The Chattanooga Mocs volleyball team travels to Clarksville, Tenn., Tuesday night to take on Austin Peay. The in-state matchup begins at 7 p.m. at Winfield Dunn Center.
The Mocs are coming off a 3-1 week, including two wins at the Chattanooga Classic over the weekend at Maclallen Gym. At 4-7 on the season, UTC has claimed wins over Houston Baptist, UAB, Wright State and Mississippi Valley. On the other side of the net, the Govs are 3-8 in 2014 with wins over Evansville, Binghamton and Bryant.
The Chattanooga offense is led by middle blocker Kristy Wieser (Lincoln, Neb.). The sophomore is the team’s leader in kills (114) and second in digs (148). Beside Wieser is junior Sarah Batterton (Colbert, Wash.) with 83 kills and a .290 attacking percentage.
Junior Sarah Batterton (Boca Raton, Fla.) and sophomore Nicole Sumida (Hixson, Tenn.) have emerged as UTC’s defensive forces, both registering among the SoCon’s best blockers. Sumida leads the team with an average of 1.03 blocks per set (39.0) while Gainer averages 1.00 per set (42.0). On the dig, libero Catherine Chason (Alpharetta, Ga.) leads with 195, and assists are split nearly evenly between freshman Lauren Greenspoon (Houston, Texas) and sophomore Anne Bachmann (Lincoln, Neb.). Greenspoon has 234, averaging 5.71 per set, while Bachmann is averaging 5.75 per set with 184 on the season.
The Governors are coming off a disappointing weekend in Bowling Green, Ky., at the WKU Invitational. APSU was 0-3 on the weekend, falling to Western Michigan, Western Kentucky and powerhouse Purdue.
Austin Peay’s offensive numbers nearly match Chattanooga’s, with the Govs looking to Jada Stotts for the majority of their kills. The outside hitter leads the team with 131 kills, averaging 3.83 per set, while freshman Christina White weighs in with 79 kills.
The defense is steered by Hillary Plybon, totaling 22.0 blocks. Stotts also leads the team with 124 digs. Libero April Adams registers second on the team with 81 digs.
Live stats are available free through Austin Peay, and video is provided free through the Ohio Valley Conference Network. Links for both can be found on the GoMocs.com volleyball schedule page.
The Mocs return home Friday and Saturday to host the Scenic City Showdown – Presented by Hampton Inn & Suites of Downtown Chattanooga. The second of two home tournaments for UTC, Maclellan Gym plays host to UT Martin, South Carolina State and Stetson over the weekend.