The Chattanooga Mocs returns to action Friday and Saturday at Maclallan Gym is they host the Scenic City Showdown – Presented by Hampton Inn & Suites. Its second three-team tournament of the season, Chattanooga welcomes UT Martin, Stetson and South Carolina State to Downtown.
“This is another great opportunity for us to display our city, campus and facilities to visitors,” Head Coach Travis Filar said. “I was really happy with the way last week’s Chattanooga Classic ran and hope the Scenic City Showdown is just as successful.”
Chattanooga claimed two wins at last week’s Classic, and has taken four of its last five matches. With a combination of transfer aid and returners stepping up to meet the challenge, UTC is off to a 5-7 start to the season. Sophomore Kristy Wieser (Lincoln, Neb.) leads the team with 127 kills while junior Lauren Gainer (Boca Raton, Fla.) has amassed 44 blocks. On the serve, sophomore Allie Davenport (Tyrone, Ga.) leads the Southern Conference with 9 aces.
Stetson enter the weekend with a 5-4 record, claiming wins over McNeese State, Bethune-Cookman, Charleston Southern, The Citadel and North Carolina A&T. The Hatters are led by Madison Akins and McKenna Foster. Atkins has 99 kills on the season while Akins follows closely behind with 95 kills. The blocking unit consists of Erika White, who has 34 blocks, and Shelby Connors with 21 blocks.
South Carolina State comes to Chattanooga in search of its first win of the season. At 0-11, the Bulldogs have already squared off with the likes of The Citadel, Murray State and UT Martin. SCSU forced The Citadel to five sets but was unable to upend the SoCon foe. Marissa Lawrence totaled 29 kills and seven digs against the Bulldogs in Tuesday’s loss.
UT Martin is the final team in the tournament and enters the Scenic City Showdown with a 5-6 record. The Skyhawks have notched wins over South Carolina State, Alabama State, Southern, Alabama A&M and Western Carolina thus far. They are currently on a two-game skid, falling to Valparaiso and Southern Illinois. Martin ranks fourth in the OVC in hitting percentage, third in assists and fourth in kills. Libero Chelsea Bowles ranks ninth in the conference with 79 digs.