Box Score

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. – After coming back to win the third set, the Elon volleyball team could not pull out the fourth-set win to send the match into a deciding fifth set as the Phoenix fell 3-1 (15-25, 22-25, 25-19, 21-25) at UT Chattanooga. The loss puts the maroon and gold at 13-7 on the season (2-4 SoCon), while the Lady Mocs improve to 4-16 (2-4 SoCon).
 
“Caroline (Lemke) had a great match today, said head Elon volleyball coach Mary Tendler. “Not only did she hit and block well, but she also fought hard for every point. We just needed more players to bring the same competitive spirit that she did.”
 
Senior Caroline Lemke led Elon on both sides of the net with 16 kills and eight blocks. Freshman Kris Harris recorded seven kills and six blocks, while junior Carly Ledbetter also finished with seven kills. Senior Traci Stewart and freshman Danielle Smith also contributed on defense with four and three blocks, respectively. Junior Ali Deatsch finished the match with 27 digs.
 
The first set remained close with four ties until the Lady Mocs went on a 3-1 run to take a four-point lead, 13-9. Kills by senior Megan McMahon and freshman Chanelle Smith put the Phoenix within three, 14-11. An ace by Deatsch, who ranks in the top ten in aces per set, would break a six-point run by the Lady Mocs to make it a 21-13 Chattanooga advantage. The Lady Mocs went on to score the next three points and earn a set-point opportunity. Kills by Lemke and Harris stopped UTC twice before the Lady Mocs took the 25-15 set win.
 
UTC took the early advantage in the second set before a block by Stewart and Harris tied the set at nine-all. Down by one, 13-12, kills by Harris, Ledbetter and Lemke helped Elon to a 3-1 run that point the Phoenix up by one, 15-14. From there the Lady Mocs scored three straight to take a 17-15 lead, forcing Elon to call a timeout. Out of the timeout, the maroon and gold earned the next four points, which included a Ledbetter kill and a block by Lemke and C. Smith, to take a two-point advantage, 19-17. After UTC tied the set at 19-all, the Lady Mocs would go on to win six of the next nine points to take a 25-22 win and a 2-0 match lead.
 
The third set started with back-to-back kills by Lemke to put the Phoenix up 2-0 early. Down 8-7, Stewart and Harris combined for their second block of the set to start a three-point run for Elon to go up by two, 10-8. After the Lady Mocs called a timeout with the score in favor of the Phoenix, 12-9, a block by Lemke and McMahon increased the maroon and gold lead to four. With a three-point advantage, Elon used a kill by Harris and an ace by Deatsch to increase its lead to five, 20-15, and force UTC to call its second and final timeout. Kills by Stewart and Lemke and a block by Lemke and D. Smith gave Elon its first set-point opportunity of the day with the score at 24-18. The Lady Mocs would hold the Phoenix by taking the next two points, but Elon was able to send the match into a fourth set by winning 25-20.
 
Elon took a two-point advantage, 6-4, early in the fourth set off two kills by Harris and one by Lemke. The Lady Mocs then went on to score six unanswered to go up 10-6. Four kills and two blocks by Lemke helped the Phoenix put together an 8-4 run to tie the set at 14-all. Elon continued with the momentum and scored the next four for an 18-14 advantage. UTC responded with a seven-point run that put the Lady Mocs up by four, 22-18. Two blocks by Elon helped the Phoenix cut the deficit to two, 23-21, but UTC used the home crowd to win the final two points and take the set 25-21, as well as the 3-1 match win.
 
Elon will return home for two matches in Alumni Gym next weekend. The Phoenix will play the Davidson Wildcats in its annual Dig Pink match on Saturday, Oct. 15, at 2 p.m. and then take on the reigning SoCon Tournament Champions of Georgia Southern on Sunday, Oct. 16 at 2 p.m.