The Chattanooga Beach Volleyball team, seeded first, defeated fourth-seeded Morehead State 3-1 in its opening match of the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) Tournament on Apr. 23.
This win is significant for Chattanooga as it advances their record to 10-6 all-time in the OVC Tournament and extends their tournament winning streak to seven matches. The victory also marks the seventh consecutive win against Morehead State, bringing their head-to-head record to 10-6.
Chattanooga began the day without knowing its opponent until Morehead State secured a win over Eastern Illinois earlier. The Mocs earned their first point at the No. 5 position by defeating Haylee Deponte, this year’s OVC Freshman of the Year, and her partner Sydney Sennett with scores of 21-11 and 21-11. Although Morehead State tied up the match after Logan Smith and Amelia Nott handed Chattanooga’s pair their first loss against an OVC opponent this season (21-15, 21-18), Chattanooga responded strongly. Wins on Court 2 against Sarah Heath and Shea Hefner (21-16, 21-14) and on Court 3 against Landyn Snowden and Hollan Everett (21-16, 21-16) clinched victory for Chattanooga.
Head Coach Darin Van Horn said about today’s performance: “You never know what it’s going to look like going into that first game of a conference tournament. I think there are always jitters and nerves. I’m proud of the way we handled the highs and lows. I thought Morehead State played hard and found a way to push us and never gave up. We need to continue focusing on one dual at a time, one set at a time, and enjoy the path as it comes to us.”
Looking ahead, Chattanooga will play again tomorrow at 3 p.m., facing either Lindenwood or UT Martin depending on tonight’s results. A win would send them directly into Saturday afternoon’s Championship match; if they lose tomorrow’s game, they will have another chance Saturday morning to qualify for the final.
