University of Tennessee at Chattanooga junior middle blocker Dani Szczepanski was selected the Southern Conference volleyball offensive player of the week for her 44 kills on a remarkable .527 hitting percentage in three wins this past weekend. She also served a team-high eight aces in being named the most outstanding player of the Chattanooga Classic. Szczepanski had 16 kills on .714 hitting with five aces against UNC Asheville and 20 kills on .731 hitting in the 3-2 title-winning defeat of North Alabama. Through six matches, she leads the SoCon and is fourth in NCAA Division I with an overall hitting percentage of .519. “Her entire game has improved from blocking to serving,” coach Travis Filar said in a UTC release, “and of course her attacking, which she has become very efficient in her ability to not only score points but to be a great option offensively out of serve-receive and in transition.” The Mocs (4-2) play tonight at Tennessee Tech (4-3), which holds a 26-7 advantage in the series, according to TTU’s records, but lost the last matchup in 2012. This will be only the fifth meeting of the relative neighbors since 1993.
Soccer
‘ Mia Hollingsworth’s three unassisted first-half goals led the Lee University women’s socccer team to a 3-1 home victory Monday night against Trevecca Nazarene. Hollingsworth scored at 4:09 and 10:43 and again at 26:33 for the Lady Flames (1-0-1), soon after Makena Schlosser headed in a Gabriela Dias cross for Trevecca (1-1) at 22:16. Lee, ranked No. 9 in the NCAA Division II preseason poll, outshot TNU 14-1 in the first half and 19-9 for the game.
‘ Dalton State improved to 3-1-1 in men’s soccer with a 2-1 NAIA win Monday afternoon against eighth-ranked Georgia Gwinnett in Lawrenceville. Sebastian Guzman netted a penalty kick at 7:07 and Jose Villalobos scored at 78:43 for the Roadrunners, who played the second half with a man advantage and outshot the Grizzlies 16-12 with a 5-3 edge in shots on goal. Daniel Valenciano assisted on the winning goal.
Golf