy Castelloe contributed two kills as Furman extended their lead to 14-5. 
- Chattanooga's Kynli Kirkendoll and Chiara Napoli combined for a block, narrowing the gap to 21-12, before falling 25-13.
 
Set 5 – Chattanooga 16, Furman 14 (UTC wins 3-2)
- Chattanooga opened the set with a kill by Gracie Rose before the squad fell behind by a sizable 11-4 margin.
- Furman's Lindsay Walch contributed multiple kills, helping her team establish a 3-point lead at 11-8. 
- Chattanooga rallied with a series of points off Furman attack errors, leveling the score at 11-11. 
- Gracie Rose delivered key kills down the stretch, propelling Chattanooga to a 16-14 set victory and securing the match win. 

Top Performers/Notables
Gracie Rose 
- 18 kills (ties career-high); .244 hitting percentage; 18.5 points 
 
Ashley Reynolds 
- 24 assists; 20 digs (career-high)
 
Jordin Glass 
- 11 kills; .381 hitting percentage; 6.0 total blocks 
 
Chiara Napoli 
- 17 assists; 7.0 total blocks 
 
Sydney Jackwin 
- 12 kills; 16 digs (992 career)
 
Up Next
Chattanooga concludes its South Carolina trip tomorrow night with a 7 p.m. (EST) SoCon contest at The Citadel in Charleston. The match can be streamed LIVE on ESPN+ through the ESPN app and WatchESPN platforms with links available on the schedule page.

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