The Chattanooga Beach Volleyball team secured a place in the Ohio Valley Conference championship match after defeating Lindenwood 3-2 in the semifinals on April 24. The top-seeded Sandy Mocs clinched their spot in the final following late victories from their top two pairs, marking the third consecutive year they will compete for the tournament trophy.
This result highlights Chattanooga’s ability to perform under pressure, as three of five matches extended to three sets and the team rallied from a 2-1 deficit. The Sandy Mocs now hold a season record of 23-4 and have won eight straight matches in OVC tournament play.
Lindenwood opened scoring by winning at No. 5 doubles, handing Goryl and McCabe their first loss against conference opponents this season. Chattanooga responded with a win at No. 4, but Lindenwood retook the lead by capturing Court 3 in three sets. On Court 1, Mckenna Faychak and her partner delivered UTC’s only straight-set victory of the day to tie up the match before Lawrence and Vale secured the decisive point on Court 2 with a comeback performance.
Head Coach Darin Van Horn said, “First off I give a lot of credit to Lindenwood. They were ready to play today. They pushed us to the edge. We experienced a lot of new emotions and challenges today. I think we knew at some point in this tournament we would endure a game like this. These teams are hungry and are getting better as the year goes on. I’m grateful we had a lot of returning players to lean on to earn us points at the end. Proud of the group for staying the course and believing even when we weren’t at our best. Now it’s time to prepare for the championship.”
Chattanooga will compete for its third consecutive OVC title tomorrow afternoon against either UT Martin or Morehead State, depending on results earlier that day.
