CHARLESTON, S.C. – The duo of Allie Davenport (15 kills) and Nicole Sumida guided Chattanooga to a three-set victory over The Citadel (25-18, 25-20, 25-17) in Southern Conference volleyball action on Saturday afternoon at McAlister Field House.
Davenport, who recorded a match-high in kills, was also highly efficient with a .407 hitting percentage. Her counterpart, Sumida, also managed a solid performance with a .562 hitting percentage as she committed just one error in 16 total attacks.
Chattanooga (12-11, 5-3 SoCon) amassed 47 kills as a team a posted a .379 hitting percentage. The Mocs' defense limited The Citadel's offensive attack with 42 team digs and 10 assisted blocks. Individually, UTC's defense was highlighted by the play of Catherine Chason (12 digs) and Sumida (three assisted blocks).
The Citadel (6-17, 0-8 SoCon) was led offensively by
Bailey Kernodle (nine kills) and
Ise d'Angelo (eight). The Bulldogs managed their second-best attack percentage (.192) in league action this season to go along with 34 kills.
On defense, the Cadets were led by d'Angelo (nine digs) and
Rachel Keefer (nine), who narrowly missed a double-double with 22 assists.
The two teams battled through 10 ties and five lead changes before reaching an 11-all deadlock. It was there that Chattanooga pieced together a 6-2 run, highlighted by a Chason service ace and a Davenport kill, to forge in front 17-13. A Citadel timeout was not enough to stop the Mocs' offense which closed out the set on an 8-5 run behind two kills from Davenport.
The opening stages of the second set mirrored the first as the teams reached a 10-10 tie on an unforced Citadel error. Chattanooga responded, behind the service games of Chason and Davenport, with an 11-2 run that made for a nine-point contest. The Mocs closed out the five-point victory by virtue of a Davenport kill and two unforced miscues by the Dogs.
The battle between the two units continued into the third set as they split the first 20 points. Chattanooga eventually distanced itself from The Citadel, behind a 7-1 run, moving in front 17-11 in the set. Bulldog kills down the stretch by
Lauren Hurt and
Megan Sowell were not enough as the Mocs completed the sweep with an eight-point win.
The Citadel continues its swing through the Southern Conference on Tuesday, Oct. 21, when it heads to East Tennessee State for a 6 p.m. match with the Buccaneers.
