Bulldogs Push Chattanooga to Four Sets; Pleuss Reaches Career Milestone

Friday, November 13

Charleston, S.C.

6:00 PM

The Citadel

Chattanooga

11/13/2026 8:39:00 PM | Volleyball

By: The Citadel Athletics

CHARLESTON, S.C. — The Citadel volleyball team (4-25, 1-16 SoCon) battled Chattanooga (8-21, 3-14 SoCon) in a four-set Southern Conference matchup Friday evening at McAlister Field House, falling 3-1 (19-25, 19-25, 26-24, 20-25).

The Bulldogs finished with 53 kills and a .160 hitting percentage, while Chattanooga recorded 58 kills and hit .290. The Citadel also collected 64 digs, seven service aces and seven total blocks.

Elizabeth Miller and Jordyn Sims led the Bulldogs with 11 kills apiece. Miller hit .474 with three solo blocks and one service ace, while Sims added three total blocks. Rachel Reininger finished with 10 kills, a team-high 17 digs and two service aces. Emma Pastusic also recorded 10 kills.

Greta Pleuss directed the Bulldogs' offense with 38 assists, six digs and three service aces, reaching the 1,000-career-assist milestone. Jess Martin contributed 13 digs and four assists, while Samantha Weise finished with four kills on four attempts and two block assists.

Chattanooga was led by Kynli Kirkendoll, who recorded 15 kills on a .625 hitting percentage. Gracie Rose and Jordin Glass added 12 kills apiece, while Bailey Burgess finished with nine total blocks. Caiti Barthel led the Mocs defensively with 25 digs, and Ashley Reynolds recorded 38 assists.

"She missed most of last season and has shared playing time this year, so reaching 1,000 career assists in a relatively short time is a tremendous accomplishment," said head coach Dave Zelenock. "Greta has developed into a strong leader on the court, and her teammates genuinely want to play for her. That leadership has continued to grow over the past couple of years, and it's been great to see her hard work pay off."

First Set | 19-25
·       Chattanooga opened with a 10-4 advantage before the Bulldogs mounted a comeback.
·       Pleuss sparked a seven-point service run, including two aces, helping The Citadel erase a five-point deficit and take a 15-13 lead.
·       The teams traded points before the Bulldogs grabbed a 19-18 advantage.
·       Chattanooga responded with seven consecutive points to close out the opening set, 25-19.

Second Set | 19-25
·       Sims opened the second set with back-to-back kills to give the Bulldogs an early 2-0 lead.
·       Chattanooga responded with an 8-2 run to take an 8-4 advantage.
·       The Bulldogs fought back behind kills from Miller, Reininger and Luci Lippelgoos, trimming the deficit to 17-16.
·       The Mocs maintained control down the stretch and secured the second set, 25-19.

Third Set | 26-24
·       The Bulldogs and Mocs battled through 21 ties and nine lead changes in a tightly contested third set.
·       Reininger and Sims provided key offensive contributions as The Citadel remained within striking distance throughout the frame.
·       With the score tied at 20, Mia Watson delivered a service ace to give the Bulldogs a 21-20 advantage.
·       Miller recorded a kill and followed with a service ace to put The Citadel ahead 24-23.
·       After Chattanooga tied the set at 24, the Bulldogs capitalized on an attack error before Weise delivered the set-winning kill to secure the 26-24 victory.

Fourth Set | 20-25
·       Chattanooga established an early 8-4 advantage before the Bulldogs began chipping away at the deficit.
·       Trailing 13-8, The Citadel used a four-point run highlighted by a Reininger service ace and a block from Sims and Weise to pull within 13-12.
·       The Mocs answered with a 9-3 run to extend their lead to 22-15.
·       The Bulldogs continued battling behind kills from Miller and a Pleuss service ace, cutting the deficit to 24-20.
·       Chattanooga secured the final point to take the fourth set, 25-20, and claim the match.

Up Next
The Citadel closes out the 2026 regular season Saturday, Nov. 14, with its second matchup against Chattanooga at McAlister Field House. First serve is scheduled for 2 p.m., with the match streamed live on ESPN+.