The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga women's soccer team fell 8-2 to Elon Monday afternoon in Southern Conference action at Rudd Field. The Mocs are now 5-3-1 overall and 0-2 in SoCon play while the Phoenix move to 3-4-3 overall and 1-0-1 in league action.

"We played well in the first 20 minutes just like we did Saturday [at UNCG]," UTC Head Coach J.D. Kyzer said. "We just couldn't stay focused. The youth of the team and the delays this weekend made it difficult for us to get our head in the games."

The Phoenix got on the board in the seventh minute on a goal from Shannon Foley. Bethany Houpt sent a cross from the right side to Foley who touched it in on the far post for the first score.

Chattanooga quickly knotted the match on a direct kick from junior Becca Smith (Murfreesboro, Tenn.) from about 28 yards out at the 10:02 mark of the game.

Elon quickly took the lead on another assist from Houpt. The freshman sent a shot deep into the box from the right side and Catherine Brinkman picked it up for a quick score putting the Phoenix up 2-1 in the 19th minute. Elon didn't take long to score again picking up its third goal less than four minutes later as Houpt once again assisted on the score. Brinkman sent a header past Chattanooga's keeper sophomore Taylor Mangrum (Franklin, Tenn.) into the middle of the net to make it 3-1 at the 22:02 mark of the game.

Kendall Stanley scored Elon's fourth goal on a shot from 15 yards out in the 38th minute and the Phoenix carried a 4-1 lead into the lockerroom at the break.

At the start of the second half, the Phoenix picked up right where they left off scoring less than five minutes into the second stanza. Foley picked up a pass from Olivia Mackey from the left side and scored into the middle of the net to make it 5-1.

The Mocs cut into the lead on a goal from senior Donna-Kay Henry (Queens Village, N.Y.) who dribbled through the defenders and sent a shot through the goal from 12 yards out to make it 5-2 in the 69th minute.

"The put a triangle around her and she did a good job of beating the defense and getting to the goal," Kyzer said.

However, Elon would put the game further out of reach with three quick goals for the final 8-2 score. Marissa Russo scored twice in about a minute and a half then assisted on another three minutes later.

"Not having Lauren Wilson in the middle is hurting us," Kyzer said of his junior who has missed the last two games with an injury. "Her veteran leadership is missed."

Elon outshot the Mocs 21-6 and had 13 shots on goal to Chattanooga's three. Mangrum had four saves for the Mocs. The game was originally scheduled to be played Sunday afternoon, but a spate of thunderstorms Friday afternoon pushed Chattanooga's game against UNCG to Saturday. Subsequently the match on Sunday was pushed back as well to accommodate and extended the road trip.

Chattanooga will return home to host The Citadel at 7 p.m. Friday at Finley Stadium. Admission is free. Live stats and video streaming of the event will be available at GoMocs.com.

www.GoMocs.com
September 26, 2011

NOTES:

TEAM
• UTC is 5-3-1 overall and 0-2 in SoCon play
• First 0-2 start in SoCon play since 2006
• Eight goals is the most the Mocs have given up this season

INDIVIDUAL
Becca Smith
• has a team-high eight goals through nine games
• has a team-high 19 points through nine games
• 56 points is third all-time at UTC
•22 goals is tied for third all-time at UTC

Donna-Kay Henry
• has three goals on the year
• has 10 points through eight games
• 70 career points - second all-time at UTC
• 29 career goals - second all-time at UTC

Former Chattanooga Mocs golf star Emma de Groot (Coffs Harbour, New South Wales, Australia) continues her quest to join the LPGA Tour this week at Qualifying Tournament Stage II. The 72-hole tourney starts Tuesday, September 27, and runs through Friday, September 30.

de Groot is one of 240 players vying to advance to the final stage. The top 70 and ties move on and there is no cut involved in this stage.

The Plantation Golf and Country Club in Venice, Fla., plays host to the four long days of competition.  It features two courses, Panther and Bobcat, to accommodate the large field. The Bobcat Course plays 6,493 yards at a par of 72, while the Panther Course is a little shorter at 6,226 yards, also with a par of 72.

Emma looks to build on her success from Stage I where she finished tied for fourth at 11-under par. She fired four sub-par rounds shooting 69, 70, 70 and 68 for her total of 277. She was the 2011 Southern Conference Golfer of the Year and six-time collegiate winner including the 2011 SoCon Championship.  She also earned all-league honors all four seasons in helping build the foundation for the fledgling Mocs program.

de Groot starts off No. 10 on Panther at 11:40 a.m., on Tuesday. She is paired with Megan McKinney and Melissa Mabanta.

Senior Stephan Jaeger (Munich, Germany) carded a five-under par 67 to lead the Chattanooga Mocs to the first round lead at the Golfweek Conference Challenge Sunday on Spirit Hollow Golf Course.  With 36 holes to play, Chattanooga holds a one-stroke lead over Arkansas after today's 279 (-9).

Jaeger's day was perfect with five birdies and 13 pars as his round did not have a single blemish.  He also carries a one-shot lead into round two over a quartet of golfers at 68.

He is not alone in the top 10.  Sophomore Chris Robb(Aberdeenshire, Scotland) is tied for sixth after a three-under par 69.  He almost matched Jaeger's spotless round with four birdies, 13 pars and a lone bogey.

One shot back in a tie for eighth is junior Steven Fox (Hendersonville, Tenn.) at two under, 70.  Like Robb, he missed a bogey-less round by one hole with three birdies, 14 pars and one bogey.

The Mocs got off to a great start playing the first three holes at four-under par making the turn at five-under with all five golfer at even par or better.  Jaeger and Robb pushed the team lower four birdies in his first five holes on the back nine for Jaeger, while Robb posted two in his first four.

Chattanooga was 10 under through 15 holes before coming through the final three holes solidly with nine pars and one birdie against two bogeys on its counting cards.  The nine-under par total of 279 leads the Razorbacks by one.  The Mocs are four clear of a third-place tie between defending champ Iowa and perennial national championship contender Oklahoma State at four under, 283.  Cal is fifth at level par, 288.

Freshman Liam Johnston (Dumfries, Scotland) rounded out the scoring with a 73 (+1) in his first career start.  Sophomore Benni Weilguni (Langelois, Austria) had the drop score with a 75 (+3).

Weilguni leads the Mocs off of No. 1 Monday at 11:30 a.m., EDT.  He's followed by Johnston (11:39), Fox (11:48), Robb (11:57) and Jaeger (12:06).  UTC is paired with Arkansas and Iowa.

Despite a shutdown effort from the Chattanooga Mocs defense, the 13th-ranked squad lost 14-12 at No. 3 Appalachian State at Kidd Brewer Stadium Saturday afternoon.  In what is becoming an annual tradition, UTC and App State played one of the most exciting games of the year.  The loss drops the Mocs to 2-2 and 0-1 in the Southern Conference.  ASU improves to 3-1 and 1-0 in SoCon action.

UTC's defense has been lights out the last three games.  Coming into today's contest, they had not allowed a point in the second half in the previous two games and no scores in the fourth quarter all year.  They kept that intensity going, shutting out the Mountaineers in the first half.  It was the first time ASU had been blanked in the first 30 minutes of an FCS game since 2004.

Appalachian's defense was just a stingy.  The only points the Mocs could muster in the first half was a 22-yard Nick Pollard (Nashville, Tenn.) field goal late in the second quarter.  Both teams combined for just 283 yards before intermission.

The second half looked to be more of the same with neither team scoring in the first 13 minutes of the third quarter.  Pollard extended the Mocs lead with another 22-yarder to make it 6-0.  The Mocs rushing attack had been stymied to just 8 yards entering the drive, but had 35 yards on six carries to get within four yards of the goal line.

On the very first play of the ensuing Mountaineers possession, Ryan Consiglio (Franklin, Tenn.) forced a DeAndre Presley fumble. Toyvian Brand(Greensboro, Ala.) pounced on the ball to give the Mocs prime real estate on the ASU 30.

UTC got inside the 10 for the third time in the game only to be stopped at the ASU nine.  Pollard came on for a 27-yard attempt but the snap was fumbled.  Mountaineer Rodger Walker scooped it up and returned it 73 yards for App State's first score to end the third quarter.

On the next Mocs possession, lightning struck again for an opportunistic Mountaineers defense. B.J. Coleman's (Chattanooga, Tenn.) pass was picked off by Jeremy Kimbrough who returned it 46 yards for a 14-6 ASU lead.

Coleman rallied his troops and answered right away.  Chaz Moore (Memphis, Tenn.) returned the kickoff to the UTC 47 putting the offense in great field position.  Coleman marched the Mocs 53 yards in nine plays, capped by a 20-yard pass to Sloan Allison (Ooltewah, Tenn.) in the end zone down the right sideline.  The two-point conversion failed and the Mocs trailed 14-12 with just under 10 minutes to play.

Alas, UTC had just one more true possession before a desperation one to end the contest.  ASU registered four of its seven second-half first downs in its final two drives to run time off the clock to seal the win.

Consiglio and Wes Dothard (Carrollton, Ga.) led the Chattanooga defense which was the story of the game.  Consiglio had a game-high 13 tackles with one for loss and a forced fumble.  Dothard made 11 tackles in limiting ASU to a meager 284 total yards.  The Mocs have kept its opponent's offense out of the end zone in eight of its last 10 quarters.

Coleman moved into third-place all-time on the Mocs passing list during the game.  He was 22 of 42 for 270 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions.  Marlon Anthony (Acworth, Ga.) was his top target with six catches for 48 yards. Joel Bradford (Chattanooga, Tenn.) and Jeff Veres (Thompson's Station, Tenn.) each had five for 89 and 57 yards, respectively.

DeAndre Presley had 195 yards of total offense. He completed 12 of 22 tosses for 143 yards and two interceptions -Chris Lewis-Harris (Smyrna, Ga.) and Kadeem Wise (Lawrenceville, Ga.) had the picks - while running for 52 (18 carries).  Tavaris Cadet led all rushers with 63 yards on 11 rushes.

Kimbrough led a stout effort on defense for the Mountaineers with 11 tackles, two sacks and two pass-breakups to go with his pick-six.  Brandon Grier also had 11 stops for ASU.

UTC made five trips in the red-zone today compared to just one for the Mountaineers, a missed 25-yard Sam Martin field goal attempt.  It's the only time in the last two weeks the Chattanooga defense has been breached at the 20.

The Mocs return to Chattanooga next Saturday as The Citadel invades Finley Stadium.  Game time is slated for 6 p.m.

University of Tennessee at Chattanooga football head coach Russ Huesman adressed the media on Tuesday in his weekly luncheon held at McKenzie Arena. Sophomore linebacker Wes Dothard and junior running back Chris Awauh added thier thoughts on the Jacksonville State victory and preparing for Eastern Kentucky.

Chattanooga travels to Eastern Kentucky on Saturday for a 6:00 p.m. (E.D.T) contest. Fans can follow the action with live stats and audio on the football schedule page of GoMocs.com

Head Coach Russ Huesman
Opening Statement:
"It's always nice to sit up here after a win. A win that I thought was a really good win for our program and team. We beat a good team on Saturday. Jacksonville State has a lot of talent. They have good football players and are well coached. For us to come out with a big win was huge for our guys. We needed one. We were 0-1 and we needed to be 1-1. It was important that we played well and get a win for our home crowd. I thought we played well on the offensive side of the ball.

"Defensively, it was a sluggish start for us, but I think our guys got going a little bit. That's what good defenses do. When you see the blood in the water, you go attack and our guys did that. I am proud of them. Our linebackers are playing really well. D.J. Key is a monster out there. He's really good. Up front we were okay, but I thought both sides of the ball played well.

"Our kicking game was very average. We have to get better at that phase of the game.

"I think they had confidence coming out of Nebraska. I think they have confidence now. You want to have confidence, but you don't want to be too confident. They have to be humble and continue to work. If we want to have a great year, we have to come out there every single day and get better."

On the tough schedule ahead:
"We've got good enough players to play with anybody on our schedule and compete. We're athletic, our kids work hard and football is important to them. If we stay healthy, I think we can compete with everybody we are playing."

On the play of D.J. Key:
"We knew he had a lot of ability, but he is playing a lot better than we ever would have imagined. We thought D.J. Key could be a superstar player and he's playing like that. It is probably surprising a lot of people, but we knew he was one of our best football players on the team. It is not really a surprise, but he is playing like we thought he could play."

On moving up in the rankings:
"The FCS rankings are huge and we should put a lot of stock in them. They are huge because the top five ranked teams get seeds. They probably use some of those season rankings to place teams. The bottom line is you want to be a top-five seed and get home field advantage the whole time. If you are ranked, then you have probably won enough games to be in the playoffs."

Junior Running Back Chris Awauh
On his play this year compared to last year:
"The biggest difference between this year and last year is I am more humble. I had a lot of success coming off my freshman year, but things didn't work out as well during my sophomore year. Now that I have my opportunity here as a junior I have been taking it all in. I feel strong and fast."

On getting the starting tail back position:
"I came to Chattanooga as a tail back, but things didn't work out. It was great to hear I was going to be a tail back again, but you just have to be patient. You have to keep working hard every day at practice and wait for your time to come.

"Without my linemen I wouldn't have any yards. They are a young group, but they are a confident and hardworking group. I have to run and try to make the right reads, cuts and get my head down."

Sophomore Linebacker Wes Dothard
On the defense being able to put their opponent away this year:
"We have been focusing on finishing. Ever since those two first games that we lost last year to App and Jacksonville State, the focus has been on the defense finishing the game. We carried that over from last season to this season. In the second half, all that you could hear coming from us was finish the game."

On exceeding coach Huesman's expectations:
"From the spring, coach [Adam] Fuller and I sat down and he asked me about my goals for this upcoming season. One of my first goals was to make a 3.0 G.P.A. My second goal was to be an All-SoCon player. We just worked hard over the summer. I think that all of my work is starting to pay off as we are progressing during the season. We will see."

University of Tennessee at Chattanooga senior Chris Berry (Murfreesboro, Tenn.) was named the Southern Conference student-Athlete of the Week for September 14, the league office announced Wednesday.

The Murfreesboro, Tenn., native holds a 4.00 GPA and is pursuing his MBA after completing his undergraduate degree at UTC.

Berry crossed the line in second place in Chattanooga's PowerAde invitational over the weekend. He paced the Mocs with a 15:00 5K. The Chattanooga men's team claimed the title with 31 points, ahead of Middle Tennessee's 55. The Mocs currently sit in the fifth spot in the NCAA South Region rankings following their win.

Berry is a former SoCon Cross Country Freshman of the Year and a two-time cross country all-conference performer.

Both the men's and women's teams will head to Nashville Saturday, Sept. 17 for the Vanderbilt Commodore Classic to be run at Percy Warner Park. The men's 8K race will begin at 10 a.m. followed by the women's 5K.

Southern Conference Student-Athlete of the Week
Sept. 7 Demetrios Pagnois, Cross Country, Davidson
Sept. 14 Chris Berry, Cross Country, Chattanooga

The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga women's soccer team will travel to Boiling Springs, N.C., for the Gardner-Webb Border Classic. The tournament will pit the Mocs against Jacksonville State and Stetson.

The Mocs will take on Stetson Friday afternoon at 4 p.m. and the Sunday matchup against Jacksonville Statewas moved up one hour to begin at Noon Eastern Time. Chattanooga and Stetson have never met before and Jacksonville State owns a 3-1-1 advantage over UTC.

SCOUTING THE MOCS (2-1-1, 0-0-0 SoCon)
HEAD COACH: J.D. Kyzer (13th season)
The Mocs improved to 2-1-1 with a win over Lipscomb in a game played in Chattanooga at the GPS Soccer Field. Becca Smith continues to lead the team in scoring by adding an assist to her team-best three goal total. Freshman Crystal Mackezyk added another goal and is second on the team in scoring with two goals. Senior Donna-Kay Henry has a team-best two assists this season, getting both against the Bisons. UTC is tied for sixth in scoring with 18 points, tied for fifth in goals with seven and tied for fifth in assists with four. The Mocs have allowed eight goals and made 22 saves. Sophomore Taylor Mangrum has played every game in goal for UTC and recorded her second career shutout in the 2-0 win over Lipscomb.

SCOUTING THE HATTERS (1-4-0, 0-0-0 A-Sun)
HEAD COACH: Julie Orlowski
Series Record vs. Chattanooga: First meeting
Stetson opened the season with a 2-1 win over Florida International but hit a four-game losing skid with losses to Florida Atlantic, Embry-Riddle, Colgate and Army. Alexis Hermosa leads the Hatters with four goals and was named A-Sun Player of the Week as she led her team to a 2-1 come-from-behind victory scoring both goals, including the game winner in the 88th minute. Katie O'Kennedy has a pair of goals for Stetson while Alyssa Welsh and Colleen O'Kennedy each have one assist. Laura Seletos and Grace Turner have shared time in goal with Seletos starting four games and Turner one. The have combined for 28 saves and a 62.2 saves percentage. They have had 17 goals scored against them with a 3.40 goals against average.

SCOUTING THE GAMECOCKS: (0-6-0, 0-0-0 OVC)
HEAD COACH: Julie Davis Carson
Series vs. Chattanooga: Jacksonville State leads 3-1-1
Jacksonville State has struggled from the outset with six straight losses. The Gamecocks started the season with a four-game road stretch before returning home to host the Third Annual Adidas Gamecock Soccer Classic. Dani Miller scored the teams lone goal in a 2-1 loss to New Mexico State at the JSU Soccer Field and Nathalee Lariviere assisted. JSU has put three keepers in the net with Katelyn Geddings playing the majority of minutes with nearly 366 in goal. Ali Koenig garnered a pair of starts and saw action in four games while Chelsea Pelletier has played just 22 minutes. The trio combined for 43 saves (81.1 saves percentage) and have give up just 10 goals for a 1.62 goals against average.

SOCCER TEAM GIVES ASSIST
The Mocs were up early on Labor Day to help out with the annual FCA 5K Race held at Chattanooga State. The Mocs stood in the pouring rain to help direct the runners along the course and provided water.

HENRY ASSISTS ON GOALS IN WIN
Senior Donna-Kay Henry assisted on both goals in UTC's win over Lipscomb Friday night at the GPS Soccer Field. The two were Henry's only scores on the year, and were instrumental in both goals for the Mocs.

SMITH RANKS AMONG LEAGUE LEADERS
Junior Becca Smith leads the league with points(6), goals (3) and goals per game (1.0). She is second for shots with 10 and points per game (2.0). The Murfreesboro native also ranks fifth in shots per game averaging 3.33. The two goals she netted against Tennessee Tech are the most scored in a game this year as are the four points from that game.

ACTIVE CAREER LEADERS IN THE SOCON
Senior Donna-Kay Henry and Becca Smith are ranked among the top active players in the Southern Conference. Henry has 62 career points, good for third while Smith's 44 rank her fifth. Henry has 26 goals, just three off the SoCon leader and Smith has 17, putting her fifth on the list. The pair are listed second and third for shots with Henry's 175 and Smith's 132. Henry has eight game-winning goals placing her fourth on the list, five behind league-leader Martha Hall. Sophomore Taylor Mangrum also enters the SoCon's top five for saves with 140.

THREE SCORE IN TIE VS. GARDNER-WEBB
Freshman Crystal Mackezyk scored her first collegiate goal for the first of three ties in UTC's game against Gardner-Webb. Junior Lauren Wilson netted her second goal at UTC while junior Becca Smith added another goal for a SoCon-leading three on the year.

SMITH NETS PAIR IN OPENING WIN
Junior Becca Smith added two more goals to her career total with a pair against Tennessee Tech in the Mocs season-opening win in Cookeville. Smith tied for seventh on the Mocs single game record for goals scored, one behind her career-high three netted in her collegiate debut. She also moves up on the career charts to fifth for points as well as goals scored.

HENRY A PRESEASON ALL-CONFERENCE
Senior Donna-Kay Henry of Queens Village, N.Y., was named to the Southern Conference Preseason All-Conference Team as voted on by the league coaches. Henry, a three-time all-conference honoree, is second on the UTC all-conference charts with 60 points and 26 goals scored. She led UTC in scoring last season with nine goals and 20 points.

MOCS DOWN MURRAY ST. IN SCRIMMAGE
The Mocs hosted Murray State in a preseason scrimmage and came away with a 2-1 victory. All goals were scored in the first half with UTC striking a blow twice before MSU got on the board. Senior Donna-Kay Henry took a pass from junior Kelsey Swann and drilled the first goal home on an 15-yard shot from the right side hitting it past both a defender and the keeper. That was followed a short time later with a corner kick goal from sophomore Andria Aurand to the head of freshman Crystal Mackezyck right in front of the goal. After MSU scored to cut the lead in half, neither team allowed another score for the remainder of the match.

SOCCER TO HOST NINE HOME MATCHES
The women's soccer team begins its second season at Finley Stadium after a five-year hiatus from the 20,000+ - seat stadium. The Mocs will host nine matches including five in the Southern Conference. The Mocs will open the home slate with a three-game stand beginning with Austin Peay on August 21 followed by an August 28 match with Gardner-Webb. The third game of the series, Lipscomb on Sept. 2, will be played at GPS along the Tennessee River.

SEPT. 2 UTC vs LIPSCOMB AT GPS
The Mocs will hosted Lipscomb at GPS on Sept. 2 while Finley Stadium underwent some improvements. The defeated the Bison 2-0 on the natural surface in front of more than 200 fans.

The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga football team heads to Miller Plaza on Friday, Sept. 9, at 12:00 p.m. (E.D.T.) for a Pep Rally hosted by the River City Company.  The UTC Marching Band, Cheerleaders, Sugar Mocs and Scrappy will all join head coach Russ Huesman and selected members of the team to get fans ready for Saturday's home-opener against No. 10 Jacksonville State.

Miller Plaza is located on the corner of Market Street and MLK Blvd. in Downtown Chattanooga.

The Mocs host the 10th-ranked Gamecocks on Saturday at 6:00 p.m. in Finley Stadium.  With Chattanooga listed at No. 23 in this week's top-25, this will be the first regular season game between two ranked teams in Finley Stadium history.

A huge crowd is expected and fans are encouraged to buy tickets early.  The Chattanooga Coca-Cola Bottling Company is offering $8 print at home tickets on GoMocs.com to help avoid the long lines on game day.  Just use the 'restore' code when purchasing single game tickets.

The box office at the St. Elmo gate at Finley Stadium will also be open on Friday from Noon to 5:00 p.m. for fans wanting easy access to purchase tickets.

Season tickets are still on sale on GoMocs.com, or by calling the UTC Ticket Office at (423) 266-MOCS (6627).  Chattanooga is less than 20 season tickets away from breaking last year's all-time sales record of 2,676.  Season tickets start at $32 for youth, alumni, faculty and staff.

With the season's opening contest at Nebraska in the books, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga football head coach Russ Huesman field questions about his team's home opener against No. 10 Jacksonville State on Saturday at 6 p.m. at Finley Stadium. A pair of freshman in offensive lineman Kevin Revis and running back Marquis Green joined him at the weekly media luncheon held at McKenzie Arena. Selected quotes are available below.

No. 10 Jacksonville State taking on No. 23 Chattanooga is the first regular season matchup of Top-25 teams in Finley Stadium history. It is also the first matchup of ranked teams since No. 20 Chattanooga beat No. 1 Furman, 21-14 on Sept. 28, 1984. 

The Mocs are encouraging fans who sit in the North stands (student side) to wear Blue and those on the South side (press box) to wear Gold as apart of the 'Go Blue. Be Gold.' game at Finley Stadium. Chattanooga is giving away thousands of Blue & Gold T-Shirts leading up to the game and at the game.

Head Coach Russ Huesman
Opening Statement:
"The trip to Nebraska was a great experience for our football team. It was first-class. We got the charter flight and stayed in a great hotel. Everything that happened out there made our kids feel good about going out and playing the football game. As I said, I haven't changed my tone about the game and thought we played really hard. We went toe to toe with them. I told my team that game probably shouldn't have been a 40-7 game. I think we played better than the score indicated. But that's what the score is and that's what the score will be for the next 200 years. I was awful proud of our guys.

"I think defensively, we had talked going in, that I thought we could run really well on defense and it showed in the game. We played really well especially our linebackers were unbelievable during the game.

"Offensively we had some opportunities, we had some chances. Against good football teams like BCS teams, you don't want to say that you've got to be perfect, but you've got to be perfect. It's so hard. You can't drop a pass, you can't miss a guy, you can't miss a blitz pick up or they will destroy you. That's how it ultimately got to 40-7 because of a few mistakes.

"We took some chances too. The onside kick we probably should of got. If we kick that thing down there and don't turn it over, we probably lose the game 26-7 or something like that. But as soon as we scored I grabbed the kick off team and said, 'Hey let's go onsides right here' and they got all fired up. Then they kick the field goal and we bobble the kick, so it kind of snowballed there.

"I think they came out feeling good about themselves not too good about themselves, but pretty good. Knowing that if we put in the time and effort we've got a chance to be pretty good this year."

On the significance of playing Jacksonville State this week:
"We haven't beaten them one time since I've been here. It will be a tough game, but I think having it at home will help for sure with the home field advantage, the crowd, and those types of things. Our guys know that we have a test, but they also feel pretty good about the talent we have here too."

On defending a scrambling quarterback again this week:
"That is one of our biggest concerns because we didn't defend Martinez on the scramble very well. We had them on three or four occasions [in third and long] and he gets out of the pocket, scrambles and gets the first down. If that happens this week, we are going to be in trouble there is no doubt about it."

The Chattanooga Mocs volleyball team came out with fire in a first set victory, but Kennesaw State (3-3) battled back to take the match, 3-1 (21-25, 25-17, 25-23, 25-17), at the Owl Invitational. Sophomore outside Jennifer Kuroski(Acworth, Ga.) recorded 14 kills during the contest.

Chattanooga (1-5) is back in action at 5 p.m. this afternoon to complete the Owl Invitational against Winthrop. Live stats and live blog can be found on the volleyball schedule page.

"We were a different team today and I really liked what I saw," said head coach Travis Filar. "When we come out with that much energy, it is very contagious, that kind of energy and fight just happens to produce really good volleyball. Now the challenge for us it to trust and believe that we can make that more consistent in our play. We still have to defend significantly better in serve-receive because I thought that we served really well and took Kennesaw State out of system enough."

A rotation of ten players was used during the contest as the insertion of youth continued from the Sept. 5 match against Oral Roberts. Receiving their first starts of the season were sophomore setter Tess Kosycarz (Temecula, Calif.), freshman Jessi Blackstock (Killen, Ala.), while freshman Melissa Green (Boca Raton, Fla.) made her first start as libero.

Totaling 11 kills each were senior middle blockerEllie Kuhn (San Antonio, Texas) and junior right sideChristina Teter (Signal Mountain, Tenn.). Blackstock registered 6 kills, while freshman middleKasey Talley (Boiling Springs, S.C.) added five.

The offense was run by Kosycarz, who tallied 43 assists, a season-high for the Mocs. She also had three service aces and two block assists.

Green led the defensive effort with 19 digs and junior Meagan Ernd (Munster, Ind.) notched seven. Junior Paula Passmore record six along with Talley. Also seeing action was sophomore Andrea Johnson (Soddy Daisy, Tenn.), who dug up 5 attacks playing in the final two sets.

The first set saw 13 ties and six lead changes as the teams battled for each point. With a tie at 16, Chattanooga began to break away from the Owls with Green on the service line recording two aces and a kill by Kuroski as it took a 20-16 advantage.

Kennesaw State was led by Alyssa Long with a match-high 16 kills and Justine Young notched 10. Setter Sara Metroka had 46 assists for the Owls. A match-high in digs was registered by Keyaira Stevenson with 21.

The annual Country Inns & Suites Invitational is next week with the Mocs hosting East Tennessee State, Tennessee Tech and UNC Asheville. Times for the event have been altered on Saturday as Chattanooga plays the Golden Eagles at 10 a.m. and the Bulldogs at 4 p.m. ETSU faces the Mocs on Friday night at 6 p.m. All matches will have live stats and video (subscription only on MocsVision) with links available on the volleyball schedule page.