Valparaiso University

The Valpo volleyball team finished out the Chattanooga Classic on Saturday afternoon with ease, dispatching Tennessee State in straight sets (25-15, 25-19, 25-17) to finish the weekend undefeated and earn the tournament championship. This is the second straight season the Beacons have won a tournament on the season's opening weekend.
 
How It Happened

• Valpo trailed briefly in the opening set at 7-6 before responding with the next four points — including back-to-back service aces from Mia Liberti (Chicago, Ill./De La Salle Institute) — to take the lead for good. The Beacons later closed the set on a 7-1 run to claim the opener.
• The second set was tied just past the halfway point at 13-13, but Valpo took four of the next five points to gain separation. TSU got no closer than three the rest of the way, and the Beacons finished the frame with three straight points to take the 2-0 lead in the match.
• It was all Valpo from the get-go in set three, jumping out to an 8-2 lead which featured a pair of service aces by Danica Goch (Baroda, Mich./Lakeshore). The Tigers got no closer than four points the rest of the way, and fittingly for her part in starting the frame, Goch closed out the sweep with an ace.

 
Inside the Match

• Valpo finished the weekend with a perfect 3-0 record to claim its 37^th in-season tournament title in the last 25 years.
• This is the second time Valpo has won the Chattanooga Classic, as it took the crown as well in its only previous visit in 2015.
• This is the second consecutive year the Beacons have won a tournament on opening weekend, as they earned the title at the USI Invite last year. That championship came via a tiebreak, making this Valpo's first 3-0 opening weekend since 2022 at the Youngstown Invitational.
• This marks Valpo's fourth tournament championship in its last five visits to the state of Tennessee for an in-season tournament, dating back to 2014.
• With Valpo's entire roster of healthy athletes seeing action on Saturday, it was a balanced box score, as no Beacon reached double figures in either kills or digs.
• Jordyn Gove (Amarillo, Texas/Randall) led the way on the attack with eight kills on .350 hitting. One day after surpassing the 500-kill mark for her collegiate career, the junior recorded her 500^th career dig Saturday.
• All four of Valpo's setters saw time on Saturday, with Olivia Wagner (Lakeville, Minn./Lakeville South) dishing out a team-best 11 assists. Maddie Kmetz (St. John, Ind./Andrean [Western Michigan]) had nine helpers, while Mia McCall (St. Charles, Ill./St. Charles North) tallied six assists and also had five digs.
• After entering the third set of Saturday's match with two service aces to her name in 21-plus collegiate matches, Goch more than doubled that with her three aces in the deciding set. She also set a career best with seven digs.
• Keira Lucas (Brazil, Ind./Northview) paced the Beacons with nine digs in the back row, while Liberti added six digs as well.
• Valpo held a 36-28 advantage in kills over the Tigers and hit at a .240 clip to TSU's .102 clip.
• The Beacons sided out at above a 70% mark in all three sets Saturday.

 
Next Up
Valpo (3-0) comes home to the ARC next weekend to host the Popcorn Classic, starting at 6 p.m. Friday evening against Cincinnati.