Tweet

	1	2	3	4	5	F
Chattanooga (10-2)	20	25	13	26	17	3
Virginia Tech (8-3)	25	21	25	24	15	2
Cassell Coliseum - 273 Box Score

BLACKSBURG - Coming down to the fifth set tied 15-15, Virginia Tech suffered a heartbreaking loss to Chattanooga on Saturday morning to begin day two of the Hokie Invite. Tech now sits at 8-3 while the Mocs improve to 10-2.

The two squads battled through 39 tie scores and 16 lead changes to determine a winner of the premier match of day.

Kennedy Bryan paved the way for the Hokies, attacking at a .375 rate. Both Bryan and Amanda McKinzie downed 17 kills in the matchup. Three Hokies tallied double-doubles through the five sets: McKinize, Lindsey Owens, and Rhegan Mitchell who set a new career high of 57 assists. Owens slugged 14 kills and second best on the team, 18 digs. Kenedy McGrath collected 22 digs, holding the Mocs to a .175 attacking percentage throughout the match. The Hokies posted 20 blocks in the contest - a mark that has not been reach since the fourth match of the season.

Chattanooga’s Briana Reid and Sarah Batterton tallied 15 kills apiece in the contest. Reid collected a double-double with her 18 digs in the outing. Lauren Greenspoon was the second of the two Mocs to register a double-double with 50 assists and 11 digs.

The Hokies and Mocs began back-and-forth action early in the contest until the margin reached 19-16 in favor of the home team. Tech widened the score to its greatest lead of 23-18 in the set. Chattanooga came back to bring it with in three but the Hokies prevailed as McKinzie downed her first of three aces in the first set win, 25-20.

Chattanooga took off early in the frame, holding on to a five-point margin until the 14th point. The Hokies rallied for three-straight points, putting pressure on the Mocs. Tech, sitting in a 12-21 deficit, fought back to narrow the gap to a mere three points. However, Chattanooga responded with four quick points to secure their 25-21 decision in set two.

Tech dominated the third set, outhitting Chattanooga .593-.200. Bryan went 6-for-7, Owens 5-for-7, and McKinzie 5-for-9 with two aces. McKinzie’s aces came early on in the frame, putting the Hokies in a commanding 5-0 position. Despite the Mocs’ efforts, Virginia Tech owned the set with a 25-13 rout.

Set four mirrored the first with 18 tie scores and 10 lead changes with neither team gaining more than a two-point advantage. The squads went back and forth until the 24th point when the Mocs came way with the fourth set, 26-24.

The Mocs jumped to an early four-point lead in the final set. However, Mitchell and Owens connected for three consecutive assists and kills to tie up the match at 7-all. The two teams remained even through the 15th point. However, the Mocs closed out the premier match of the day with a fifth set win, 17-15.

Tech returns to action this evening to close out the Hokie Invite against in-state rival, Liberty, at 7 p.m. in Cassell Coliseum.

For updates on Virginia Tech volleyball, follow the Hokies on Twitter Follow @VT_VBall and on Instagram @vthokievolleyball