Furman Sweeps Chattanooga on Big Din Energy Night at Timmons Arena
Photo: Dez B.
GREENVILLE, S.C. — One night after a five-set thriller, Furman volleyball made it look easy. The Paladins swept Chattanooga 3-0 on Friday at Timmons Arena to even their Southern Conference record at 2-2.
Furman won the first set, then took the second 25-20 and the third 25-16. The Paladins moved to 8-7 overall. The Mocsdropped to 5-11 and 0-4 in the SoCon.
A Weekend That Could Change a Season
Furman opened league play 0-2 after a three-match losing streak, a slow start for a team picked third in the SoCon preseason coaches poll. Two wins in two nights over Chattanooga give the Paladins a fresh start.
They are coming off their best season in years. Furman went 21-9 and 11-5 in the SoCon in 2025, its first 20-win season since 2017, and finished second in the regular-season standings. Tennyson Gorman, a middle blocker, was a first-team All-SoCon selection who led the league in hitting percentage and blocks.
Chattanooga is a program with similar goals. The Mocs went 16-13 last year and tied for third in the SoCon, but they are still looking for a first league win this fall.
The Dins Get Their Crowd
Friday was Big Din Energy night, and Furman fans showed up in bigger numbers than they did Thursday. The crowd got behind the Paladins in the opening set and helped carry them to the win.
Set 2: Furman Finds the Gaps
Chattanooga again started well. No. 23 Gracie Rose spread out for more leverage and delivered a powerful swing, though she was less of a force at the net than the night before. No. 0 Bailey Burgess was strong up front, as she was Thursday.
Furman noticed that the Mocs weren't covering the floor as well and attacked the open spots. Chattanooga errors, including shots sent out of bounds, helped the Paladins build their lead. Gorman was a steady presence at the net while keeping her workload light. She said Thursday that she has been managing an ankle injury, but it did not appear to slow her power Friday.
With the set tied at 18, No. 4 Mallory Merz served into the net to hand Furman the lead. The Paladins followed with an ace, and No. 16 Lauren Haynes put the set away with a strong hit across the net. The Dins were on fire, the crowd was electric, and the set belonged to Furman.
Set 3: Furman Never Looks Back
Furman jumped out early in the third set, knowing a win would end the match. Chattanooga struggled to find its rhythm and gave away points with out-of-bounds shots. It was a different story from Thursday, when the Mocs pushed the match to a fifth set. Their adjustments and rotations did not change the outcome, and whatever worked for Chattanooga the night before did not carry over.
The Paladins led 15-9 at the media timeout. They kept their foot on the gas and did not let up, though Chattanooga's errors played a big part in the margin.
The Mocs never found a way back, and Furman sealed the 25-16 win and the sweep.
The Plan for a Double-Match Week
Furman's message coming into the week was to take care of its own business. No. 2 Kennedy Seekford, a senior libero, said that was the focus.
"We knew we wanted to focus on our side of the net," Seekford said.
That approach paid off and put the Dins back on track.
Up Next
Furman next faces The Citadel in conference play. The Paladins will not be back at Timmons Arena until Oct. 16, when they host the Mercer Bears.
