By Mike Lehman, TTU Sports Information
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. – It was a clean sweep for the Tennessee Tech volleyball team Friday evening, as the Golden Eagles (4-2) took down in-state rival Chattanooga (3-5) at Maclellan Gym in both teams' opening match of the Chattanooga Classic, 3-0 (25-22, 25-21, 25-21).
The victory over the Mocs marked the second straight sweep for the Golden Eagles after winning 3-0 over UNC Asheville in the final tilt of the Golden Eagle Invitational last weekend. It also represented the fourth win in Tech's last five matches.
Chattanooga started the first set with a 3-0 advantage, but the Golden Eagles made it a tight battle the remainder of the way, with neither side taking more than a four-point lead at any point. Trailing by as much as 13-9, the purple and gold used an 8-3 run to swing the momentum to its side for a 20-16 lead.
After the Mocs pulled to within a point at 23-22, Tech put things away with a kill from middle blocker Taylor Dorsey and a service ace from senior Lauren Toledo.
In set two, the home squad again jumped out to a 3-0 lead, but the Golden Eagles rallied quickly once again. Squaring things at 13-13, Tech rolled of four more points in a row for a 17-13 advantage. The visitors kept the Mocs at bay the rest of the set, with another Dorsey kill closing out the game 25-21.
The purple and gold swung the momentum to its side immediately in set three, taking the first two points and rattling off seven straight for an 11-4 lead early. That advantage grew to as much as 10 at 24-14, but Chattanooga refused to go quietly. Tech halted a seven-point rally by the Mocs, using a Madolyn Isringhausen kill to complete the sweep with a 25-21 win in the set.
The Tech attack was particularly effective in the final two sets, boasting attack percentages of .278 with 15 kills and .250 with 13 kills, respectively. The Golden Eagles racked up 11 service aces on the night with eight total blocks and 39 kills.
Redshirt sophomore Madeline Furtado led the match with 10 kills on a solid .238 hitting percentage. It marked her highest attack rate of the season and her third match in the last four with double-figure kills.
Tech's middle blockers dominated during the evening, led by sophomore Dallas Oatis and junior Taylor Dorsey. Oatis registered a season-high nine kills while hitting .474, and chipped in three block assists to the mix.
Dorsey produced one of the most complete matches of her career, smashing a robust .615 with eight kills, four total blocks, and a career-high four service aces. The Birmingham, Ala. native even added four assists for good measure, dominating the match across the board.
Senior Ashley Hand continued her strong start to the year, doling out 29 assists and a team-high 12 digs for her fourth double-double of the year. She produced a trio of kills while hitting .375 and helped out on a pair of blocks.
Next up for the Golden Eagles is a 9:00 a.m. CT match Saturday morning against Troy, which took down Virginia Tech earlier on Friday, 3-1. Tech will then wrap up the Chattanooga Classic with a 4:00 p.m. tilt against the Hokies.
File photo by Jim Dillon