LEXINGTON, Ky. - The Chattanooga Beach Volleyball team earned special recognition from the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA). Each of Chattanooga's starting-five pairs were announced as Top Flight award winners by the organization. 

The Top Flight program, now in its eighth year, recognizes beach pairs who compete in at least 15 matches together at a specific flight, and win at least 75% of their matches. The Sandy Mocs, alongside Cal Poly, were the only two schools in NCAA Division I to have five pairs earn this distinction. It's also the first time in program history it has happened for Chattanooga Beach Volleyball. 

Flight 1
McKenna Faychak and Maddie Lecik manned the No. 1 slot for UTC, finishing the year with a 20-5 record. The senior duo were named the OVC Pair of the Year after a dominant regular season. They were also First Team All-OVC and Faychak was the OVC Player of the Year.

Flight 2
Competing all season in the No. 2 position for the Sandy Mocs was Corina Vale and Julia Lawrence, who held a 20-6 record. The duo were First Team All-OVC players and named to the OVC All-Tournament Team after their strong season in the sand. 

Flight 3
Sydney Jackwin and Ansley Gulledge played on Court 3 for Chattanooga, and concluded the season with a 21-7 record. The duo was named the OVC Tournament Most Valuable Pair as they clinched the winning point in the Championship Match against Lindenwood. Both players also earned All-Conference distinction after a great regular season. 

Flight 4
Chattanooga's No. 4 pair this season was Taylor Clark and Ashli McKenny, as they went 25-4 on the year, tying the school record for most wins in a season. The duo earned Second Team All-OVC honors as a result of their consistent play. 

Flight 5
Ava Goryl and Madeline McCabe rounded out UTC's starting lineup, playing at the No. 5 slot. The duo ranked second on the team with 22 wins on the season, while losing just four matches. After an impressive regular season, the pair earned Second Team All-OVC recognition. 

Chattanooga completed its 2026 season with a 24-5 overall record, winning both the OVC Regular Season Championship and Tournament Championship for the third year in a row. Additionally, UTC competed in the National Collegiate Beach Volleyball Championship for the third straight year, falling to No. 1 Stanford in the First Round. 

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