BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The Chattanooga Mocs volleyball team defeated UAB Tuesday night in Birmingham, Ala., to claim its second win of the season (2-6). UTC returned from a 2-1 deficit to down the Blazers 3-2.
“What a win,” Head Coach Travis Filar said. “This win was a must, and it was against a good UAB team that's going to do really well in Conference USA. It was a great team win.”
Chattanooga claimed a 25-21 victory in a close first set to open up the match. The Mocs hit .333 in the frame – their best percentage in the competition – to pull off the four-point win. UAB took the second and third stanzas to put Chattanooga on the ropes going into the fourth. The home team won 26-24 in the second with the teams forcing extra points, and the third 25-21 to mirror the Mocs winning score from the premier.
The Mocs turned the tables at Bartow Arena in the following set with a convincing 25-14 triumph. While UTC hit .240 in the frame, the Blazers were held to just a .094 percentage – their lowest of the match. Chattanooga then took the match with a three-point win in the deciding set.
Three Mocs registered double-digit kills, with Kristy Wieser (Lincoln, Neb.) continuing her dominance with 12 kills and Sarah Batterton (Colbert, Wash.), tying the sophomore's high. Sophomore Nicole Sumida (Hixson, Tenn.) ended the match with 11 kills. Setters Anne Bachmann (Lincoln, Neb.) and Lauren Greenspoon (Houston, Texas) split time at the position, posting 27 and 22 assists, respectively.
On defense, UAB totaled 11.0 blocks to continue their dominance at the net, while Chattanooga collected 7.0 blocks of its own. Juniors Batterton and Lauren Gainer (Boca Raton, Fla.) ended the match with two blocks each. Batterton's came solo while Gainer's were assisted.
The back line's performance was solid, as well, with four totaling double-digit digs. Libero Catherine Chason (Alpharetta, Ga.) led the team with 21 digs. Wieser (19), Bachmann (10) and senior Brianna Guzinski (15) were the remaining three.
“I was really impressed with our fight tonight,” Filar said. “Our offense looked great and our back-line defense was in sync every step of the way. Brianna Guzinski really stood out to me tonight with her determination and defense. Really proud of the way she helped lead the team tonight.”
The Mocs now take momentum into their home tournament, the Chattanooga Classic, Friday and Saturday. UTC is set to play three matches over the upcoming weekend in its first of two tournament at Maclellan Gym.
