
Volleyball Set to Square Off With Furman Thursday and Friday
9/30/2026 1:32:00 PM | Volleyball
Chattanooga hits the road for its first SoCon away matches
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. - The Mocs hit the road for their first SoCon away matches this week at Furman on Thursday and Friday. Both teams are looking for their first league wins of the year. The full schedule with game links is copied below.
Thursday, Oct. 1
6 p.m. - Chattanooga at Furman (Watch) (Live Stats)
Play-By-Play: Brock Bowling
Friday, Oct. 2
6 p.m. - Chattanooga at Furman (Watch) (Live Stats)
Play-By-Play: Steve Vecchione
Records
Chattanooga (5-9, 0-2 SoCon)
Furman (6-7, 0-2 SoCon)
Series Notes
Chattanooga is 34-51 all-time against Furman… The Mocs are 11-25 all-time in road games at Furman… UTC is 7-3 in the last 10 matches against the Paladins… Head Coach Julie Torbett Thomas is 6-2 against Furman… Her six wins vs. Furman are the most she has had against any team since becoming Head Coach in 2022.
About Chattanooga
The Mocs fell to Wofford in four sets in both of their opening SoCon matches in Maclellan Gym last weekend. Ashley Reynolds was a standout player for the Mocs with double-doubles in both matches while surpassing 1,000 career assists in Saturday's match. Chattanooga has played three true road matches this season and are 0-3 in those games. On a neutral court, UTC is 4-2.
Chattanooga as a team is averaging 11.66 kills per set, 10.77 assists per set, 14.64 digs per set, and 1.96 blocks per set so far this season. The Mocs hold an attack percentage of .197, and are 5-0 in matches when they hit .200 or better.
Offensively, the Mocs have had an array of attackers who have contributed this season, led by middle blockers Jordin Glass and Kynli Kirkendoll who have 119 kills and 113 kills, respectively. These two alongside Bailey Burgess have also been good blockers for the Mocs. On the outside, Gracie Rose, Elena Vukmanov, and Addison Walker each have multiple games with 10 or more kills.
At setter, Reynolds and Mallory Merz have proven to be a solid one-two punch for the Blue and Gold. Reynolds has 345 assists to her name this season while Merz is sitting at 126 assists. Both players had double-doubles this past weekend.
Chattanooga's libero, Caiti Barthel, leads the Mocs defensively with 231 digs and 4.36 digs per set, ranking among the top three in the SoCon in both statistical categories. She also leads UTC in service aces with 15.
About Furman
The Paladins opened SoCon play with a pair of four-set road defeats to Tennessee Tech. Of Furman's six wins, its most notable came on Sept. 17 at Clemson, defeating the Tigers in five sets. The Paladins also hold victories over Presbyterian and Queens (NC), who are two common opponents with Chattanooga, as the Mocs went 1-1 in those matches.
Looking at Furman's team stats, it averages 11.7 kills per set, 10.8 assists per set, 15.7 digs per set, and 2.2 blocks per set. Additionally, the Paladins are hitting at a rate of .185 while holding their opponents to a hitting percentage of .176. Opponents have reached a 200 hitting percentage or higher in just three matches this season against Furman.
The No. 1 attacker on the Mocs' scouting report is middle blocker Izzy Castelloe. The senior has 183 kills so far this season, and has 10 or more kills in every match this season. Amber Watson with 2.17 kills per set and Kacie Moore with 1.98 kills per set are two other offensive pieces for Furman. Moore impacts the game on the other side of the net as well with a team-high 50 total blocks.
Emily Navarro is the main setter the Paladins use, as she has 354 assists so far this season. She has totaled 20 or more assists in each of Furman's last five matches and was the SoCon Setter of the Week on Sept. 14.
Looking at Furman defensively, it all starts with its libero, Kennedy Seekford. The senior has accumulated 219 digs while averaging 4.13 digs per set. Navarro also contributes to the defensive effort with 134 digs thus far.
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